Grammy’s Apple Chutney
Denise Landis is the founder & CEO of The Cook's Cook.
At the holiday party of a friend I marveled over a sweet, subtly spicy, apple chutney she served with cheese. It had been a gift from a mutual friend, who had gotten the recipe from her grandmother and made it regularly to give as gifts. Not long after that, I found myself invited to a “chutney party” where I would be one of three women each making and canning about a gallon of that same chutney.
The party included a pot-luck meal. In addition to my contribution toward lunch, I was instructed to bring all of my ingredients as well as jars, lids, and labels, and a large pot in which I would cook my chutney. The pot for sterilizing jars and other equipment would be provided by the host.
We began by peeling apples, which we could do easily while talking because only about half the peel of the apple needs to be removed. A sloppy technique is best. The apples were then cored, cut into chunks, and put into a pot with the other ingredients. The three large pots were put on the stove to simmer, and a fourth pot of water was put on for sterilizing jars.
The simmering of an hour and a half was the perfect length of time for eating, talking and laughing, and taking turns sterilizing our jars. Afterward, filling and boiling the sealed jars went quickly. We each went home with sixteen warm jars of chutney, more than enough to serve at a party, with plenty left over to share with friends. 
Grammy’s Apple Chutney
Adapted from Catherine “Grammy” Porter
- Servings Makes 3.8 liters (16 cups)
Ingredients
Equipment
- Eight 473 ml (1 pint) or sixteen 237 ml (1 cup) canning jars with lids
- Apple corer
- One large pot (with rack if possible) for sterilizing jars
- Tongs for lifting jars
- Wide-mouth funnel
- Baking sheets for holding wet jars
- Labels for jars
- Large pot for simmering chutney
Ingredients
- 1.8 kilogram (4 pounds) dark brown sugar
- 177 ml (¾ cup) finely chopped peeled ginger root
- 59 ml (¼ cup) finely chopped garlic
- 227 grams (8 ounces) raisins
- 946 ml (4 cups) cider vinegar
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) kosher salt
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground cayenne pepper
- Two 113 gram (4-ounce) cans mild green chiles, drained
- About 113 grams (4 ounces) sliced green jalapenos (see Note)
- 2.3 kilogram (5 pounds) Cortland apples or other firm, tart cooking apples.
Note: Fresh hot serrano chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced, may be used instead of the jalapenos.
Preparation
1. In a 5.6 liter (6-quart) or larger pot, combine the sugar, ginger, garlic, raisins, vinegar, salt, cayenne, chilies, and jalapenos. Mix well.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the apples in long strips, leaving some (about half) of the peel. Core the apples, and cut into rough chunks about an inch in size. Add each apple to the pot after it is cut, to keep it from turning brown.
3. Place pot over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and has turned a rich brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or cook over too high heat. While the chutney is simmering, sterilize the jars.
4. To sterilize jars: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add jars and lids and boil for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and place jars upside down on a baking sheet to drain. Add lids and allow to drain. Keep water hot and bring to a boil again when the chutney is almost finished.
5. To fill jars: Place the jars right side up. Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill each jar with piping- hot chutney to 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) of the top. Screw on caps firmly but not too tightly (cooling will create a suction). Place filled, closed, jars into boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from hot water and set aside on baking sheet to cool. Chutney will thicken as it cools. Tighten lids, label, and store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.
Denise Landis
Denise Landis had been employed as an archeologist for seven years before a food editor hired her to test some recipes from a cookbook manuscript. This short stint led to longer assignments, and two years later she began testing recipes for the New York Times. She has been a professional recipe tester and editor for over 25 years, is the author of a New York Times cookbook, and has written for numerous publications. She is a member of the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.
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