Blackberry and apple chutney

You can get blackberries right up until November, making now the perfect time to get a stock of chutneys made ahead of Christmas.

MAKES 4-6 230ML JARS

600g blackberries, rinsed and patted dry, whole or halved

500ml white wine vinegar

300g apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes

150g red onions, diced

250g light brown or muscovado sugar 3 bay leaves

½tsp mixed spice

1tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed 1tsp mustard seeds, lightly crushed Zest of 1 lemon

1tsp sea salt

Start by sterilising your jars and lids and use these hot, straight from the oven. First, wash in hot soapy water, rinse and drip-dry upside down. Place right-side up in a 100°C/80°C fan/gas mark ¼ oven for at least 20min.

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For the chutney, add all the ingredients to a pan, bring to the boil and cook over a high heat for 20-90min (chutneys of this variety are typically ready 40-50min after boiling but timings do vary to render down to a sticky consistency). Stir regularly to avoid burning on the bottom of the pan.

To test when it’s ready to jar, run a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan: if there’s a clear path for at least 5 seconds the chutney should be ready.

Fill the jars as quickly as you can to retain the heat. Use a ladle and wide-mouthed funnel, and fill to 2-3mm from the top of the rim. Clean the rim with a clean, damp cloth and seal quickly with sterilised hot lids. You can top with a round of baking parchment to cover the surface of the chutney before sealing if desired; this acts as an extra layer to protect it from bacteria in the air.

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