Spicy Apple Cranberry Chutney with a little heat from dried chilies and subtle hint of ground ginger. A chutney is the easiest condiment to make, it’s also the most versatile, pairing perfectly with cheese and charcuterie boards; on a cold meat sandwich or served alongside a roast or chops. I like to give it as a little gift when visiting friends during the holiday season or to include in a small hamper with some cheese, good crackers and a bottle of nice wine.
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I used Granny Smith apples for this recipe, even though I took liberties and included this small apples in the images. Granny Smith apples were first cultivated in the mid 1800’s in the area I grew up. While some sources, such as Wikipedia, list the area as Eastwood, it is actually Ryde. And that’s where I’m from. Ryde is a huge area and Eastwood flanks it to one side. Ryde is so big it’s now a city within a city – Sydney. To this day, there is no better baking/cooking apple than the Granny Smith thanks to its acidity and the fact it holds its shape when baked. Probably not good for apple sauce in that regard but certainly perfect for cooking.

This recipe is touted as part of a recipe card for my friend Sarah to send out with orders for her company Dragonfly and Blossom. That jam pot pictured above and the teapot in an earlier image, is part of the collection but there’s so many more super cute china and linen items for sale. You’ll have to pop over to the Dragonfly and Blossom website for a look.

Apples have to be the easiest and most versatile fruit to cook with, lending themselves to sweet and savory recipes effortlessly. Did you see the Cornish Hens with Apple Stuffing recipe I recently posted? Cornish hens are perfect for this time of year or as part of the holiday table, especially with apples.

But I love apples in a good chutney because it can elevate a sandwich, a roast or a sharing platter of cheese and meats as I mentioned. I LOVE it with sticky baked ham. Really, I just love chutney. To me it’s so very English: some good buttered bread filled with sliced ham and chutney, washed down with a cup of tea is a perfect lunch. So simple yet so very good. So much so that’s my lunch today with a small side salad and my tummy is rumbling so I’ll chat with you soon. Love and air kisses, Lovoni xo.
SPICY APPLE CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 907g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 cup 4 oz dried cranberries (or cherries)
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 280 g 3/4 cup white sugar
- 160 ml 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the chutney to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the chutney is thickened. It will thicken more on cooling.
- Spoon the chutney into sterilized jars with a sealed lid. Once cool, store in the fridge up to 1 month. Makes about 5 cups.
Notes
Granny Smith apples are the best for this chutney as they hold their shape during cooking for a perfect texture in the finished chutney. The chutney will keep for 1 month in sealed jars in the fridge. Make a batch of chutney and give away as gifts to friends, family or clients or include it in a gift hamper with some nice cheese, wine and crackers. The flavour of a chutney develops and gets better after a day or two so always make it ahead of time for serving.
This looks delicious and easy to make. I have never made a chutney before. What I love about your recipes is that I almost always have the ingredients at home. Not sure when I will have time to make this, but will comment on it once I do.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I look forward to sharing more recipes with you.