Lemon (and Lime) Chutney

Winter is a-coming, and citrus season will be bouncing along soon.  I love me a bit of citrus, and I love some chutney, so here is a lemon and lime chutney I made.  (Don't tell, but I actually made this one last winter.)

The fruit trees in neighbours' yards are full of lovely lemons at the moment, and I am very tempted to grab some.  I could always knock on their doors, and suggest sharing some produce and homemade goodies, of course.    

We are very lucky in our street to have wonderfully community-minded folk around us.  One neighbour - I'll call him Mr B. - moves the rubbish bins in and out for us (and our doctor neighbour Ms. M) on rubbish day.  And we often share produce and cakes and so on.  I handed out some of the blueberry-lemon loaf I made last week to a couple of neighbours, and in return Ms. P gave us some Basque cheesecake - delicious!  Oh yes, Mr B. also mows the lawns for us and the young doctor.  We are very lucky!

citrus-y, tangy and sweet!

(Gives you 3 x 150g./5.3 oz jars, says Karon: I only ended up with 2!)

Recipe by Karon Grieve from Larder Love blog:

ingredients:

500g./18 oz lemons, zested   see Notes

125g./4.5 oz onions, peeled and chopped    see Notes

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs EV olive oil

250g./9 oz apples, peeled and chopped

125g./4.5 oz sultanas

1/2 tsp chilli, chopped  (I used 1-2 dried chillies)

1/2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated

1/2 tsp sea salt

350 mL/12 oz cider vinegar

225g./8 oz white sugar

garlic bulb

Method:

Peel the fruit, and zest it (or chop finely), then roughly chop the flesh

Tip the flesh only at this point into your food processor, and give it a good pulsing 

Sauté the chopped onions (in a heavy-based saucepan) in the heated olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and the chopped apples - and cook (on a low to medium heat) for 10 minutes till tender

Now add the lemon zest/peel and the zapped lemon flesh, the sultanas, the chilli, the ginger, the salt and HALF of the vinegar

Simmer for about 30 minutes till the peel is tender

You then add the other half of the vinegar, and also the sugar into the pan

Stir the mixture till the sugar is dissolved and the chutney has thickened

Pour/spoon into very clean jars, and let it mature for a fortnight

(Can be kept for a year, says Karon, and use within a month of opening)

zest that lime - or lemon!

Notes:

I used a mix of lemons and limes, so do as you please :=)

Peel the onions, then weigh them out to the required amount

lemon!

fresh ginger root

ingredients gathered

sauté and stir the onions, garlic and apples

simmer till tender

and spoon into some sterilised jars ...

red chillies