> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.paperweightmag.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # An exquisitely easy chutney for Christmas - URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/an-exquisitely-easy-chutney-for-christmas/ - Published: 2026-10-10T09:19:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-11T09:19:20.000Z - Description: Keir James-Tough's recipe for Christmas chutney makes perfect presents for friends, family, or just for you to enjoy at home - Author: Keir James-Tough - Tags: At Home, Recipes Now I do love the main ritual of Christmas dinner but, for me, the best part of the season is really the days that follow, doing nothing else other than consuming wine and picking at leftovers: plate after plate of cold meat, pies, cheese, pickles and, of course, chutney. Yes, there is an array of perfectly decent chutneys that you can buy in the shops, but homemade - and given time to mature - it’s both a delight and a breeze. This chutney pairs particularly well with your favourite cheese and biscuits, Christmas sandwiches, and Ploughman’s. I recommend adding it to a toastie with cheddar and/or brie. But above all, it makes a perfect Christmas present. Don’t let any experience of past attempts to make jam put you off. Chutney is much less of a science than jam-making, so please don’t get too bothered about the *exact* quantities of the onions or fruit, and feel at liberty to experiment with all sorts of ingredients. The size of your jars will of course determine how many you get. Using hexagonal jars with 180ml capacity - the sort that look nicest when given as gifts - this recipe makes seven. --- It’s important to sterilise the jars that you want to store your chutney in: Heat your oven to 140°C/120°C fan. Wash the jars and lids in hot water with a little washing-up liquid, then rinse. Place the jars and lids onto a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 10 minutes until they are dry. If your jars have rubber seals, remove these and boil them in a pan for 3-5 minutes to sterilise, and then leave to dry. --- ### **Apple, Pear, & Caramelised Onion Christmas Chutney** Prep **45 mins to 1 hour** Cook **1.5 hours** Makes approximately **1.4kg chutney** Suitable for **vegans** and those who are **gluten-intolerant.** **1 tbsp vegetable oil** **750g brown onions** **750g cooking apples** **750g pears** **100g dried dates**,pitted **5 tbsp water** **570ml cider vinegar** **2 tsp sea salt flakes**, or 1 tsp fine flowing salt **1 tsp freshly ground black pepper** **1 tsp ground cinnamon** **1/4 tsp ground cloves** **½ tsp chilli flakes** **1 tsp cayenne pepper** **225g dark muscovado sugar** Start by sterilising your jars (as above). Finely dice roughly half of the onions, then add to a medium-sized pan over a medium heat with the tbsp of oil, and half of the salt. Sauté for an hour, stirring occasionally. Cooking these separately gives you a delicious combination of onions that are sweet and sticky, contrasting with those that have a bit of texture when added later. Meanwhile, add the vinegar to a large pan. Then, peel and core each apple and pear, and chop into roughly 1cm cubed chunks, adding the cubes from each piece of fruit to the vinegar in the large pan as you go (to stop any turning brown), stirring to immerse each chunk in the vinegar. Then dice the remaining half of the onions and add to the large pan. Finely chop the dates and add to the large pan along with the water, the remaining half of the salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, chilli flakes, cayenne pepper, and muscovado sugar. Stir well to combine everything and then turn the heat up and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn down to a medium-high heat and let it bubble away for roughly an hour and a half, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is stuck to the base. When the half of the onions that have been caramelising in the medium-sized pan have had an hour, add to the large pan and stir. When the mixture in the large pan has approximately 15 minutes remaining, stir everything thoroughly, adding 1 or 2 tbsp water if you think it is too thick (but bear in mind that it will thicken as it cools). When the full time is up, turn off the heat and leave to cool. As soon as the chutney has cooled, add to your sterilised jars, filling to the brim to keep as much air out as possible. **Make-ahead and storage note:** This can be eaten as soon as it has cooled. However, it is best made ahead and left to mature for 6-8 weeks. Each jar can be kept (unopened and in the cupboard away from heat and light) for up to one year. Once opened, store in the fridge and consume within 2 weeks. **Recipe variations:** I think all good chutneys should include onion and cooking apples, but you could of course swap the pears for plums or rhubarb. As for spices, you could add some cumin or coriander, or adjust the quantities of the spices listed above to suit your taste.