Granny Smith, Cox, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Bramley … The leaves are turning on the trees, the nights are drawing in, and apples are once again in season. With so many varieties of apple grown in the UK, there’s no end to the recipes you can conjure up. This month I’ve chosen a recipe that I devised last year when I was confronted with a mountain of apples from the tree in our garden: apple chutney. And what better way to serve it than with freshly baked soda bread!
Unfortunately, the apples on my tree haven’t quite reached their full potential yet so I had to supplement my measly supply of two home-grown Bramleys with a few Gala apples from the shop.
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Apple chutney
Preparation time, 30 minutes; cooking tim, 1½–2 hours
Ingredients
900g apples, peeled, cored and chopped
100g sultanas
300g granulated sugar
425ml malt vinegar
200g onions, chopped (about 1 large onion)
2½ tbsp mixed spice
2cm root ginger, grated
2½ tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp salt
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Method
Place all the ingredients in a large pan and slowly bring to the boil. I used a large preserving pan but any large pan will do. The mixture will bubble up as it boils so make sure the pan is big enough to allow for this without it escaping!
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Once the mixture has come to the boil, leave it to simmer for approximately 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally to stop the chutney from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
When ready, the chutney will be a dark colour with a thick consistency. When you draw a spoon through the mixture, the liquid should not immediately fill the clear space in the bottom of the pan.
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Once ready, put the chutney into sterilised jars and seal. To sterilise the jars, wash them in warm soapy water before placing in a hot oven. Remove the jars from the oven and fill while warm. Be sure not to touch the insides of the jar so as to avoid any unwanted bacteria entering them.
Soda bread
Preparation time, 10 minutes; cooking time, 45 minutes
Ingredients
225g plain flour
225g wholemeal flour
400ml buttermilk or yogurt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp caster sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 220 ºC and place a baking tray in the oven.
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Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with your hands. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit more buttermilk or yogurt. The mixture should be moist but not sticky. Be sure not to mix too much or the gluten in the flour will be activated and the bread will be tough when cooked.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a round about 4cm deep. Transfer to the heated baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at 220 ºC. Turn the oven down to 200 ºC and bake for a further 30 minutes. The bread should be golden on top and have a slightly hollow sound when you tap the bottom.
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Leave to cool for as long as possible before slicing and serving with cheese and the apple chutney.
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