Friday, October 10, 2014

Spiced Apple Chutney ...I Mean “Applesauce”

We’re getting close to applesauce season, and if you’re in the mood for a little upgrade, then consider this exotic, but very easy, spiced apple chutney. Actually, it’s way more than a little upgrade.

These types of fruit chutneys are some of the most flavorful things you’ll ever taste, and perfect condiments for those special occasion holiday dinners. If you like applesauce, you’ll find this a fairly familiar experience, and despite the ingredient list, nothing really overpowers the fruit.

You don’t really taste shallots or garlic, and everything works to amplify the appleness. The salt, spice, and vinegar makes this a savory condiment to be sure, yet it still works in pretty much every situation regular applesauce would, except maybe as baby food. Although?

Anyway, like I said in the video, you may have to call this “applesauce,” and make it when no one’s around, but one taste and I’m sure you’ll agree the ends justify the means. I hope you give this great apple chutney a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for about 2 1/2 cups:
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
4 apples, peeled, 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup diced dried apricots
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup diced shallots or red onion
5 thick slices ginger
1/4 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste
1 whole star anise
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 cloves minced garlic

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Looks great and perfect for some homemade Samosas. Thanks again Chef John.

Aidann said...

I'm really excited about this recipe. I love condiments like this! Sounds and looks amazing.

Lindsay said...

Sounds great! I'll make this today to go with the spiral ham tomorrow. I don't have any star anise, so I'm going to try substituting 1/4tsp chinese 5-spice. I'll report how that went...

I *will* be calling it 'chutney' because that's what it is!

Anonymous said...

How long does this keep in the refrigerator? What does it compare to in terms of sweetness? Thanks!

rancholyn said...

I can't wait to try this...thanks Chef John

jmilligan85 said...

I tripled a batch of this over the weekend using Cortland apples from the local orchard, and it was fantastic. Here are some things I'd do a tad differently, though, just based on me and my family's tastes.

-I used a bit too much ginger, opting to cut it up and throw it in rather than use large pieces. This is my own fault.

-I love the amount of heat, but I might reduce it by about 1/3 next time for my family's sake. The extra ginger buzz probably made things worse.

-I might use a bit more shallot next time.

It's not too sweet at all. I'd say almost equal parts sweet and savory, which is just great for me. Thanks, chef!

Sandy said...

This is so different than every other "applesauce" I've ever had before. It was an excellent condiment for pork chops, but not the sort of thing you'd eat straight up on account of the high acidity. Next time I make this, I will cut the vinegar by half, but keep all the awesome aromatics and spices, just to make it more amenable to eating off a spoon. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Chef John....it was very different, but I liked it!

Rev. Gregory Fisher said...

I prepared this chutney to go with our Christmas ham. What a hit it made! I used one of the small packages of red pepper that regularly come with delivery pizza in my chutney. The one package--chilli, seeds and all--was EXACTLY right. Just a hint of spice...but, not overwhelming.

Marina J Payen said...

Hi Chef John,

This looks lovely. I'm hoping to cook up a big batch with my garden apples. Do you think I can jar this as a normal chutney (without worrying about the water bath seal)? Is the sugar ratio high enough? What are your thoughts?
Thank you very much!

Michele Cryan said...

Stuck at home in the middle of a Blizzard last Friday with a 10lb bag of apples my husband purchased from a colleague who was fund raising for her daughter's school. We don't have kids. Just the two of us and now, our new addition tot he family.... a 10lb bag of McIntosh! So I made this recipe with 7 apples and because of the storm couldn't get to the store so used, Thompson raisins instead of golden, Ginger powder instead of fresh and added a pinch of curry powder because I wasn't adding Star Anise. It turned out great! AWESOME! We love it on everything! Now....we only have 7.8lbs of apples to go. We don't like sweet stuff (pies, crumbles,etc) Any suggestions?

Unknown said...

I've made this in place of cranberry sauce/relish for the last two Thanksgivings and it's a huge hit. Regarding keeping this for a long time in the fridge: Yes it will keep. I just pulled out a quart jar of it that I made last year. BUT! It won't be nearly as tangy. In fact, it tasted a lot like apple sauce.

Anyway, I'll be making again tonight, so that it will have a day or two to really get spicy for the Thanksgiving meal, but I won't be making so much that I keep it for a year! Wow, think of that: in a mason jar it did last a year, and though it was different, it's still good! Chef John, you are amazing!!!