Homemade Cheeseboard Chutney. A simple apple, onion and red pepper chutney that's easy to make and the perfect addition to a cheeseboard. It's a real family favourite that's great on sandwiches too.

Homemade Cheeseboard Chutney

When Davidstow, the cheddar people, challenged me to create something that would compliment their mature cheddar on a cheeseboard, I knew just what to make. 

I have a recipe for red onion and apple chutney that's a family favourite and I'd been thinking of tinkering with it.

It's a really simple recipe, but so, so tasty. It always gets lots of lovely comments. 

I decided to add red pepper to the chutney this time and tweak the spicing.  

It worked really well.

Chutney is an easy preserve to make, just whack it all in a pan and cook it down. A lot of the vinegar liquid is cooked off and you are left with a spicy chutney that teams beautifully with cheese.

Cheeseboard cheese:

A blue cheese, a smoked cheese, a vintage reserve cheddar and an extra mature cheddar.

Davidstow® 3 Year Vintage Reserve Cheddar: 

This winning cheese its distinct firm yet crumbly texture, a strong flavour and the crunch of crystals that come with a good quality mature cheddar. It's a great addition to a cheeseboard.

Suitable for vegetarians.

Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature:

Another winning cheese, this is an intense, but slightly sweet cheese with lots of flavour and again it has the crystals that come with age and a really good mature cheddar. It's a bit too easy to eat on it's own and I found myself cutting one bit after another to munch on while I was preparing my cheeseboard.

Suitable for vegetarians.

I served my cheese and chutney with grapes, olives and wheaten biscuits. Sometimes I like to slice apples too and mix them in a little lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring. Cheese and apple are so good together.

What's your favourite pairing with a good strong cheddar like these?

I usually serve a cheeseboard at Hogmanay (New Year's Eve), when we have friends and family round. Chutney needs a while to mature for the best flavour so make it now and pop it into a dark cupboard to mature.  It will be just perfect at Hogmanay and in another month and it will be even better. 

To sterilise your jars, boil them in a pot of boiling water or pop them through a cycle of the dishwasher and pot them up while the chutney and the jars are hot. Be careful not to touch inside the jars or lids.

Once your chutney is open store it in the fridge for a month or so, if it lasts that long. The unopened jars will last well over a year in a dark cupboard.

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Homemade Cheeseboard Chutney

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

December 08, 2016

A simple apple, onion and red pepper chutney that's easy to make and the perfect addition to a cheeseboard. It's a real family favourite that's great on sandwiches too.

Ingredients

• 700g/1½ lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 700g/1½ lb medium red onions, skinned and chopped
• 2 large red peppers, deseeded, sliced and chopped
• 225g/8 oz seedless raisins (or sultanas)
• 1 lemon, juice and finely grated peel
• 350g/12 oz demerara sugar
• 300ml/½ pint malt vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander

Instructions

1. Put a saucer in the freezer and begin sterilising your jars.2. Put the apples, onions, red pepper, raisins, lemon rind and juice, sugar, vinegar, cumin and coriander in a preserving pan or large heavy-based saucepan3. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and pulpy, with no excess liquid. 4.Drizzle a little on the cold saucer (from the freezer). Run your little finger through it, if you are left with a clean line, it is ready.5. Spoon the chutney into clean, dry warmed jars and seal with a plastic coated metal lid.6. Pop your jars into a dark cupboard for a month or two.7. Open and enjoy on a cheeseboard or on a sandwich.Details

Total time: 45 minsYield: Makes 4 x 545g (1 lb) jars of chutney

Davidstow® 3 Year Vintage Reserve is available exclusively from Ocado and Davidstow® 18 Month Extra Mature is available from Tesco Extra, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons & Ocado.

If you would like something to serve on your cheeseboard
that doesn't need to mature, try my Smutty Sweet Chilli Jam.

Disclosure: This recipe was created to promote Davidstow Cheddar. I was not required to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.