RECIPE: Chutney making with Merrydown Cider

I do like the story of Merrydown Cider. In 1946, 3 friends from Rutherfield in East Sussex borrowed a 300 year old apple press from a local farmer and turned a hobbie into a full time brewery. From humble beginnings in a garage, the company went on to huge success and in just 9 years were producing hundreds of thousands of gallons of scrumptious cider. 60 years later they are still going strong.

This month Merrydown sent me a challenge. They sent 4 bottles of their yummy cider in a beautiful wicker picnic hamper along with a £20 voucher to spend at Sainsburys. The challenge was to make a chutney, using one of their ciders, as a delicious accompaniment to a traditional Ploughmans lunch.

When it comes to chutney I usually make a red onion version but for this challenge I decided to go for broke and experiment a little. I'm obsessed with beetroot at the moment and so I immediately thought it would make a good combo with some orange and a good glug or three of cider.  And was I right! It tastes delicious. You can find the recipe below...

For our ploughmans I baked a whole ham in a honey & mustard glaze and served it with 2 types of hard cheese. In the Ye Olde olden days, it was traditional to use hard cheese as it was easy to wrap up and put in your bag and you didn't have to worry about it getting squished. The lady at the cheese counter in Sainsburys was incredibly lovely and helped me pick my two cheeses: Belton Farm Shropshire Red and Barbers Premier Moo Mature Cheddar. They were both very extremely tasty and paired marvelously with the chutney.

 Of course, any cider we didn't use for chutney making Mr D and I quite happily drunk. We do like cider in the summer months and Merrydown is surprisingly light compared to other brands we've tried. It was incredibly easy to drink (responsibly - Mr D). The none-more-tasty Blackcurrent Cider was just the right side of fruity/sweet and the Medium Cider, at a whopping 6%, packed a very velvety punch without actually slapping you in the face, unlike other 'premium strength' ciders.

What's your favourite type of chutney and what do you have it with? Don't forget, if you try out the recipe let me know your thoughts. I think it would make a great Christmas gift. Fortunately I made plenty and the whole family can't wait to try it with other things. I can imagine it being quite tasty with duck. NOM NOM QUACK!

Enjoy,

SPICED BEETROOT, ORANGE & MERRYDOWN CIDER CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1kg raw beetroot peeled and diced
3 onions
2 cooking apples
Zest and juice of 3 oranges
2 tbsp white mustard seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cloves
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
500g sugar
250ml white vinegar
250ml Merrydown medium cider

First of all prep all of your ingredients. I used a spiralizer to cut my beetroot as I wanted thin slices and not huge chunks, then used a knife to chop it down further. You don't have to do this and can simply cut chunks or use a grater to whatever your personal preference is.  One thing though; wear gloves. When peeling and chopping raw beetroot the juices can, and likely will, stain.

Once all your veg is prepared, put into a preserving pan or saucepan. You want your mixture to be simmering so bring the mixture to a gentle boil before reducing the heat slowly to a simmer. Keep it like this for  1 and a half to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. It will reduce to a thick jammy consistency. Yum.

Whilst your waiting for your chutney to be at the right consistency, prepare your jars. Do this by washing with warm soapy water and then place in a preheated oven for 10-15min to sterilise. 

Once your mixture is at the right consistency allow it to rest for 10min. Carefully spoon into your sterilised jars and seal whilst still hot. I managed to fill 3 x kilner jars with my mixture.

This chutney can be enjoyed straight away but will be even better after a month. It will keep for up to 6 months if stored in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and eat within 2 months.

This post was written in association with Merrydown cider who provided me with a sample pack of their product and financial compensation for ingredients used. All images are subject to copyright. Please ask for permission before using! Thank you :)