Ingredients

• 450g/1lb onions
• peeled and chopped
• 5 tbsp water
• 900g/2lb cooking apples
• peeled
• cored and chopped
• 700g/1½ pears
• peeled
• cored and chopped
• 85g/3oz dates
• stoned and chopped
• 570ml/1 pint cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 225g/8oz sugar

Directions

• Put the onions and the water in a large heavy-based pan. Bring to the boil and simmer until soft.
• Add the apples and pears and continue cooking gently for 15-20 minutes. Add the dates
• salt
• spices and half the vinegar. Cook
• stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens.
• Add the sugar and the rest of the vinegar
• stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue to simmer until the chutney becomes really thick. Stir occasionally.
• When ready
• pot and seal in sterilised jars and leave to mature for a week or longer.