The Cottage Smallholder

Especially for Danuta

peel and finely shred 4oz fresh root ginger, peel core and roughly chop 2.5lb cooking apples, peel and quarter 1.5lb onions, then slice as thinly as possible.

Stick it all in a preserving pan with 6 finely chopped garlic cloves, 8oz raisins and 3/4 pt (.75 of a pint, not 3 or 4 pints) of malt vinegar.

Simmer steadily for 20 mins, stirring when you can be bothered (just now and then). when apples and onions are nice and soft, add 14oz demerara sugar and stir until disolved. Simmer for another 45 mins or so until thick and pulpy.

Half and finely slice 4 fresh chillis, (or as many as you dare - in my last recipe I used 15 of my home grown dried ones - seeds included)- cook for another 10mins until any last vestiges of wateryness have gone and it looks nice and chutneylike. Stir in 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp ground tumeric. Spoon into sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Supposed to keep for 2 months before using, but I never seem to get to this point. This is the basic recipe, but I vary it depending on how I feel, or what demands I have from people, the last one, as I said I used 15 chillis PLUS a load of tabasco because someone said they wanted it hotter. I tested it before adding the tabasco and I lost my sense of taste for half an hour. I know it may improve more with maturing, but as i said, it never lasts that long.