Search This Blog

Search This Blog

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.


print recipe

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.
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: Yield: 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.

16 comments

  1. I haven't made chutney for ages but when I am buying it, I think it is time to make it (and I eat it more than I eat jam!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't made any for ages either but homemade is always better, same with jam I think.

      Delete
  2. Your chutney recipe looks fantastic, Jac! I think I will be making this over the weekend. Oh, I love celery with strong Cheddar. And grapes too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes me too, although I combine that on a sandwich.

      Delete
  3. Ooh this sounds gorgeous, I love the sweet / savoury combination. There will definitely be a lot of cheese eaten in my household this Christmas :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cheese and biscuits is one of my favourite parts of the Christmas holiday leftovers. I adore chutney to go with it too! This looks really lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. We always have a cheese board on Christmas Eve. I love the sound of your chutney. A must for any cheese board.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you have Christmas music on while enjoying it! Unfortunately I am usually still wrapping on Christmas Eve and not in a joyful way, more a stressed-I-can't-believe-I-am-still-doing-this type of way. I never learn.

      Delete
  6. You've reminded me that I need to hurry up and get my batch of Christmas chutney on the go... I've got a freezerful of Damsons so I was thinking of giving Damson Cheese a whirl - goes a treat with a strong vintage cheddar. Your chutney looks wonderful by the way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes not long left, but if you get stuck my sweet chilli jam is a last minute make. It doesn't need time to mature.

      Delete
  7. Made this for the first time, wow I love it , taking all my will power not to eat it all haha easy to make thank you for sharing. going to gift people for Christmas
    Thanks Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah! I am so glad you liked it and yes so hard to pack it away to mature. I am sure it will ve very well received x

      Delete
  8. Just done this years Cheese Board Chutney 2023 I love it as do my Family and Friends for Christmas thank you for sharing

    ReplyDelete

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x