Spiced Damson Chutney

There are chutneys and chutneys, but this one is simply the best of all. It is something I couldn't live without, having it permanently on my shelf. I love it with cold cuts, with cheese, but best of all, sausages and jacket potatoes - dipping crisp, crunchy potato skins into this dark, spicy, deeply flavoursome preserve is one of life's great pleasures.

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  Makes six 1 lb (350 ml capacity) jars

Ingredients
3 lb (1.35 kg) damsons
2 heaped teaspoons ground ginger
2 small cinnamon sticks
1 oz (25 g) allspice berries
1 dessertspoon cloves
2 pints (1.2 litres) malt vinegar
1 lb (450 g) cooking apples (no need to peel)
3 largish onions
3 cloves garlic
1 lb (450 g) seedless raisins
1 lb (450 g) dark soft brown sugar
1 lb (450 g) demerara sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt

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Equipment
You will also need a preserving pan, or a very large, heavy-based saucepan; a 12 inch (30 cm) square piece of muslin (or gauze); some string; and six 1 lb (350 ml capacity) jars, sterilised.

This recipe is taken from How to Cook Book Three.

Method

You've got two options here. One is to halve the damsons, slitting them down the natural line of the fruit and twisting out the stones – very tedious. The other is to stew them gently with ½ pint (275 ml) of the vinegar and then, wearing rubber gloves, remove the stones as they separate themselves from the flesh - also tedious but, either way, it will only take about 25 minutes and I promise you it is well, well worth it. Place them in a preserving pan, then core the apples but leave the peel on, and finely chop them in a processor. Then process the onions, adding both these to the pan.