Anyone make their own chutneys and relishes?

[SpiderCharlotte]

Give me your best recipes please!! I'm fed up buying really cloying and either too sugary or too vinegary jars so I'm having a go at making my own.

Going for a tomato and chutney relish today but I'd love some suggestions.

Disclaimer - this could be a disaster, I've never made one before ... Wish me luck?

Onion chutney

8 onions
25ml olive oil
200g brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
150ml red wine vinegar

Cut your onions into short, thin slices and put them into a pan with the oil. Cook gently over a low heat for about 20 minutes.

Once the onions are dark and sticky, add the sugar and the vinegars and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the chutney is thick and dark.

Pour the chutney into hot, sterilised jars and let it cool. Ideally, you should leave it for a month or more before you eat it, to mature in flavour.

If you can get hold of sweet onions, use those. My Lidl has sweet pink onions at the moment and they're lovely.

@PsychoSyd that's right up my street thank you!

How do you sterilise the lids of your jars? I put the actual jars in the oven - can you put the kids in too? Can you tell I'm a novice! 😂

Lids! LIDS! I promise I have no intention of putting my kids in the oven. Please don't phone anyone!

I made chutney once. It was ok but a bit tart and acidic. Opened another jar of it seven years later and it was perfect!

I've just been worrying that the recipe I have has too much sugar. 250g dark brown sugar and 150ml cider vinegar. Does that sound right?

If you have a dishwasher, just pop the jars and the lids in it. (Only put your kids in there if you're in a fairy tale .)

You want the jars and lids to still be hot when you're canning the chutney, so have a pan of just boiling water on the stove to dip them into for a minute or two if the dishwasher finishes ahead of you.

If you don't have a dishwasher, boil the jars and lids (and kids too, if they're extra sticky!) for five minutes.

Once you've got the chutney/relish in the jars, screw the lids down tightly and leave them to cool. You'll hear the security seal pop as they cool. This means that the jars are now sealed and will be until you open them.

Nearly ready to put it in the jars, just a couple more minutes. This is very exciting!

Kids have hidden upstairs. 😂