Hot Greengage & Gooseberry Chutney Recipe with Somerset Cider & Green Peppercorns
There are certain combinations that arrive in your kitchen and make you stop for a minute.
Greengages and gooseberries were one of those ...
Sweet, fragrant greengages on one side, sharp little gooseberries on the other, and suddenly I was wondering what would happen if I stopped thinking about them as two separate fruits and let them get themselves into a little bit of trouble together ... The answer, as it turns out, is chutney, and not just any chutney ...
This is a Hot Greengage & Gooseberry Chutney, with a little cayenne, green peppercorns, mustard seed and ginger bringing some warmth to all that lovely fruit. There's cider vinegar for sharpness, light brown sugar for sweetness and a good glug of Somerset cider because, well... we're in Somerset. It would have been rude not to.
The finished chutney is sweet, sharp, fruity and gently hot, with the greengages bringing their beautiful jammy sweetness and the gooseberries keeping everything nicely balanced.
And this is exactly the sort of recipe I love making. Take what is around you, add a few things from the cupboard, and see what happens.
A Chutney for More Than Just Cheese
Of course, you can put this on a cheeseboard. In fact, I strongly recommend that you do.
But don't stop there.
This chutney is particularly good with a chunk of mature Somerset cheese, but I also love it with slow-roasted pork, especially pork cooked with cider and apples. The sweetness of the fruit and the gentle heat work beautifully against rich, tender pork.
Try it with:
Mature cheddar or a good Somerset cheese
Goats' cheese
Pork, particularly slow-roasted shoulder
Cold meats and a proper ploughman's
Sausage rolls or savoury pastry
A toasted cheese sandwich
Leftover roast meat
Hot Greengage & Gooseberry Chutney - The Recipe
Makes approximately 400g
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
Approximately 60–75 minutes, depending on your pan and how quickly the chutney reduces.
Ingredients
400g greengages, stones removed and chopped
400g gooseberries
160g onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp crushed green peppercorns
200g light brown soft sugar
200ml cider vinegar
80ml Somerset cider
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp garlic sea salt
Method
Prepare your fruit.
Remove the stones from the greengages and roughly chop them. Top and tail the gooseberries if needed, and finely chop the onion.
Into the pan.
Put the greengages, gooseberries and onion into a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the light brown sugar, cider vinegar and Somerset cider.
Add the spice.
Stir in the mustard seeds, ground ginger, cayenne pepper and garlic sea salt.
Bring it together.
Place the pan over a medium heat and bring the mixture gently to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Let the magic happen.
Reduce the heat and allow the chutney to simmer gently, stirring regularly so that it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. The fruit will soften and break down while the liquid slowly reduces and everything becomes thick, glossy and chutney-like.
Know when it's ready.
You're looking for a thick consistency where the chutney sits on a spoon rather than running off it. Run your spoon through the bottom of the pan — if the chutney briefly leaves a clear trail before slowly coming back together, you're there.
Pot it up.
Spoon the hot chutney into clean, sterilised jars and seal according to your usual preserving method.
And then comes the difficult bit.
Leave it to cool and, if you can possibly manage it, give it some time for the flavours to settle and develop before eating.
Jo's Kitchen Notes
The heat: The cayenne brings a gentle background warmth, while the crushed green peppercorns add little bursts of fresh, peppery heat. It's not a chutney that's trying to flatten you — it's got a bit of attitude.
The fruit:
The greengages bring sweetness and perfume, while the gooseberries provide that lovely sharpness that stops the chutney becoming too jammy. It's one of those combinations where neither fruit needs to shout.
The cider:
This is a very Somerset chutney, so I used Somerset cider. Use whatever good local cider you have available ... preferably one you'd happily drink, because if it's good enough for your glass, it's good enough for the saucepan.
Don't rush it: Chutney is a slow little creature. Keep the heat gentle and stir regularly. You're reducing the liquid and concentrating all those flavours, not trying to cook dinner in ten minutes.
Resting Time: Ideally leave the chutney for a few weeks to allow the flavours to mellow and develop, although I completely understand if you have to open a jar for testing purposes.
There is something rather satisfying about turning a glut of summer fruit into something that can sit quietly in the cupboard waiting for the colder months ... A little jar of summer, with a bit of heat thrown in for good measure ... And if you're wondering what to put it with first?
Start with the cheese, then try it with that slow-roasted cider-and-apple pork ... Slow-Cooked Cider & Apple Pork Shoulder with Mustard ... You can thank me later.
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