….okay I don’t mean the cheesy Cliff Richard song, but some things just conjure up an image in your head.  Mistletoe and Wine just conjures up images of snow and holly and robins and winter, a proper Christmas really (and not Cliff in case your wondering) but no matter how good the images are, its the smells of Christmas I love even more, and right now the house is filled with them.

Continuing with my Christmas gifts I am making an absolute favourite of mine Spiced Beetroot and Orange Chutney.  A few years back I had too much beetroot in the garden and a quick search found me this recipe from the BBC GoodFood web site.  With some creamy brie its divine, actually with any cheese its superb, hey just on the biscuit itself will do.  Mind you its a perfect partner to a slow cooked gammon, and who need cranberry sauce with turkey?  It even stands up well with some pan fried venison.  Trust me its a winner.

Spiced Beetroot & Orange Chutney

  • 1½kg raw beetroot, trimmed, peeled and diced (wear gloves!)
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 3 eating apples, peeled and grated
  • zest and juice 3 oranges
  • 2 tbsp white or yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground cloves
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 700ml red wine vinegar
  • 700g golden granulated sugar

Directions:

  1. In a preserving pan or your largest saucepan, mix together all the ingredients well. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until the chutney is thick and the beetroot tender.
  2. While the chutney is cooking, prepare your jars by running through a short hot wash in your dishwasher. Or wash thoroughly by hand, then put in a hot oven to sterilise for 10-15 mins. Once the chutney is ready, let it settle for 10 mins, then carefully spoon into the jars and seal while still hot. You can eat it straight away but it will be even better after a month. Will keep for up to 6 months in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and eat within 2 months.

This year I’ve doubled the amounts, its still cooking but will let you know how it goes :-).  Right now the house smells amazing, its the earthy sweetness of beetroot mixed with those mulled wine flavours.  I really love cooking this, although an hour of peeling and chopping beetroot wasn’t the best part.  Now all I have to do is sit and enjoy the aromas, and in a month some ripe brie, a glass of port and a spoonful of chutney.  Its well worth the effort, and well worth the wait.