Butternut Squash Chutney

875g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

3 large cooking apples, peeled and roughly chopped

4 carrots, cut into 1 cm chunks

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

200 g mixed dried fruit - I like to use a mixture of raisins and apricots, roughly chopped

2 inches of fresh ginger, grated (or powdered ginger, about 2 tsp)

1 tsp crushed dried chillies

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

700 ml cider vinegar

2 blush oranges, peeled and segmented then roughly chopped

500g jam sugar (granulated will work fine)

bunch of fresh thyme (leaves removed from stalk)

generous grind of black pepper

• Place all the ingredients in a pan except the oranges, sugar and thyme and bring to the boil
• Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes until squash has become tender
• Add the oranges and sugar and mix gently until the sugar has dissolved
• Continue to simmer gently, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes until mixture thickens
• Stir in the fresh thyme and take off the heat
• Whilst the mixture is still hot, spoon into hot sterilized jam jars (ensuring you fill all the way to the top)
• Seal immediately and keep in a cool, dark room until required

It is best to leave these a week until you open the first jar, and apparently chutneys are at their best 3 months after being made. They will last up to a year so you can give them as presents throughout the year.

This mixture made about ten jars worth of chutney. The first jar got eaten with some of my mother's delicious Rye bread and Comté cheese. Of course any other hard yellow cheese would go well, and maybe even some lovely Welsh goat's cheese. I first had pumpkin chutney with a mild Sri Lankan curry that my good friend Sarah made and that also went wonderfully.