No Pressure Beetroot Chutney

I'm going to be upfront with you. I lied. There's lots of pressure with this recipe, but fortunately it's all in the pressure cooker, not in your head.

A pressure cooker is an indispensable piece of boat kit, so if you don't have one, get one. We have a simple 4L one that sits on our gas stove top and works a treat. The benefits are you use much less cooking energy (gas) and save time as well.

This recipe is best done before you leave port, and make as much as you want. This is our favorite side for a cheese platter, or to serve with sausages, hamburgers or veggie-burgers. It also is fantastic as a ready-made filling for sandwiches, or atop your homemade bread at sundowners.

This recipe will made enough to fill four to six 500g sized jars.

You Need

• 2 kg fresh beetroot (about 4-5 medium sized ones)
• 2 large brown onions, very finely chopped
• 3 granny smith apples, cored and finely chopped
• 1.5 cups balsamic vinegar
• Rind and juice of one orange
• 1.5 cups raw sugar
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 5 whole cloves, ground

Method

1. Pressure cook the beetroot in sufficient water for around 10 minutes. Cool, peel and finely chop the beetroot.
2. Combine all other ingredients in the pressure cooker. Bring to pressure, cook for 5 minutes, then turn off and leave for half an hour. Do not release the pressure - rather, let it naturally de-pressurise.
3. Remove the lid from the pressure cooker. Simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is reduced, and the mixture is the consistency required.
4. While hot, spoon into warm sterilised jars and seal. You’ll need 5 or 6 jars, depending on size.
5. We make a few smaller jars to give away to friends we meet along the way.

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