Ingredients

• 3lbs/1350g wild plums/eating plums
• 1lb/450g of apples (cored but not skinned). Chopped fine. Cooking apples are best but eating apples would do at a pinch.
• 1 lb/450g onions chopped fine
• 10.5 ozs/300g dried apricots (chopped at least into eight)
• 7 ozs/200g dried raisins (chopped into four)
• Half lb-1lb/225g-450g of soft brown sugar, depending on how sweet your wild plums/eating plums are.
• 2 large cloves of garlic chopped fine
• ½ tsp of cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of allspice powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1and a half pints/750 ml of white wine vinegar
• 1 small hot chilli
• 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
• 5 juniper berries
• 10 black peppercorns ,

Method

1. Stone the plums and if big enough cut into slices.
2. Chop the apples, onions, raisins and apricots.
3. Place all ingredients in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and bring slowly to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down immediately and simmer very gently (tiny bubbles just breaking the surface on the lowest heat) for at least five hours until the mixture has broken down and thickens.
4. Stir from time to time and more towards the end. If your simmering point is higher than ours, your chutney will be ready sooner. Take a peek every half hour or so. The chutney will thicken as it cools.
5. When ready pour into sterilised jars and cover with plastic lined metal lids