Cran-Apple Chutney

Tis' the season.  Apples and cranberries are never more affordable or in abundance than in the weeks and days leading up to Thanksgiving. This is the perfect time of year to add yet another slow cooked home canned goody into the crock.  This couldn't be easier. Whether making a batch to be sent out with holiday gift baskets, used as a house gift during holiday visits, or served right alongside the Thanksgiving spread, this is nothing short of delicious.  Sweet, hot, smoky and rich.  This makes an excellent spread for savory cheese sandwiches and your omnivore friends will probably slather it all over poultry sandwiches.

Winner, Loser, or Meh

This was and is delicious.  It's going in my holiday gift packages, along with previously made Apple Butter, Pumpkin Butter, and goodies to come in the next two weeks. It filled, exactly, 14  half pint jars.

Recipe

This barely fit into a 6 quart crock pot and can easily be halved and still made in a 6 quart crock pot.

Ingredients:

• 4 jumbo sized shallots or 8 small ones, peeled, chopped
• 3 large oranges, zest only, zest then cut into 1/2 inch strands (use a zester that yields longer thicker strands)
• 3 12 ounce bags cranberries
• 3 pounds tart apples, unpeeled, cored, finely diced (I used Granny Smith's)
• 2 pounds dark brown sugar
• 1 cup dried apricots, diced
• 3 inch ginger chunks, peeled, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients into the crock and stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 5 - 5 1/2 hours.  Uncover and continue cooking on low until it cooks down to a jam like consistency.  Freeze or store covered in the fridge if you like.

OR Immediately pour into clean half pint canning jars, cover with new lids that have been simmering in hot water, tighten with bands and process, fully covered, in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove from bath with jar lifter and let cool on the counter overnight.  As the jars cool, you should hear a popping sound as the lids vacuum seal.  Check lids in the morning to make sure they are sucked down and do not pop up and down.