Beetroot Chutney
This Beetroot Chutney is a simple preserve with a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy flavour. It’s a great way to preserve beetroot and it makes the perfect accompaniment to many different dishes.
Why should I make Beetroot Chutney?
When most people think about beetroot they think about slices of pickled beetroot. Rich dark purple slices in spiced tangy vinegar. I enjoy pickled beetroot but this chutney is another great way to serve and preserve beetroot.
In this recipe I combine sweet earthy beets with tart apples, onions and raisins to create a sweet and tangy chutney with no vinegar overwhelm. It’s also a great idea to make this delicious Beetroot Chutney to give as a gift.
What is chutney?
Chutney originates from India where it can be a blend of fresh fruits or vegetables, spices, vinegar, and sugar. Western-style chutney such as Beetroot Chutney is cooked and reduced down to a thick condiment or sauce to serve with meat, fish and cheese or to add to recipes for extra flavour.
What ingredients do I need to make Beetroot Chutney?
The ingredients for Beetroot Chutney are readily available in supermarkets and stores. You will need:
- beetroot
- apples
- onions
- raisins
- brown sugar
- vinegar
- salt
- mustard
- all spice berries
- black peppercorns
A full list of quantities and cup conversions is located in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
What kind of beetroot should I use?
Use fresh red beetroot that is firm and not wrinkled. Wash any dirt from the beetroot and twist off the leaves. This is important as the red colouring will ‘bleed’ out of the beetroot if you cut the leaves off with a knife.
Beetroot is a really versatile vegetable that comes in red, yellow and a lovely pink and white striped variety. For this recipe I think the deep purple-red makes the nicest looking chutney.
If you like beetroot then why not try my Roast Beetroot with Honey and Thyme or Beetroot, Chorizo and Feta Salad?
Can I use pre-cooked beetroot?
Ready to eat cooked beetroot is more expensive than fresh beetroot. However, if you don’t want to cook it yourself you can certainly use ready cooked beetroot. Just make sure that it is not preserved in vinegar.
What kind of apples should I use?
The chutney tastes good made with any kind of apples. I prefer to use sharp apples in chutney because the sharpness contrasts with beetroot and the sweet raisins. Apples such as Bramley Seedling and Granny Smith are both sharp apples that work well.
What kind of brown sugar should I use?
I use light soft brown sugar for this chutney. This type of sugar gives a slight caramelised flavour rather than the deep molasses taste that you get with dark brown sugar.
Can I use white granulated sugar?
You can substitute white granulated sugar for the light brown sugar. It will affect the taste but will still make a really delicious chutney.
What kind of vinegar should I use for this chutney?
I like to use cider vinegar or white wine vinegar rather than malt vinegar. Both cider and white wine vinegars are slightly less fierce than either distilled white or brown malt vinegar and this means the chutney is less acidic.
Or you can use my homemade Spiced Pickling Vinegar that adds even more flavour to your chutney.
Can I use ready-made mustard?
If you don’t have any dried English mustard then you can use ready-made English or Dijon mustard.
What are all spice berries?
All spice originates from evergreen trees in the forests of Guatamala. All spice berries, are also known as Pimento or Jamaica pepper. The berries are dried in the sun and resemble large peppercorns. In the photo above you can see both all spice berries and peppercorns, the all spice berries are larger.
What can I substitute for all spice berries?
If you don’t have any whole all spice berries then you can substitute half a cinnamon stick and 4 whole cloves.
Can I increase the quantity of chutney that I make?
You can double the quantities but you need to be even more careful that the chutney doesn’t catch and burn to the bottom of the pan.
How should I store Beetroot Chutney?
Store the chutney in sterilised glass jam jars with lids. Keep the jars of chutney in a cool dark place and once opened keep the jar in the fridge.
How long can I keep this chutney?
Chutney tends to improve with time, although you can eat Beetroot Chuntey as soon as it is cooled. If stored correctly the chutney will keep for up to 9 months without any deterioration in quality. After that the colour may fade but the chutney will still be good to eat for up to a year.
How do I sterilise jam jars?
- Carefully wash and rinse the glass jars and the metal lids
- Put the wet glass jars on a baking tray upside down.
- Put the baking tray and jam jars into the oven at 120C once the chutney is cooking, they need about 20 minutes. The water inside the jars will turn to steam which helps to sterilise the jars.
- Put the lids into a large heatproof jug or bowl and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Drain and lay out the lids to dry on kitchen paper.
- When your chutney is ready take the jars out of the oven and fill them with hot chutney, then put on the lids.
- When the jars have cooled check that the lids are tight and tighten further if needed.
You can also sterilise your jam jars on a hot wash in your dishwasher or use your Air Fryer to sterilise a small batch of jars.
Do I need to water bath Beetroot Chutney?
It is not necessary to water bath this chutney. I have been making preserves for over 40 years and I have never water bathed my preserves. The sugar content in this recipe and properly sterilised jars means that the unopened jam jars will be safe to store out of the fridge. Once you open the jar it is safer to store it in the fridge.
However, if it is your usual practice to water bath your preserves then you may feel more comfortable to continue to do so.
Vegetarian
There are no animal products in Beetroot Chutney so it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Gluten Free
There are no wheat products in this chutney and it is suitable for people following a GF diet. If you are using ready-made mustard then please check the ingredients to ensure that it is suitable for your diet.
For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How should I serve Beetroot Chutney?
Beetroot Chutney is great to serve with cold meats and cheeses. Serve it with a classic ploughman’s lunch of ham, cheese and crusty bread.
Chutney makes a delicious addition to a roast beef or pastrami sandwich, served with some fresh apples slices. Or why not top your burger with this luscious piquant chutney?
Beetroot is a popular vegetable in Scandinavian cuisine and makes a good addition to a smoked salmon open sandwich. I also like to mix some chutney with soured cream and serve with sweet pickled herring. It’s really tasty mixed with mayonnaise and used to make a pink potato salad!
Homemade Holiday Gift
Homemade jams and chutney make great gifts. Use a pretty jar or make a festive cover for the lid of your glass jar and add a decorated label.
More Chutney Recipes
Beetroot Chutney
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) beetroot
- 500 g (1 lb) apples peeled and cored weight
- 450 g (1 lb) onions
- 225 g (1 cups) raisins
- 225 g (1 cups) light soft brown sugar
- 425 ml (¾ pt) cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp all spice berries
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Instructions
Prepare the Beetroot
- Wash any soil off 500 g (1 lb) beetroot and twist off any leaves. Do not cut because the colour of the beetroot will bleed out.
- Wrap the beets in foil.
Cook the beetroot in the oven
- Roast in the oven at 200℃/180℃ (fan) 400℉/375℉ (convection) for between an hour and an hour and a half, depending on the size of the beetroot.
Cook the beetroot in an air fryer
- Roast in an Air Fryer at 180℃/375℉ for 40-50 minutes.
Cook the beetroot in the slow cooker
- To cook in a slow cooker, place the foil covered beetroot on a heatproof plate (or on some crushed foil) in the pot of the slow cooker. Cook on High for 2 hours or on Low for 4 hours.
- Note: the length of time that the beetroot take to cook will depend on their size. You can check whether the beetroot is ready by squeezing it, there should be 'give' when you do. Please be careful as it will be very hot.
- Once cooked, let the beetroot cool a little. Then take them out of the foil and while still warm, slip off the skins (I usually wear rubber gloves, otherwise you end up with purple hands).
Make the Beetroot Chutney
- Peel and chop 450 g (1 lb) onions and 225 g (1 cup) raisins in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor or chopper then you can chop them with a sharp knife.
- Put the onions and raisins into a large saucepan with 1 tsp salt.
- Mix 2 tsp dry mustard powder with a little of the vinegar and add this to pan
- Add the rest of the 425 ml (¾ pint) cider or white wine vinegar and 225 g (1 cup) soft light brown sugar to the pan.
- Put 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp of all spice berries into a muslin cloth and tie with string. Then add this to the pan.
- Cook gently until the sugar has dissolved.
- Peel, core and dice 500 g (1 lb) apples and add to the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes until the apple and onion is soft, and the mixture has thickened.
- Finely chop the cooked beetroot. Place a piece of parchment paper over your chopping board if you don't want it to get stained.
- Add the chopped beetroot to the pan.
- Stir well and continue simmering until the chutney is thick and all the ingredients are well blended.
- Remove the muslin bag with the spices inside and ladle the chutney into hot, sterilised jars, cover and seal with a lid.
- You can serve this Beetroot Chutney as soon as it has cooled. However, it will imporove if kept in a cool dark place for a few weeks.
- Serve with cold meats, burgers, sausages and pies. Beetroot Chutney is also delicious on sandwiches.
really great, I’ve been waiting for this to publish so I could comment! my nan is especially a fan of the test batch I made and has requested more!
That’s great to hear. Hope your Nan enjoys it.
This is a great chutney recipe. I was going to leave out the raisins, but noticed you chopped them up really small so I kept them in and loved the flavour. I’ll definitely make this again, it’s perfect with cheese.
The raisins add a little extra sweetness and you really don’t notice them at all otherwise. Good to hear you enjoyed the beetroot chutney.
My Mum and sister are big fans of pickled beetroot so I made this as an alternative and we all loved it! The perfect chutney to eat with meats and cheese!
That’s good to hear. I’m really very pleased with this chutney, it delivers a great flavour.
Hi, could i use beetroot and apples that have been frozen to make this receipe please?
Hi, I haven’t tested the recipe with frozen beetroot and Apple, however I can’t see any reason that it wouldn’t work. Both beetroot and apples are cooked in the chutney so it should be fine.
Can’t the spices be crushed and left in?
Hi Lynn, you could crush the spices and leave them in although the flavour will be stronger. I haven’t tried to make it with crushed spices so I can’t guarantee success.
I have powdered allspice and ground black pepper. Would this be ok to use and is 1tsp enough??
Hi Jane, yes you can use ground all spice but I’d suggest only 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper. Any more and I think it would be overpowering.