Sarra Ina Garten’s apple chutney recipe is a sweet and tangy condiment of Granny Smith apples simmered with fresh ginger, orange juice, brown sugar, and raisins. Apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, and a pinch of red pepper flakes give it a savory edge. It cooks down on the stove in about an hour and makes a full five cups.
This chutney comes from Ina’s Make It Ahead (2014), where she serves it alongside her prosciutto-wrapped herbed pork tenderloins. She prefers it over the jarred kind, saying homemade chutney “with fresh ginger and raisins is easy to make and delicious.” What makes hers stand out is the orange juice and fresh ginger, which keep it bright instead of flatly sweet.
The whole recipe rests on a long, slow simmer. You let it bubble for 50 minutes to an hour, until most of the liquid cooks off and the apples turn thick and jammy. Rush it and you get a thin, watery sauce instead of a chutney that holds its shape on the spoon.
Ina Garten Apple Chutney Recipe
Course: Sauces20
servings20
minutes1
hour90
kcalA jammy, sweet-tart apple chutney that keeps for two weeks in the fridge. It goes far beyond pork, working on a cheese board, in a sandwich, or alongside roast chicken and ham.
Ingredients
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1 cup (160 g) chopped yellow onion
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2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger
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1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges)
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3/4 cup (180 ml) apple cider vinegar
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1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
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1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
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1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
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6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut in 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
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3/4 cup (110 g) raisins
Directions
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Build the base: In a medium saucepan, combine the onion, ginger, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt.
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Add the apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples, adding them to the pot as you go so they do not brown. Stir to coat.
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Bring to a boil: Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring now and then.
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Simmer it down: Lower the heat and simmer 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked off.
- Finish with raisins: Stir in the raisins. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Notes
- Mince the ginger by peeling, dicing, then pulsing it in a mini food processor. It saves you fine knife work and spreads the ginger evenly.
Stir the raisins in only at the end. Add them earlier and they swell and break down, when you want them plump and whole.
Taste before serving. The balance of sweet, tart, and salty can shift as it cools, so adjust with a pinch more salt if it needs it.
FAQs
Why does Ina use Granny Smith apples for her chutney?
Granny Smiths are tart and firm, which is exactly what chutney needs. They hold their shape through the long simmer instead of collapsing into applesauce.
Their sourness also balances all that brown sugar. A sweet apple would make the whole batch cloying and one-note.
What do you serve with apple chutney?
It was made to go with roast pork, and it is just as good with pork chops or sausages. The sweet-tart flavor cuts through fatty meat.
For something different, spoon it over baked brie as an appetizer, or serve it next to roast turkey at the holidays.
How long does homemade apple chutney last?
It keeps well, which is part of the appeal. Covered in the fridge, it stays good for up to two weeks.
The vinegar and sugar act as natural preservatives, and the flavor actually deepens after a day or two. I would not freeze it, though, since the apples go mushy when thawed.
Can I make this apple chutney with less sugar?
You can cut the brown sugar a little, but do not go too far. The sugar is not just for sweetness, it helps the chutney thicken and keeps it from spoiling.
Drop more than a quarter of it and you lose both the jammy texture and the two-week shelf life.
Why is my apple chutney watery instead of thick?
It did not simmer long enough to drive off the liquid. Chutney thickens as the water cooks away and the sugars concentrate.
If yours is watery, keep simmering it uncovered over low heat. Give it another 10 to 15 minutes and stir until it tightens up.
