Halloween is nearly upon us, the nights are drawing in, and my mind turns to ways of using up the glut of autumn fruit.  I found this recipe last year on www.lavenderandlovage.com, which is a gorgeous site and full of beautiful recipes. I made it last autumn with a view to bringing it out for Christmas parties and the cheese board, and it was delicious.  This makes quite a lot so it is perfect for giving as a gift to foodies in your life as well.  I struggled to find fresh figs in my local supermarket so substituted dried figs instead and it worked just fine, giving this darker, richer colour, though as they tend to be sweeter I used a little less.   As a side note, I still have a couple of jars and a year on it is even more gorgeous and has matured to heavenly proportions.

750g apples, peeled, cored and very finely chopped into small cubes
1kg pears, peeled, cored and very finely chopped into small cubes
500g fresh figs, trimmed with stem cut off and chopped into quarters.
375g onions, peeled and diced
1tbsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp cardamom seeds, from freshly crushed pods
1tsp mace
zest and juice of 2 oranges
500g soft brown sugar
450ml cider vinegar

Method

• Place the onions, apples, pears and figs into a large preserving pan with the orange juice and bring to a gentle simmer.  Allow to simmer until the onions and fruit are cooked and the fruit has broken down.
• Add the spices, orange zest, vinegar and sugar and bring to a brisk boil, then reduce the heat to a good simmer and cook until the chutney is done, stirring occasionally.
• Once it is almost done and it is the desired consistence, after about half an hour, stir it regularly to stop it catching or sticking.  The chutney is ready when a spoon drawn through the mixture leaves a trail.
• Ladle the hot chutney into hot, clean and sterile jars, then seal with a new screw-top lid.  Store in a cool dark place for at least one month to mature, and keep in the fridge once opened.

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