Easy Apple Chutney Recipe (No Peeling Required!)

This easy apple chutney recipe with onion, ginger, orange juice, apple cider vinegar and raisins is so good, you might want to grab a spoon and just eat it from the jar. Make this during apple season when there's such a wide variety of apples available.

Add it to roasted vegetable dishes like butternut squash or acorn squash, or stir into soups. For an appetizer, serve this chutney with cheese and crackers.

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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this homemade apple chutney
• 🧅 Ingredients + Notes
• 🔪 Recommended Equipment
• ⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
• 🍽 Ways to Use Apple Chutney
• 🙋‍♀️ What's the Difference Between a Chutney and Relish?
• 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
• 🫙 Preserving Apple Chutney
• 🧊 How to Store Apple Chutney
• 📇 More Condiments To Have On Hand
• Apple Chutney

Fall is apple chutney season. There's soooo many ways to use it! I spoon it on soups like my new favorite vegan curried butternut squash and sweet potato soup, on veggies like this roasted cabbage steaks, and my husband's pork tenderloin and pork chops. 

This apple chutney is slightly modified from one of Ina Garten's on The Food Network that got rave reviews.

❤️ Why you'll love this homemade apple chutney

• Seasonal. It's all about fall.
• Lots of uses. There are so many ways to use it. Add it to soups and roasted squash dishes.
• Little prep. It only take 10 minutes of prep work. The rest of the work is done by the stove.
• No fancy ingredients. Uses ingredients you probably have on hand.
• No peeling the apples. Best of all, you don't have to peel the apples (yay!!). For me, this makes it an easy apple chutney.

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⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time

There's not a lot of prepping involved in making this homemade chutney, but I simplified it a bit.

• The original recipe calls for peeling and coring the apples. I chose not to peel them, and it worked great.
• Instead of peeling and finely mincing fresh ginger, I used ginger paste in a tube. Since ginger in a tube isn't as potent as freshly minced ginger, I used a bit more. This is the only pre-made ginger paste I use, as many other products have very diluted flavors.

🍽 Ways to Use Apple Chutney

• With roasted butternut squash or acorn squash.
• On your morning biscuits, scones or muffins.
• Stir some into yogurt.
• Spoon a little over roasted vegetables, such as roasted squash, sweet potatoes or these Garlic Roasted Cabbage Steaks.
• Fold into your next apple pie or cobbler for a little accent flavor.
• Add to an appetizer cheese board or charcuterie board along with crackers and nuts.
• Use it in place of apple sauce for a side dish. This chutney, however, is a chunky sauce, so you may want to use a stick blender to purée it a bit.
• Spoon a little into a cheese empanada or add to a grilled cheese sandwich.
• Top soups with it, like this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
• Spoon over pork chops if you have meat eaters at your table.

🙋‍♀️ What's the Difference Between a Chutney and Relish?

Chutney, a spicy - savory condiment that originated in India, is sometimes confused with relish. They're both cooked in a spiced vinegar, and can be either sweet or savory. But they are not the same.

• Chutneys cook for a longer time. Relishes are typically barely cooked.
• Because of the longer cooking time for chutneys, they're chunky but spreadable.
• Relishes have a bit of a crunch, and is usually made of veggies.
• Chutneys are softer, due to the longer cooking time.. And you can have either a fruit chutney, as in this recipe, or a vegetable chutney, such as green mint chutney.

💡Ideas for Possible Variations

• Add walnuts. This adds a little crunch, and a great balance of savory with the sweet.
• Add warming spices such as cinnamon, ground cloves, ground cardamom, or allspice. Or have fun with curry powder or garam masala (an Indian spice mix).
• Caramelize the onions.
• Use two different kinds of apples to add a little depth of flavor.
• Brighten with a little lemon juice.
• For a spicy apple chutney, stir in ½ to 1 teaspoon of chile flakes or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper at the end, depending on the amount of heat you want. 

🫙 Preserving Apple Chutney

If you want to make a large batch to use all fall and winter, here's how to preserve it in sealed jars. 

• Sterilize the jars and their tops in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and allow to dry while you make the chutney.
• While the chutney is very hot, ladle it into the jars leaving ½" headroom. There are funnels that come with canning equipment to make this easy, but just use a spoon or measuring cup if you don't have one. 
• Thoroughly clean the rims of the jars using a clean towel. If there is any chutney on the rim at all, you will not get a good seal. 
• Screw on the tops. 
• You can sit the jars on the counter until they seal (the lids will pop down and be firm when they seal) or use a hot water bath. For a hot water bath, place a rack at the bottom of a large pot, fill with water, and bring to a rapid boil. Using tongs, gently lower the jars filled with chutney into the boil water and arrange on the rack. Remove the jars after 10 minutes. The jars should all be sealed.

🧊 How to Store Apple Chutney

If you don't preserve it using the above canning instructions, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, such as a jar, for 1 - 2 weeks.

📇 More Condiments To Have On Hand

• Apple Cider Syrup
• How To Make Pomegranate Molasses
• Harissa
• Spicy Red Pepper Jam

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