Best Beetroot Chutney and the Benefits of Using Glass
A fruity warming chutney that makes an excellent partner to cheese, both dairy and vegan. This really is the best beetroot chutney recipe and it’s thoroughly delicious. It makes a perfect gift for beetroot lovers too.
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In this season of abundance and mellow fruitfulness, my mind very quickly turns to thoughts of preserving. I was just thinking it was about time I made some apple chutney, when a bunch of beautiful beetroot turned up in my veg box.
My plans did an about turn and I ended up making the best beetroot chutney ever. As I spooned my finished chutney into jars, I couldn’t help but give thanks for the wonders of glass.
Reusable Glass
Glass is my absolute favourite material for food storage. It appeals to my thrifty nature; it’s attractive, reusable and doesn’t leach nasty chemicals into your vittles.
When it comes to making jams, pickles or chutneys, it’s unthinkable to use anything else. The preserves shine through the glass and if, like me, you’re not always good at labelling, you can pretty much tell what’s in a glass jar without having to take off the lid and spoil the contents. When I made this beetroot chutney the other day, it never occurred to me to use anything else.
Friends of Glass have this to say on the subject and I couldn’t agree more. “A glass jam jar is a simple, beautiful and practical design that won’t deteriorate no matter how many times it is re-used or recycled. Because glass is inert, the jam jar keeps its contents fresher for longer and when put into the recycling bank, it takes as little as 30 days for it to be returned to the shelf as a new jar – making it a perfect role model for the circular economy.”
Wash Those Jars
When I was young one of my uncles had a bottle washing factory. Way back then, all drinks came in glass bottles, which were washed and re-used again and again. Fizzy drink bottles had a refundable deposit and hunting around in the streets and hedges for bottles was a major earner for us kids. It seems rather sad that this practice faded away, that bottle washing factories went out of business and that so many drinks now come in plastic bottles. Rant over.
History of the Glass Jar
Glass jars were first used for preserving foodstuffs in the early 19th Century. Before the invention of the screw top lid, they were sealed with wax. Here’s a rather interesting timeline from Friends of Glass on the development of the glass jar.
Best Beetroot Chutney
The beetroot chutney is easy to make and it keeps for ages. It’s important to use sterilised glass jars when preserving. I wash them well in warm soapy water, then dry them out in a warm oven (150℃) for 15 minutes. If you have a dishwasher, you can run them through that instead. To sterilise the lids, I boil them in water for a few minutes, then leave to dry before sealing the jar’s contents. For more information on how to sterilise glass jars, click on the link.
My favourite accompaniment to cheese is a good homemade chutney and this beetroot chutney lives up to the best of them. Its earthy tones are livened up with fruity notes and just a hint of spicy cinnamon and warming chilli. I used my own homemade blackcurrant vinegar along with apple cider vinegar to give a fruity flavour, but any fruit vinegar should work.
If you can’t get hold of fruit vinegar, just use a mix of more apple cider vinegar and sugar along with a cinnamon stick.
Fill some pretty glass jars with beetroot chutney and attach an attractive label and you have a unique homemade gift. In my experience, homemade preserves are appreciated far more than something hastily bought online or on the high street. Autumnal chutney makes a particularly good Christmas gift as it has a few months to mature and will taste its best in December and January.
Other Chutney Recipes You Might Like
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this beetroot chutney, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate it. Have you any top tips? Do share a photo on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot it.
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If you’d like more beetroot recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Best Beetroot Chutney. PIN IT.
Best Beetroot Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
- 600 g beetroot scrubbed, topped & tailed and then grated – about 4 medium beetroot
- 1 large red onion diced
- 100 g golden granulated sugar
- 150 ml apple cider vinegar
- 100 ml blackcurrant vinegar or other fruit vinegar or 50g more vinegar + 50g sugar + 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 large red chilli seeds removed and finely chopped
- 2 clove garlic finely chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- good grinding of black pepper
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a large pan and bring to the boil.
- Simmer for about 40 minutes with the lid off. Give an occasional stir to check how it's getting on and that nothing is sticking to the bottom. The chutney is ready when the beetroot is cooked and the mixture has thickened.
- Ladle immediately into warm sterilised jars. A jam funnel will help to keep things clean and in the jar rather than all over the work surface. Tap the jars to remove air pockets. Cover with waxed discs, then screw on the lids and label.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Thanks to Friends of Glass for sponsoring this post. I was not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are, as always, my own. Thanks also to my readers for supporting the organisations and brands that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
You’re right – this is the best! I’d made some for Christmas, and then brought it along on holiday. My family and friends have wiped it all out and have pleaded with me to make more! Thanks so much!
Thank you Jennie, it’s good to be validated. So glad you and your family and friends enjoyed it so much and thank you for taking the time to let us know.
Hello. Can this be canned with the regular snap and screw canning lids? And does it need to be water bathed? I can’t wait to try it
Thanks,
Lisa
Hi Lisa. I’m not sure what snap and screw canning lids are exactly, but they sound as though they will be fine. And no, it shouldn’t need a water bath as the vinegar and sugar content are quite high. Just make sure the jars and lids are properly sterilised and sealed. Once the jars are open, keep in the fridge. I’d love to hear how you get on.
I love beetroot and beetroot chutney is such a lovely way to serve it.
I’m with you, a big beetroot fan. Sadly CT isn’t so keen.
Hello all and thanks Choclette for the brilliant beetroot chutney recipe. The team here are going to definitely give it a go! If you love glass, please do become a Friend of Glass – just go to the website and sign up. It’s free and will help us lobby to keep glass packaging as a choice on the supermarket shelves!
Ps jam jar lids can be bought online – try the Jam Jar company who have a good range.
Oh yes please do and let me know what you think – with a picture of course. I thought I’d already signed up, but if not I will do.
“Friends of Glass” are so right – there is just something so delicious abut a glass jar full of chutney (not that they ever stay full in our house!)
Yes, it’s definitely glass all the way with us.
I love beetroot chutney, it seems to have the perfect combination of sweet and sour flavours to go with so many different meals.
So true Janice. I’ve just harvested our pitiful crop of beetroot, but I’m hoping there might just be enough to make another batch.
Ooo beetroot chutney, can’t say I’ve ever tried that! Sounds delicious, especially with crackers and cheese 😀 I love glass too for all the reasons you mentioned 😉
Thanks Nadia. I’ve always been suspicious of plastic in terms of food storage. It gets increasingly hard to get away from these day, but I use glass where I can.
I’ve not made chutney for such a long time. I am totally drooling over yours. I really must start making more of an effort. there’s nothing quite as nice as homemade preserves.
Thanks Jac. I’m compelled to make preserves. I often have bread and cheese at lunchtime, but it just wouldn’t be right without some sort of chutney or pickles to go with it.
I wonder if your sponsors can help me find a source for jam jar lids. The jars last forever but the sealing lids do not and although I’ve made feeble efforts to locate suppliers it’s been unsuccessful. It is possible to use those old fashioned plastic covers with elastic bands but I like knowing there’s a vacuum seal on my pots. Any ideas?
Hi Manda. I know for sure you can get good sealing lids, but I don’t know where from. I’m an inveterate re-user of lids. I’m sure Friends of Glass would be able to help you though. Do give them a try. Here’s their e-mail address: info@friendsofglass.com
I adore glass bottles and recycle most of mine , usually use them to store things in, serve drinks, use ad vases or nick nak holders and use them as tea light holders too,
Yes, I’m with you on all of that Nayna. I know a friend who collects them for birthdays and uses them as tea light holders for grand displays.
It looks delicious! And the glass jars are awesome! I make my own hot sauce every couple of months, and I use similar jars to store them. So much more practical than plastic containers 🙂
Definitely Sarah. You’ve got me interested in your hot sauce now. I make my own chilli sauce too, but always interested to see others.
I am a huge fan of beetroot so this chutney sounds great. I agree i love storing jams and chutneys in glass jars too!
I’m not sure why beetroot chutney isn’t more of a “thing”, it’s fabulous stuff 🙂
What a beautiful deep purple, that looks stunning and your labels and jar tops are so pretty. Totally with you on glass, trying to gradually swap all my old tupperware for lidded glass storage instead, so much better.
Thanks Kate. I’ve always used glass jars for storage, but tupperware or similar still seems more practical for the freezer.
This sounds fantastic – I love its stunning colour. Bet this goes so well with a crumbly mature cheddar!
Thanks Becca. I can attest it goes brilliantly well with crumbly mature cheddar, also Cornish brie 🙂
Look at that colour! Beetroot chutney sounds amazing and something that I’ve never even tried before.
Thanks Jemma. I think this might have been the first time I’ve every tried it too – I’m glad I did 🙂
I love beets and I love chutney, I can’t wait to try this.
I’m rather smitten with it at the moment Shelley. Do let me know how you get on if you do make it.
I love making chutney so much! I started off using my grandfather’s recipes and have since created many of my own. Once I understood the balance of tart and sweet, and the way that sugar and vinegar work to preserve food, I felt more confident with making my own recipes. I am happy to read about glass storage as that’s always been my preference too.
How wonderful to have your grandfathers chutney recipes Kavey. My grandfather was in to making all sorts of country wines – birch leaf wine and all sorts. But he never left the know-how or recipe behind him. I have most of my staples stored in glass jars – love em.
I bet that blackcurrant vinegar makes this beetroot chutney particularly delicious.
It really does Angie. I’m running out of the vinegar now as this was last year’s and I didn’t get any blackcurrants this year to make more.
A gorgeous sounding recipe and I agree with regards to glass. I remember returning bottles for pennies too – I saved up for my first bike with bottles!
Wow, you did brilliantly well to get a bike. I think mine all went on sweets 😉