The festive season inevitably brings us cheese.  Lots, and lots of cheese.  This is a good thing.

In preparation, I like to make a few accompaniments to enhance the experience.  Membrillo (Quince Paste/Cheese), Pickled Onions, Piccalilli, Chutney and glorious Relishes.

I happened to have a glut of apples and a requirement for some lovely gifts for friends and family.

Job #1: Sterilise a few jars.  It’s worth checking roughly how much you’re going to make to avoid cleaning too many jars.

There are a couple of methods for this.  The easiest is to run them through a dishwasher on a relatively high heat.  The traditional method is to give them a good wash and rinse and them lower them into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can pop them into an oven at 130°C for 20 minutes, but both of these methods involve juggling with hot glass.  Don’t forget the lids.

Once sterilised, I use a filling funnel to avoid sticky splashes on the outside of the jars.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 450g sultanas
• 700ml cider vinegar
• 750g muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a preserving pan or suitably large pot.

Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30­ to 40 minutes, whilst stirring frequently. Remove from the heat once it’s nice and thick.  Fill and cap your sterilised jars.  Easy.

If you can resist, store your relish for at least a month before devouring, as the flavour will develop over time.