I’ve no idea where this recipe has come from. Judging by the faded, yellow tinged recipe card, it could be from the Victorian era. Either way it’s a staple condiment for the Boxing Day ‘cold cut’ selection in the Meek household. If you’re lucky enough to  have a vegetable patch then I’m sure you’ve also got green beans coming out of your ears, so this is a perfect way to use them up. It makes about 8 pots and you’ll need to keep it for a couple of months to mature in order to save your taste buds from being obliterated by vinegar.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs runner beans, stringed and chopped into chunks
• 1 ½ lbs onions, finely chopped
• 1 ½ lbs demerara sugar
• 1 ½ pints vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 ½ tblsp turmeric
• 2 tblsp cornflour

1. Cook the beans for 7 minutes in salted water until tender. Strain and put to one side.
2. Boil the onions in 1/2 pint of vinegar for 10 minutes.
3. Mix everything together, except the cornflour and cook slowly for 1/2 hour.
4. Add the cornflour mixed with a little vinegar and cook for a further 10 minutes.
5. Decant into sterilised pots (to sterilise, throughly wash the jars and then place in the oven on a low heat until warm). Cover and keep!

Directions for use: The key to a good chutney is in the chopping! Don’t be too heavy handed;  you don’t want an entire green bean on your cheese cracker!