Recipe: Grape and Cucamelon Chutney
The bubbling mixture starts to become glossy towards the end of cooking as it becomes thick and jammy
From the Kitchen Garden at The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
It’s not often that the garden surprises you twice in the same week — but this year, both the glasshouse vines and the cucamelons decided to overachieve. The grapes came in heavy and dark, almost bursting from their skins, while the cucamelons trailed and tangled their way through everything around them, producing more tiny fruits than I could ever keep up with.
Faced with a glut — around 5 kilos of grapes and 2½ kilos of cucamelons — I set to work one evening to make a batch of chutney that would last through winter and gift a few jars to friends. The result was deeply satisfying: a glossy, ruby-coloured preserve that’s fragrant with spice, sharp with cider vinegar, and mellowed by the sweetness of the grapes. It’s the kind of chutney that makes a simple lunch — a wedge of cheddar and some oatcakes — feel like something altogether special.
Below is the smaller-batch version of the recipe, scaled for about four small jars, but it multiplies beautifully if your garden is as generous as mine was this year.
Grape & Cucamelon Chutney
Makes: Four small jars
Ingredients
500g seedless grapes (red or black work best)
250g cucamelons (halved)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 green apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
250ml cider vinegar
200g dark brown sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
Method
Combine the grapes, cucamelons, apples, onion, garlic and ginger in a heavy-based pan.
Add mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, salt and chilli if using.
Stir in the vinegar and sugar, then bring gently to a simmer.
Cook uncovered for 45–60 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy. If you cook in larger quantities this will take much longer - my big batch took more than three hours of bubbling away in my favourite jam pan on the Aga top.
Spoon into warm, sterilised jars and seal.
Serving notes
Wonderful with crumbly cheddar or creamy brie, excellent beside roast meats or cold cuts. Keeps for at least six months in a cool, dark cupboard — and improves after a fortnight.
Cucamelons and grapes from the Asterion & Co. kitchen garden
Fancy growing these in your own glasshouse? Purchase cucamelon seeds or a grape vine from our collaborator Pennard Plants.