a small gift fit for the queen

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and 

her grandmother Valerie Glassborow Middleton

The Middleton sisters have an “oh so very English” family recipe for their granny’s chutney that they love to share with the public and with the Queen! At Kate's first Christmas with the royal family, she gifted a jar of this special chutney to the Queen. “I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table,” she stated. 

Sister Pippa has featured the heirloom recipe in her party book entitled Celebrations. It sounds quite yummy and can be best served with cheese and crackers. When I first read the recipe, I literally thought that it called for bone marrow, but soon found out that marrow is actually the British term for zucchini!

I've translated the recipe from grams and liters to American measurements, so here's an easier version of the recipe for us. I plan on making it this weekend, just for fun! 

KATE MIDDLETON’S GRANNY’S CHUTNEY

Ingredients (Makes 8 jars)

4 lbs. marrows/zucchini, peeled, deseeded and chopped into small chunks

4 medium onions, peeled and chopped into small chunks

3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks

½ lb sultanas or raisins

½ lb pitted dates, roughly chopped

4 Tbsp malt vinegar

4 cups soft brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices, secured in a piece of muslin

Directions:

Put the chopped zucchini/marrow, onions and apples into a large preserving pan, add the rest of the ingredients and the bag of spices and stir together, then place over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently from 1½-2 hours or until well blended and thick.

Take the pan off the heat, cool and remove the muslin, squeezing the liquid from the bag. Spoon it into sterilized jars with vinegar-proof lids, filling them to within 1cm of the top. Ensure the rims are clean, screw on the sterilized lids and store in a cool place for up to 12 months. Once open, store in the fridge and use within 1 month.

What do you give the woman who has everything? Well, Kate made the right decision giving the Queen this special treat. "I thought back to what I would give my own grandparents," said Kate. "And I thought, 'I'll make her something,' which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney." Sounds like a fabulous idea, Kate!

ciao! fabiana

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