Festive baking: Here’s how to make the Duchess of Cambridge’s Christmas chutney

Christmas is just around the corner and nothing kicks off the holiday season quite like getting into the kitchen for some festive baking. But if you’re not sure what to whip up first, why not go straight for the classics – like this tasty chutney that’s fit for a queen!

Rumour has it, this old Middleton family recipe is one of Queen Elizabeth’s favourites. And it’s no surprise why, with the the delicious mix of apples, dates, sultanas and spices perfectly complementing slices of turkey or cold ham on the big day.

The Duchess of Cambridge revealed in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety that she gave the monarch a jar of homemade chutney during her first Christmas with the royal family.

“I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present,” Catherine said. “I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’ And I thought back to what would I give my own grandparents … [So] I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’

“I was slightly worried about it but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. I’ve noticed since that she’s done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”

Catherine isn’t the only royal to whip up gifts in the kitchen either, as the Duchess of Sussex surprised fans with a baked banana bread during a royal visit to Australia in 2018.

Below is the full chutney recipe, which you can also find in Pippa Middleton’s cookbook Celebrate.

Ingredients

• 1.8kg marrows, 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
• 225g sultanas or raisins
• 225g stoned dates, roughly chopped
• 600ml malt vinegar
• 900g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp mixed pickling spices, secured in a piece of muslin

Method

1. Put the chopped 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 1 ½-2 hours or until well blended and thick.
2. Take the pan off the heat, cool and remove the muslin, squeezing the liquid form from the bag. Spoon it into sterilised jars with vinegar-proof lids, filling them to within 1cm of the top.
3. Ensure the rims are clean, screw on the sterilised lids and store in a cool place for up to 12 months. Once open, store in the fridge and use within 1 month.