Onion chutney from Beaneaters & Breadsoup

There is this awesome, awesome book called Beaneaters and Breadsoup cowritten by a Kiwi Jason Low. Borrow it! This guy went to Tuscany and basically took snapshots of local artisans ranging from potters, winemakers, beekeepers to homemade wool mills and all share their recipes. Highly recommend it for a read for foodies.

Makes about 500 g

1 kg of onions (whatever kind you've got and in a hurry want to get rid off)
100 g salt
5 cm cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cloves
1 Kg sugar
600 ml balsamic vinegar
200 ml cider vinegar (Or verjus, or wine vinegar)

Halve and thinly slice the onions and place in a bowl. Add the salt, toss well and leave to stand for 5 hours, to allow the onions to release their liquid. Rinse the onions under cold water and pat dry.

Tie the spices up in a square of muslin and place in a medium saucepan with the sugar and both vinegars. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves.

Add the onions and bring back to a simmer. Cook until the onions are transparent and the liquid is dark and syrupy for about 1 hour.

Setting point - Do a setting test like you would making marmalade by dabbing a teaspoon of the mixture on a cold plate and leaving it in the fridge for 30 seconds to see whether it is setting OK.

Refrigerate when cool.

Serve with cold meats and roasts. Or, as a relish/chutney maybe with a slice of cheddar if it takes your fancy:)

Ma's super onions she grew in her garden last summer!