Full question
I want to make the Christmas Chutney. But have a large quantity of Macintosh apples, and no Granny Smith apples. May I use the Macintosh in place of the Granny Smith to make this Christmas Chutney recipe?. Thank you Nigella. I love all your recipes. And make the Christmas pudding annually. Kind regards.
Our answer
Nigella's Christmas Chutney (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is made with sour cooking apples (Bramleys). Cooking apples are also high in pectin, which can help the chutney to thicken. For the US Granny Smith apples are the closest alternative in terms of sharpness and pectin content.
Macintosh apples are an eating apple. They do break down easily when cooked, which can be useful when cooking the chutney. We suspect that you could use Macintosh apples but don't reduce the amount of sugar used in the chutney to balance the sweetness as the quantity of sugar is important for preserving the chutney. Overall the chutney may be a little sweeter and not quite as firm but the differences will be minor. You could also make Nigella's Apple And Almond Cake to help to use up a glut of apples and omit the sugar in the apple puree if using Macintosh apples.
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