Quick and Easy Crab Apple Chutney
This spicy raw crab apple chutney combines tart crab apples, Scotch bonnet pepper, citrus, and chadon beni for a fresh Caribbean-inspired dipping sauce. It is a small-batch recipe that requires no cooking.
Ingredients
- 14-16 crab apples trimmed, cored and cubed
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chadon beni
- 1/2 teaspoon ground roasted geera cumin (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the crab apples well with cool water, removing the stems and any imperfections or blemishes. Trim, core, and cut the crab apples into chunks.
- Place the crab apple cubes into a blender ( i opted for a magic bullet) along with the Scotch bonnet pepper ( use any spicy pepper and in the amounts you can tolerate) , salt, lemon juice, and water. Puree until smooth.
- Pour the pureed crab apples into a bowl and mix in the finely chopped chadon beni.
- Add the roasted geera if using and mix well.
- Store the finished chutney in the refrigerator and use within one week.
- This chutney works as an excellent dipping sauce for Pholourie, Shrimp Pholourie, Trinidad Doubles, Aloo Pies, as well as Accras.
- If you enjoy this style of chutney and would like to experiment a bit more, I suggest giving my Peach Chutney, which is slightly sweet, a try. With Thanksgiving around the corner, you may also want to make some space on your dinner table for my Spicy Cranberry Pineapple Chutney. And do not pass up the opportunity to give my Roasted Pineapple Coconut Chutney a test drive.
Video
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use lime instead of lemon in crab apple chutney?
Yes. I personally prefer using the juice of two limes instead of lemon. Lime gives the chutney a bright citrus flavour that works especially well with the tart crab apples.Can I make crab apple chutney without a blender?
Yes. You can grate the crab apples with a box grater for a chunkier texture. This gives the finished chutney a more rustic consistency.Can I use cilantro instead of chadon beni?
Yes. If chadon beni (aka culantro, or bandanya) is unavailable, you can use three tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro. The flavour will be different, but cilantro provides a fresh herbal note.Is crab apple chutney cooked?
No. This is a raw crab apple chutney. The crab apples and other ingredients are blended or grated and combined without cooking.What can I serve with crab apple chutney?
This chutney works especially well as a dipping sauce for Pholourie, Shrimp Pholourie, Trinidad Doubles, Aloo Pies, and Accras. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!