Ingredients

Apples - enough to make 1lb 3oz puree
Elderberries - enough to make 5oz puree
¾ lb organic white sugar
8fl oz organic cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
6 small bay leaves
¼tsp salt
¼tsp fine-crushed black peppercorns
Seeds of 8 small cardamom pods, fine-crushed

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: ½ hour

1lb 3ozs organic ‘John Downie’ crab apple puree: stew the roughly chunked fruit, skin, cores and all, very slowly with barely any water, stirring about occasionally, and sieve when soft (put the leavings on the compost heap).

5ozs organic/foraged elderberry puree: sieve the berries – very slowly stewed using no water – left behind after pouring off the juice for cordial (put the leavings on the compost heap).

Add the sugar and the vinegar to the combined purees in a pan, and stir well. Add the spices, etc. and simmer ½hr, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon, and pour hot into 4 glass ketchup bottles using a funnel, capping immediately. Keep at least a year to mature before using.