First made at the Crosse & Blackwell factory in Branston, Staffordshire in 1922, inspired by Anglo-Indian pickles and chutneys. 'Branston (brand)'.
Sweet, sharp and mellow all at once, it pops with little crunchy nuggets of vegetable in a thick, spiced, malty-tangy sauce. Spread thick on bread with strong cheddar, it is the taste of a British ploughman's lunch.
The high acidity of malt vinegar plus sugar preserves the diced vegetables, while slow cooking caramelises the sugars and melds the spices, dates and apple into a thick, mellow chutney.
Variations
Smooth version, small-chunk version, squeezy bottle, homemade copycat recipes, lower-sugar versions
On the Palate
Where Branston Pickle sits in the British flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 120 min
Finely dice the swede, carrot, onion, cauliflower and gherkins into small even pieces.
Watch outDice everything small and even — mismatched pieces cook unevenly and you lose the fine, uniform texture of a good pickle.
- 28 min
Chop the dates and apple and combine all the vegetables and fruit in a large pan.
- 34 min
Add malt vinegar, tomato puree, brown sugar and a spice mix of mustard, allspice and cayenne.
- 42 min
Stir in a little Worcestershire sauce and salt.
- 530 min
Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the sauce thickens.
Watch outBring to a boil then drop to a simmer, stirring often — the acid and sugar need slow heat to soften the veg and meld the spice.
- 615 min
Cook down until the chutney is dark, glossy and spoonable.
Watch outCook it down until dark, glossy and spoonable — thin, watery chutney means it hasn't reduced enough yet.
- 76 min
Ladle the hot pickle into sterilised jars and seal at once.
- 81440 min
Mature in a cool dark place for at least a few weeks before eating.
Watch outGive it at least a few weeks in a cool dark spot — the raw vinegar edge mellows and the flavors round out with time.
