It’s chutney time- when the smell of vinegar fills the house and the kitchen windows are fugged up with the condensation from a bubbling preserving pan. This month’s batch uses that wonderful autumn fruit, the quince. They are not particularly popular in the UK which is  a shame as they have a unique flavour and texture. If you drop the prepared quince into the preserving pan with the vinegar they won’t discolour, but don’t worry if they do as the fruit will turn brown during cooking. My top tip of the day is never to cover chutney jars with cellophane lids as the vinegar evaporates through them- which will dry out the chutney. Leave the chutney a month for the flavours to mature and eat it with a really tangy cheddar or strong blue-veined cheese such as Per Las.