Beetroot Chutney

On of my buddies showed me a (tiny) jar of beetroot chutney that she bought somewhere exclusive in Wicklow for €5.99. Had a look at the ingredient list, and a taste and here's what I came up with. To me it tastes as good, if not better - we'll see what her discerning daughter decides...

1kg beetroot - peeled and chopped up into 5 mm cubes (no need to get out calipers, very small is fine)
750 g onions - chopped finely
500g eating apples - peeled, cored and chopped up into 5 mm cubes (see above)
40g ginger
400 ml malt vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have handy)
200g brown sugar
30 ml balsamic vinegar - optional

Chop beetroot, onions, and apples. Peel and finely chop the ginger (or grate it). Cook in the vinegar for 45 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the brown sugar and cook for at least another 45 minutes. I added the balsamic vinegar at this stage - it tasted like it needed it.

When the beetroot and onions are soft, and the mix is less runny and more like chutney, you're done. Put it into scrupulously clean jars that you have heated - a judicious run of the dishwasher will see to both, and lid and label. Better kept for a month before eating like all chutneys -I'm guessing here, as this is my first time making beetroot chutney...