Chilli jam recipe

Make this once and you’ll make it for ever. I do it in large batches now. It has a much better flavour than any shop-bought sweet chilli sauce.

Timings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Makes roughly 

4 x 500ml jars

Ingredients

• 8 red peppers, halved, deseeded and chopped
• 8 medium-sized red chillies, halved and chopped (keep the seeds in)
• 1.25kg granulated sugar
• 600ml white-wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 350ml liquid pectin

Method

1. Put all the ingredients, except for the lemon juice and pectin, into a large saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the peppers are really tender. Leave to cool a little, then whizz in a food processor (you want a chunky mixture rather than a smooth one).
3. Place a small saucer in your freezer.
4. Put the chilli mixture back into the rinsed-out pan with the lemon juice and bring to a boil.
5. Boil for one minute. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the pectin, then gradually bring to the boil again.
6. Test for the setting point (104-106C for jam) using a jam thermometer. I also find the ‘wrinkle’ test reliable: put a drop of jam on to the freezer-cold saucer, return it to the freezer for a couple of minutes then take it out again. Push the jam gently with your finger. If the surface wrinkles it has reached setting point. If it’s still quite liquid, it needs to be returned to the heat and boiled for a few minutes before testing again.
7. Skim any scum off the surface, ladle into hot, sterilised jars and seal. It will thicken as it cools but has a very soft set, more like a sauce. Store in the fridge once open.