2012 Cooking Club Week 9: Nigella Lawson's Chilli Jam

Faith

Unfortunately, I've had to use a non-original recipe here because I've moved into a flat where we may as well just have a microwave. I've barely been able to boil spuds for months, never mind baking or cooking anything of interest! Some of you will already be familiar with this recipe, unfortunately.

So this week, I bring you Nigella Lawson's Chilli Jam. This is an incredibly vibrant and tasty sauce. It's quite straight-forward to make, but you do need to follow the recipe quite precisely. It makes a fantastic gift for people!

Nigella reckons that this will produce about 6 250ml jars. I'd say 4 would be the max I ever get though.

You can alter the spice level of this by increasing or decreasing the chillies. I'm very intolerant to spice, but I find this just perfect as an accompaniment to almost anything - meats, cheeses, potatoes, etc. Or mix with some mayonnaise to get a nice sweet chilli mayo.

The original recipe is here: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chilli-jam-2692

Ingredients

150g long fresh red chillies, each deseeded and cut into about 4 pieces.
150g red peppers, cored, deseeded and cut into rough chunks
1kg jam sugar
600ml cider vinegar
Sterilised jars with lids.

Method

Firstly, sterilise your jars. Ideally you'd buy Kilner jars, but most of us have jars hanging around that will do fine. Wash them extremely well, including the lids. Ideally put them in a hot wash in the dishwasher. Dry them.

Next, pop them into an oven heated to about 120 degrees C. Leave them in there for at least 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Put your chopped up chillies into a food processor and pulse. Add the chopped up red pepper and pulse again until everything is finely chopped.

Empty the vinegar into a saucepan on low heat and pour in the sugar. Leave the sugar to dissolve in the vinegar. DO NOT STIR!! It's hard, but you MUST avoid stirring or your jam will not set at all. The first few times I made this, I gave it the odd ol' stir, thinking "What harm can it do?" and "Sure, I need to stir the sugar around in the vinegar!". DON'T. Stirring somehow means it will NOT set. Whatever stirring does, it messes up the setting ability. Not stirring means it's a very slow process for the sugar to dissolve, but this is actually necessary. The sugar won't stick and bad things won't happen.

When the sugar is completely dissolved, scrape in the chillies and peppers. Bring to the boil, and keep at a rolling boil for 10 minutes, still not stirring.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool. After about 40 minutes, it should have started to set. The chillies will be suspended in the mixture rather than floating on it.

Ladle into your jars and seal tightly .

fitzcoff

This is a great recipe, have made it a few times. The one thing that I would add to it is make sure that you use JAM SUGAR.

Normal sugar won't set. The chilies and peppers need the pectin to ensure that they set.

neuro-praxis

Lovely recipe Faith. Remember people, it's more like a wobbly thick sauce than a jam, so don't worry if it's not set like Chivers raspberry.

fitz

No copyright concerns over here then?

https://twitter.com/#!/dan_lepard/status/167634337162985473

Well worth a read.

Faith

fitz wrote: »

No copyright concerns over here then?

https://twitter.com/#!/dan_lepard/status/167634337162985473

Well worth a read.

I cleared the issue with Dav well prior to posting the recipe. He told me to go ahead with it provided I credit NL and give a link to the original recipe. I moderate the forum, I do check these things out.

shinikins

Love this recipe, and you've reminded me that I need to make a fresh batch of Chilli jam because we've run out! IMO, it's far superior to store bought chilli jams and sauces, much more flavour and you can tweak it to suit your taste(the hotter the better in my house!)

I would add that if your giving this as a gift, do tell your parents that its savoury-my poor Dad got a shock when he spread some on his toast one morning!!

HoPpiE

fitzcoff wrote: »

This is a great recipe, have made it a few times. The one thing that I would add to it is make sure that you use JAM SUGAR.

Normal sugar won't set. The chilies and peppers need the pectin to ensure that they set.

Or if you don't have jam sugar, use juice/zest from a citrus fruit as it contains plenty of pectin.

ChewChew

I've never made anything like this before, so I'm definitely going to give it a shot. One problem I have though... Jam Sugar? Is it a bag called just that or is it something else?

Faith

Yep, it'll be clearly labelled . Something like this:

Mr Simpson

ChewChew wrote: »

I've never made anything like this before, so I'm definitely going to give it a shot. One problem I have though... Jam Sugar? Is it a bag called just that or is it something else?

Yep, you can find it in most supermarkets, it's basically just normal sugar with pectin added

Mr Simpson

D'Oh forgot to post what I meant to say originally

I've been meaning to try this recipe for ages, it looks absolutely yum!!!

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I buy Chilli Jam in the local food market usually, making this at the weekend, and if it's as nice as it looks, I'll have saved myself some money.

Thanks for posting!

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Anyone got any ideas for me?

It hasn't set.

I didn't stir the cider vinegar + sugar while the sugar was melting, I followed the recipe exactly, as I always do when cooking something new like this for the first time.

After the original go cooled, it was still liquid, so I added a sachet of gelatine, and it still has not set.

I originally made it a couple of weeks ago, and left it in kilner jars, and today I was in an Asian shop and saw Gulaman, and picked it up came home and re-boiled the jamliquid and added the whole sachet of this new stuff.

It says on the packet that it will have set within 45 minutes, and it still isn't.

I'm dying to try eat this, because it actually is delicious.

shinikins

Its always turned out as more if a thick sauce than a jam for me, never sets like a jelly. It does thicken up over time but never a firm set. The only advice I have is to enjoy your runny chilli jam and try again!!

Faith

Yeah, it's usually a thick sauce for everyone really. It's not supposed to be very firm .

ChewChew

Made this last night it's currently in jars just lookin like a syrup with most of the chillies sitting at the top. Not sure if this is how it's supposed to me or not though. Like Des, I followed the recipe exactly and no stirring at all

sponge_bob

made this last night but only had 25grams of birdseye chillies and two long green ones, had everything else allright, the birdseye chillies worked quite well tbh. but like the others i found it a bit syrupey and not that jelly like atall. i think the next time i might cut back on the liquid maybe only use 500ml of cider vinegar.
what do peope think of adding the finely grated rind of a lemon or some lemon juice? this would also help it set better.

other than it being a bit runn-e, it really is lovely had chilli jam on everything today:D

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it's excellent on crackers like ryvita with hummus.

Malari

I forgot to post after I made this last week! It's great, really tasty and easy to make. Only drawback is the chokey vinegar fumes

I followed the recipe exactly and the consistency was perfect after cooling down and putting in jars in the fridge. It's exactly the same as the shop-bought stuff - love it! Thanks Faith.