Orange and chili jam
The idea of growing your own fruit and veg has always appealed to me. Dealing with plants during the winter and their temperament when it comes to types of soil and water quantities is not so appealing.
So although the chilies for this recipe come from our garden, I give credit to my husband for caring for them from seed to harvest time. A harvest that filled a cereal bowl!
This jam is not very spicy so my suggestion would be to keep the seeds on when blending in order to get enough heat. I used tinned roasted peppers but you can also dry fry the peppers with the chilies if you want to use fresh. Spread generously on sausage sandwiches or on a slab of sharp cheddar.
Orange and Chilli Jam
Yields 800g
100g of red chillies
460g roasted red peppers (skinned)
400g tinned tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic (grated)
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp salt
2 cm piece of ginger, skinned and grated
160ml apple cider vinegar
2 oranges, juice and zest
350g dark brown sugar
1. Sterilise glass jars by placing them in the dishwasher or baking them in the oven (200C) for around 20 minutes before making the jam.
2. Dry fry the chillies in a hot pan until their skin looks charred. Place them in a bowl and cover with cling film. As soon as the chillies are cool enough to handle, peel the skin and discard stalks but keep the seeds.
3. Blend the chillies, peppers and tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth. Tip into a large saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Pop a saucer in the freezer.
4. Bring it to a rolling boil then reduce heat and let it simmer for around 40 minutes, stirring from time to time. Test if the jam is ready by placing a little spoonful on the cold saucer, it should set immediately. If the jam is still runny, continue to boil for a further 10 minutes before testing again.
5. Pour the jam into sterelised jars and seal with lids, leave it to cool completely before eating. Once opened keep it in the fridge and use it within 2 months.
Other jam recipes you may like:
Cheese scones with cherry chutney
