"BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF" CHILI JAM

Having been getting my preserving groove on this week with my Deli Dilly Chili Pickles I'm proper on the no waste train. Faced with a bag of mini red chili's with no chance of using them before the use by date there was only one road to go down; make a batch of chili jam. It's so simple to do, prevents you wasting chili's and the end product is a chili jam that certainly does pack a punch. When I first tasted it, it really did blow my socks off! Be warned, this is not a jam for the faint hearted so spice averse folk stay well clear!

 I had a bag of mini chilies and peppers in my kitchen which is why I have used them in this recipe, seeds and all. If you want to go with larger chili and peppers then for the same results you should use around the same weight plus maybe add in the odd one or two chili more just so you get the same amount of chili seed heat. Mini chili's and peppers are readily available in supermarkets and world food stores tho so its nest to hunt them out as the amount you get in a bag will also give you plenty to use in your weekly meals as well.

Now it can be hard to tell when your jam is ready but there is a test you can do. Place a plate into the freezer and when your ready to check, remove the plate and dollop a tsp of the jam on the plate. Leave for a few seconds to cool and then drag your finger or a knife through the centre of the dollop. The jam should stay split into two halves. If the jam runs back and joins together then it is too runny and you should continue to simmer the jam and keep repeating the test every 5 minutes until the test is successful.

This is a great recipe to whack on when your have a lazy day! A minimal amount of effort yielding a maximum amount of tasty goodness.

Chili Jam

75g Mini Red Chilies

500g Mini Sweet Peppers

Thumb Sized Piece Of Grated Ginger

8 Grated Garlic Cloves

400g Can Of Chopped Tomatoes

750g Caster Sugar

250ml Red Wine Vinegar

1. Take the chillies, peppers, ginger and garlic and whiz them all up in a food processor to form a paste.
2. Take the paste and add it into a large pan along with the tomatoes, caster sugar and vinegar. Bring the pan to a boil stirring as you go so that the sugar dissolves.
3. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer for around 1 hour, stirring every five minutes or so to stop anything sticking to the base of the pan. 
4. After the hour the mixture should be thick and sticky. Use the cold plate test above to check if it's ready. If not, simmer for five minute intervals, repeating the test until ready.

Transfer the jam to sterilized jam jars and seal. The jam will continue to thicken whilst it cools in the jars and is ready to eat after 24hrs but the longer you leave it in the jars the more intense the flavor will get. The jam will keep for three months in a cool dark place but once opened keep in the fridge and use within 1 month. 

Serve the jam as part of a cheese board or dollop a tbsp into tomato sauces and stir fry's to create a meal that is really going to blow your socks off. Chili fans; you are in for a treat!