ad

Welcome to Nigella

Login Sign Up

Follow Nigella on: Facebook Twitter Vimeo

Related Book

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a time for family and friends, for tradition… Read on

Related Recipes

CHILLI JAM

Although I call this chilli jam, I don't mean by this that it's the sort of thing you'd spread on your toast at breakfast (though smeared inside a bacon sandwich, it could be a real help one hungover morning) but rather a chilli jelly - chelly? - that glows a fiery, flecked red and is fabulous with cold meats or a cheese plate. And just a small pot of it makes a gorgeous present. In the traditional run of things, jellies are incredibly hard work to make, or at least I find them so. If I tell you that jelly-making tends to involve tying jelly bags or pieces of muslin to the leg of an upended stool and straining stuff through the fine cloth into a bowl sitting in the underside of the stool's seat for at least 12 hours, you'll get the picture. But don't worry. I don't strain - in either sense of the word - myself, but leave the orange-glowing red jelly cheerfully freckled with the bits of chilli and sweet pepper, and instead of getting my jellied set from preparing, cooking and sieving bucketloads of high pectin fruit, I simply cook the chillies in vinegar and pectin-added sugar, an essential ingredient I buy from the supermarket where it is labelled "jam sugar". It could scarcely be easier. I make the "chelly" with equal weights of hot and sweet peppers, but if you wanted a bit more fire in your jelly, you could up the amount of chilli peppers and reduce the amount of bell pepper. But this proportion provides enough tingle for those who like it hot, but without burning out more sensitive palates.

Recipe posted by

Ingredients

  • Gluten Free
  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian
  • 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
  • 6 x 250ml sealable jars, with vinegar-proof lid, such as Kilner jar or re-usable pickle jar

Method

Serves: Makes approx. 1.5. Litres

  1. Sterilize your jars and leave to cool.
  2. Put the cut-up chillies into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the chunks of red pepper and pulse again until you have a vibrantly red-flecked processor bowl.
  3. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a wide, medium-sized pan over a low heat without stirring.
  4. Scrape the chilli-pepper mixture out of the bowl and add to the pan. Bring the pan to the boil, then leave it at a rollicking boil for 10 minutes.
  5. Take the pan off the heat and allow it cool. The liquid will become more syrupy, then from syrup to viscous and from viscous to jelly-like as it cools.
  6. After about 40 minutes, or once the red flecks are more or less evenly dispersed in the jelly (as the liquid firms up, the hints of chilli and pepper start being suspended in it rather than floating on it), ladle into your jars. If you want to stir gently at this stage, it will do no harm. Then seal tightly.

Comments

  • Very easy and absolutely delicious. Great hit with the family and will definitely make more to give as presents.

    Posted by bikerbullimore on 26th Apr 2011 at 11.55

  • This recipe is the easiest; most successful I have ever made, by a merry mile. Thank you.

    Posted by Paulineann on 3rd May 2011 at 14.57

  • Just finished with my chilli jam. I hope it gets a bit thicker, cause when I filled up the jars, it was still pretty liquid. But the taste was fabulous. Can´t wait to get a proper tasting :)

    Posted by lprohhorov on 14th Aug 2011 at 15.05

  • I did my chilli jam two days ago. It looks delicious. I wonder how tasty it will be. :) Nigella, you're my queen!

    Posted by gryzik on 13th Nov 2011 at 0.26

  • About to begin making this jelly to give as gifts for Christmas. Fingers crossed that I can do justice to this gorgeous recipe and to Ms Lawson herself!! Wish me luck! Xxx

    Posted by MissMeg on 13th Dec 2011 at 3.56

  • I was introduced to this recipe 2 years ago, it is beautiful and goes with anything, prawns, meats etc. This year i'm giving jars with pretty lids on as christmas presents. Merry Christmas xxx

    Posted by JLo on 17th Dec 2011 at 13.35

  • I made the chilli jelly a few years ago and my.friends and family loved it. I lost the recipe last year so i am pleased to see it today. I will be making it this week to have at Christmas and to share with friends and family. Fantastic recipe.

    Posted by spampad on 20th Dec 2011 at 19.41

Add Comment