Chilli Jam with Garlic

In my little courtyard garden – with its climbing tomatoes and herbs and endive and broccoli – our best crop is chillies. I have to admit, it's probably because they recover from even the most severe of human-induced droughts. … and, in fact, they punish our neglect by becoming even hotter.

(Ha! Little do they know … )


So now and then, we end up with hundreds of hot red and orange chillies; habeñero and Thai and jalapeño.
I’ve tried drying them … but we never end up using them that way. I’ve tried using them as I go … but if I don’t harvest them soon enough, the cheeky ringtail possum will come along and gobble them up. (Oh yes, hundreds. Overnight.) I’ve tried using them from my kitchen windowsill … but I end up forgetting them and they go mushy and rotten.


What’s a girl to do?


Make jam, of course.

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Chilli Jam with Garlic

The time
40 min roasting + 10 min cool + 30 min puree and jam-making

The ingredients
7 large mixed chillies - stems removed
10 cloves of garlic
2 heaping cups of cherry tomatoes (or use regular tomatoes)
1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
100 mL red wine vinegar
1 cup raw sugar
1 tsp salt

The process
1. Coat the chillies, garlic and tomatoes in the olive oil, then roast at 200C (400F) for ~40 minutes, until the garlic is melty and the chillies and tomatoes are slightly charred. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.

2. Push through a food mill or fine sieve, so you get all the mushy goodness with none of the seeds and skin.

3. Then, put the puree into a clean saucepan; add the vinegar, sugar and salt; and simmer (stirring regularly) until it has the consistency of applesauce.

4. Ladle hot chilli jam into warm, sterilised jars*, seal and label, and cool to room temperature. Then store in the fridge.

Use on just about anything ... like fritters, burgers, pasta ... anything you like spicy!

*I sterilise jars by washing them in hot, soapy water then drying them in an oven set to 100C or less.

The cost
I used my own chillies and my own vinegar, of course. And cheap organic cherry tomatoes. The major cost was the organic garlic! So I reckon my organic chilli and garlic jam cost me $4 to make.

The apologies
I have two. One? That I can only estimate this makes somewhere between 300-600mL of chilli jam. I didn't figure it at the time, and the jars I used are odd sizes.

The other? I have to say that though this jam is flavourful, delicious and tear-inducing ... it is decidedly not photogenic. Three separate occasions have seen me trying to get a pretty picture of the jam - with and without food to spread it on. Alas. You'll just have to make it for yourself ...

And better get some jars ready, 'cos we're going to be doing a lot of preserving this season ...
Amanda xx

Comments

  1. This chili jam would be great on some crusty bread with goat cheese!

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  2. Thanks Amanda this is perfect timing as out chilli bush is loaded to the hilt at the moment. Lovely pictures as well.

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  3. love this combination :) looks delicious!

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  4. Perfect timing! Our jalapeno chilli bush (although they don't look like jalapenos so I'm dubious) goes bananas when everything else just looks a bit sad. I've had no idea what to do with these guys. Jam is the perfect answer! Looks like we'll be busy today... Oh - do you think it would work with green chillis?

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  5. yay! the starved writer got a lovely photo of the jam, so check it out on her site! http://starvedwriter.wordpress.com/2011/06/04/hot-chili-and-tomato-jam/ Nice. work. (and goats cheese sounds like a perfect match!)

    Steph, Sherilyn - go for it! I think this jam'll be good with any chillies. It'll vary in hotness and flavour between batches anyway :)

    Thanks, Marnely!

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  6. I can't believe the possum eats your chili! I bet he'd love your very inventive jam too :)

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  7. What kind of chillies are those on the photo? I have of them, but don't know their name.

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  8. I'd love to have a lush garden of chilies. A few months ago my mother-in-law sent us some jalapeno jam and it was so so good! I know that I would love yours with the tomatoes and garlic,yum! Possums really eat chiles? lol :)

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  9. Oooooh...this sounds so good! I've never tried a chili jam before but I sure would like to! Bet it would be wonderful to on a pizza instead of tomato sauce!!! :)

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  10. This sounds incredibly tasty!

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  11. Oh yes, the possums LOVE the chillies!! But they're so cute, you can't hate them.

    Sheila - I agree ... though I think you'd have to dilute it with tomato sauce in order for it to be un-hot enough to eat :)

    Mushitza - I'll get back to you on that one ... the chillies are my husband's realm of expertise!

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  12. Yum I love Chilli Jam.

    So it is the possums that loved my chillies. I had blamed the blue tongue lizards.

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  13. Oh, ok, I would be glad to know their name, since on my first attempt to grow them I had a great failure but I would like to try again :)

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  14. @mushitza According to the expert - these are 'bird's eye' chillies! :)

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Thanks for commenting! Amandaxx