Chilli & Ginger Jam

Before you begin put two side plates or saucers in to your freeze to chill.

Sterilize your jam jars by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing them clean in fresh water and allowing them to dry in an oven heated to 150°C (130°C fan) for about 15 minutes. We placed ours on a baking tray to make them easier to maneuver.

Put the sugar and the vinegar into your pan and allow to dissolve slowly over a medium heat without stirring. You can give it a shake from time to time, which will result in a clearer jam. 

Peel the ginger and chop into large chunks. Blitz these in a food processor until you get tiny pieces. Then (ideally wearing gloves) chop and deseed the chillis and the peppers leaving them in large chunks. 

Blitz the chillies with the ginger and then add the peppers. Continue to blitz until all the ingredients are finely chopped.

When the sugar has dissolved into the vinegars, add the vegetables, stir and increase the heat to bring the pan to a steady boil. If you have a sugar thermometer you may want to clip it to the pan at this point.

Boil the mixture for 10 minutes or until it reaches 105´C, stirring occasionally to stop it catching. After boiling, remove the jam pan from the heat.

To test for a set, take one of your plates from the freezer and carefully remove a teaspoon of jam and drop it slowly on to the plate. Leave this for a few seconds and then push the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, the jam is set. If it doesn't return the jam to the heat and bring to the boil again for a few minutes more before checking again.

When your jam has set, remove it from the heat and skim off any scum from the top. 

Decant the jam into warm jars, top with a wax circle and seal with a lid whilst it is still hot.

This jam will keep unopened for up to a year, however once opened it should be kept in the fridge for no longer than 1 month.