INGREDIENTS
- 535 g jalapeño peppers
- 321 g bell peppers, red for colour and natural sweetness
- 600 g granulated sugar, or 500 g for less sweetness, though the set will be softer without pectin
- 250 ml vinegar, apple cider or white, 5 to 7 per cent acidity
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons powdered pectin for a firmer set
- Optional: a small garlic clove, 1 cm grated fresh ginger, a few cumin or coriander seeds
STEPS
- Prepare the peppers. Wash them and remove the stems. Halve the jalapeños and take out the seeds and white membranes if you want less heat, keeping some if you like it hot. Seed the bell peppers too. Dice everything to 2 or 3 mm, or chop finely: do not puree, you want texture.
- Cook the base. In a large heavy-bottomed pot combine the peppers, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and any aromatics. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the mixture has reduced by a third to a half, the texture is syrupy like thick honey, and the pieces are tender but still visible.
- Check the set. Put a spoonful on a cold plate and let it cool for a minute or two. If it holds its shape rather than running, it is ready. If not, cook another 5 to 10 minutes and test again.
- Jar it. Wash the jars and lids in very hot water, or sterilise them by boiling for ten minutes. Ladle the jam in very hot, leaving half a centimetre below the rim, and close the lids at once. Turn the jars upside down for ten to fifteen minutes, then back up, and let them cool completely.
KEEPING IT
Two to three weeks in the fridge once opened. If the jars were properly sterilised and the lids popped as they sealed, they keep for several months unopened in a cool dark place.
