My spicy-sweet chile jam--a little sweet with a kick of heat!
While living in Australia, I discovered a delicious food tradition in a local pub–an Asian-style sweet chili sauce. Aussies LOVE their sweet chili sauce on just about anything from chicken to burgers, but their favorite use is as a dip with sour cream and chives for potato wedges. The crispy potato gets coated in a layer of cooling sour cream followed by a light, slightly sweet, slightly spicy layer that is positively addicting. Three cities and one world-wide move later, and you will still find a bottle of Asian sweet chili sauce in my fridge, waiting for some fries or egg rolls.
One of my favorite parts about knowing how to cook is learning how to create the dishes and condiments I am obsessed with, so I can have a constant supply. Needless to say, I was HELLA excited about this month’s can jam focus–chile peppers! Check out more food porn and my spicy sweet chile jam recipe after the jump!
A variety of hot chile peppers for my jam, all locally grown.
The first step is stemming and rough chopping the peppers. Leave the seeds and veins in if you like it hot!
After a quick blend in the food processor, the chile peppers and bell pepper gets cooked down with a crap ton of sugar and apple cider vinegar.
The finished product: my spicy and sweet chile jam.
The finished product---So. Many. CANS.
My favorite way to eat this jam? On an onion bagel with a schmear of plain cream cheese.
My spicy sweet chile jam on a bagel with cream cheese.
But it also tastes great with fries and sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), and as a glaze for roast chicken or pork.
Recipe: Leena’s Spicy Sweet Chile Jam
Summary: Inspired by a recipe from the blogger Pham Fatale
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper, roasted, skinned, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 pound ripe, fresh red chile peppers (can vary chile variety based on heat preference. I used a mix that had some small ball-shaped peppers along with some jalapeno)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pint apple cider vinegar
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 6 ounces (two packets) liquid pectin
Instructions
- Wash and dry chile peppers, then remove stems and rough chop. Remove seeds before chopping if you prefer a more mild jam.
- Process the chile peppers, bell pepper, salt and half the vinegar in the food processor for 10 pulses. Transfer to large stainless steel saucepan.
- Add sugar and remaining vinegar to chile mix and bring to a boil. Cook for ten minutes while stirring with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula so nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Add the pectin, bring to a boil again, then lower heat to medium-low and cook for another 2 minutes. Jam will look syrupy, but will not look set like a proper jam yet.
- Fill hot, sterilized jars with jam, leaving 1/4 inch headspace at the top, and process half pint and 4 oz jelly jars for 10 minutes using a water bath canner. Remove from canner and allow to cool completely before checking seals. If a jar has not sealed, store in the fridge for up to 4 months. Sealed jars will stay good unopened in the pantry for up to a year.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
~LTG!
Tags: canning, chile pepper, jam, Tigress Can Jam
