Apple, Sweet Red Pepper and Habanero Chilli Jelly
Lal Shimla Mirch, Mirch aur Sev ki Jelly
I had this jelly for the first time in June 2010, at my brother-in-law's place in Miami. I loved it, so decided to make it. I searched the web and found many recipes. I tried two, one with vinegar and pectin and another with apple juice and lemon. Neither worked, both were a disaster! Since I make my own apple/plum/guava jellies anyway, I thought hang this, I will try my own version of a jelly. It worked the first time. It is delicious on a hot, buttered toast, chillies really lift this jelly to another level. This amount makes one jam jar.
I am going to try the Chilli Marmalade next, I bet someone else out there has done it already!
Ingredients
- 2 cooking apples or use any tart apples with high pectin content
- 2 large red peppers
- 1 Habanero chilli pepper*
- Sugar according to amount of juice (see step 6)
- Jam jars
- *Any other hot red chilli like Scotch bonnet will do, but be careful, when using extra hot ones like Jolokia group or Naga chillies.
- A large pan for cooking the jam, as it can boil over very easily.
Instructions
- Chop apple roughly, no need to peel and core
- Chop red pepper roughly.
- Place both in a thick bottomed pan, with just enough water to cover, when fruit is held down. Don't forget that fruit/peppers may float in water and you will never have enough water to cover,unless fruit is held down.
- Bring to boil and Simmer on medium heat until soft. Mash to pulp.
- Place in a muslin bag and let the juice drip for several hours or overnight. Do not squeeze or the juice will not be transparent. Discard solids/stones/pips.
- Measure juice and add 1 kg. sugar per litre of juice.
- De-seed and chop the jalapeno pepper very finely, add to the juice.
- Heat the juice slowly on low heat, until sugar is dissolved.
- Now bring to a brisk boil. There is no need to stir much, just leave the ladle in. I use a wooden ladle. Remove any scum with a tea strainer now and then during boiling. Adding a small knob of butter towards the end also reduces scum formation.
- Setting point is reached when 1) a temperature of 220°F or 104-105°C is reached. However, jams can set at a lower temperature, if pectin content of fruit is very good. So do other tests too. 2) When a ladle is dipped in jam and the liquid is allowed to drip from the edge of the ladle, it partly congeals and drops in triangular sheets, the last triangle hanging there for 10 seconds or so. 3) If you stretch a drop of the liquid between your forefinger and thumb, it almost makes one wire or 4) when you place 1 tsp. of the liquid on a chilled plate (chill for 10 minutes in a freezer, or longer in a fridge) and then part it with a finger through it's middle, the jelly crinkles and remains parted. It takes me about 10 minutes of boiling, before setting point is reached. This may vary depending upon the pectin content of the fruit.
- Bottling:
- Let the jam rest for 10 minutes. this tops the chilli bits from sinking to the bottom.
- Heat jars in an oven for 15 minutes.
- Sterilise the lids in boiling water, let them dry on a clean tea-towel.
- Place jars on a wooden board.
- Place a spoon in the jar (to avoid it cracking) and pour the jelly using a metal funnel or using a jug.
- Place a wax paper on top of the jar. This is not necessary, if you are using the current jam/pickle/chutney jars, which have plastic lined lids.
- Close screw top lids and turn the jar up-side-down. This creates a better seal and prevents mould formation-Tip from Ian Hoar. Allow to cool.
- Label and store.