Hot pepper jelly

I have so many chillies in the garden at this time of year that I try to find different ways to preserve them. The latest is this good red pepper jelly that can be served with cheese and crackers, or anything that demands hot, sweet, and spicy!

• 1 cup chillies – I have many types in my garden, so it’s a mix for me; use what you prefer.
• 1 sweet red pepper
• 1 ½ cups white grape vinegar – don’t use spirit vinegar; that should be left for cleaning.
• 6 cups sugar
• 60 g pectin
• 1 teaspoon red food colouring

Chop and deseed the pepper and chillies. Use gloves for this task. From experience, this is a crucial step to avoid pain. Add the peppers to a food processor and mix with 1 cup of the sugar until it’s fine. Add the vinegar and mix it through before pouring it into a saucepan. Add the rest of the sugar, stir well and bring to the boil. Once boiling, let it boil for 1 minute. Strain the mixture. Be careful; it’s very hot, and the chilli fumes can catch in your throat. Return the mix to a clean saucepan and add the pectin and the food colouring. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously.

Pour the hot jelly into sterilised jars. To make it shelf stable, process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. Leave 2 cm head space in the jars, wipe the rims with vinegar, and finger tighten the lids. Add to a large pot and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and once at a rolling boil time for 10 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside undisturbed for a few hours until cooled. The lids will pop inwards, making them tight. Label with the name and date before storing on the shelf. This recipe makes a litre of jelly.