Category Archives: Jam

Pineapple Chilli Jam

24 Sunday Jan 2021

Posted by in Fruit, Jam

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I had all the best intentions. The pineapple looked so so good and I was thinking of grilled pineapple on the barbeque. The fact that we have only had one barbeque in the last 24 months should have signalled something. Alas, nothing grilled – and the pineapple was starting to look like it would end up somewhere other than our bellies. The question was then what to do with it – definitely wasn’t going to feed our worms in the compost. I decided to make something a bit different and ended up with a chilli jam recipe. Of course I didn’t happen to have any chillis – and I had just been shopping – so I felt a bit of substitution coming on……

Recipe:

  • 1 pineapple
  • 1 or 1-1/2 teaspoons chilli flakes (or use fresh chillis)
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons crushed ginger
  • 20ml fish sauce
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 50ml mirin (or use white wine vinegar)

Chop pineapple flesh into small chunks – put one half into a food processor.  Add chilli, garlic, ginger and fish sauce.  Puree and then put into a saucepan with the sugar and mirin.   Bring to boil slowly, then turn down and add rest of pineapple.  Cook on simmer for up to one hour, the jam will thicken up.

Put into sterilized jars.   Once opened keep in the fridge.  My pineapple wasn’t that big, this made 2 x 275g jars – almost.   One completely full, one about 7/8ths. It has a bit of a bite, the pineapple pieces are very soft, and it is somewhat delicious!

Spicy Fig Jam

18 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in Figs, Fruit, Jam, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Our espaliered fig had its first crop this year and I have been amazed at the abundance of the fruit. Last week I made some fig bars and yesterday made some spicy fig jam. The jam is delicious either on toast, bagels or with biscuits and cheese. Am sure you will be able to think of many ways to use it.

I used this recipe as a base – but though I had less fruit, I didn’t decrease the amount of spices. I love spicy mixtures – and usually up the levels in most recipes (though am careful on chilli side of things!). 700g of fruit made about 4 small jars – so not a huge amount – but definitely enough to keep us happy for a wee while.

Yummy figs ready for dicing

Spicy Fig Jam

Ingredients

  • 700 g fresh figs,  washed and diced
  • 700 g white sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cardamom seeds
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cooking apple cored, peeled and diced
  • A little water if required

Instructions

  1. Place the figs, sugar and spices into a large non-metallic bowl. Stir to coat the figs well. Cover and leave for 6-8 hours or overnight.
  2. Put the figs and spiced sugar into a preserving pan or large wide-mouthed pot. Add the diced apple, land stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook rapidly for 15 – 20 minutes or until the fruit is soft and setting point is reached. Stir as required.   If it is taking a while for your jam to get to setting point, turn heat down and let bubble away until it is ready.
  4. Let jam cool and if needed either mash with a potato masher or put mixture into a food processor and whizz until full broken down.   I left about 3 tablespoons out of the food processor and then added it back to the mix. 
  5. Add jam to previously sterilised jars. Seal.