Now I must confess, I found this recipe in a blog last year and for the life of me I can’t find a reference to it anywhere.  All I can remember is the blog author got it from a book; helpful, right?  So if anyone knows whose recipe I’ve nicked, please let me know so I can give proper credit, because it is lovely.

If you’ve never tried chilli jam before, it will be a revelation to you.  Don’t think jam = spread on toast for breakfast; in this case it is eaten more like a chutney.  I always make it for Yule/Christmas because it goes so well with the cheeses and cold cuts that I always feast on over the festive period.  However my Dad assures me it also works brilliantly to perk up cheese on toast, you simply spread some on the bread, place your Cheddar on top and grill until the cheese is melted and going golden and the sugar in the jam starts to bubble through; I often use it in a similar way but with pork chops or steaks, again simply grilling the meat, then adding a teaspoon or two of chilli jam, slicing some cheese on top and popping the whole thing back under the grill until the cheese is melted.

This recipe makes 3-4 jars if you use the smaller jam jar sized jars, which makes it perfect for adding to a festive hamper for your foodie friends.  Make sure you sterilise your jars properly, and your jam will keep for up to a year or, once opened, will keep for a month in the fridge.

Ingredients
400g cherry tomatoes
9 red peppers
4-9 red chillies, depending on heat required (4 is roughly the same heat as sweet chilli sauce)
6 garlic cloves
A thumb-sized piece of root ginger, peeled
700g sugar
200ml cider vinegar

Method

• Finely chop the tomatoes, peppers, chillies, garlic and ginger, making sure to wash your hands and chopping board thoroughly after handling the chillies.

• Put the sugar and vinegar into a large pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the tomatoes, peppers, chillies, garlic and ginger, and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the mixture has a thick, sticky consistency.  I find this can take a while.

• Bring to the boil and cook on high for 1 minute, being careful not to let the jam boil over or catch on the bottom as that will give your jam a burnt flavour.  Pour the jam into warm sterilised jars, wipe them clean and leave them to cool before storing.

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