Tomato Chili And Ginger Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken tomato chilli jam? ›

If your chilli tomato jam is too runny, you can add more brown sugar or powdered pectin and bring it back to a boil on the stove. Reducing it down may help as well. Experiment until you get the texture you're after.

Jam that was not heated to 104C-105C will not be set. In this is the case, heat the jam again. Use a jam thermometer to check when it reaches temperature. However, if the jam has been heated sufficiently, but still did not set, then it requires more pectin and acid.

Both a jam and a chutney will contain sugar, although a jam would be much sweeter, with the chutney having a more acidic, tangy flavour from the addition of vinegar. To preserve a chutney a combination of vinegar and sugar are used, whilst in a jam it is the sugar alone which acts as the preserving agent.

A chilli jam differs from a normal chilli sauce partly because of it's texture. It'll have a slightly thicker consistency. It's a little more spreadable than, our Original Hot Sauce for example.

I do occasionally add a satchel of lemon wedges to a jam when I know there is likely to be lower amounts of pectin, like with strawberries. This helps add extra pectin that the berries don't have, but in lower amounts than if I were adding commercial pectin.

Add chia seeds to the recipe.

The chia seeds soak up the juice and moisture from fruit purée and plump up, giving a thickening effect to the jam without using heat or added sugar or pectin. Think of it as a chia seed pudding made with fruit rather than milk.

The pectin sets the jam once it reaches around 104c (220F) and for the Chilli Jam this is usually after 10 minutes at a full rolling boil in a wide medium-sized saucepan. You should start timing once the mixture has achieved a full boil.

If the jam flows back then it needs further boiling and you should return the pan to the heat, boil for a further 2-3 minutes and test again. If the jam does not flow back (so your finger can draw a line through the cooled jam on the plate) then it has reached setting point.

The addition of lemon juice also helps to activate the pectin and set your jam. Slightly unripe fruit contains more pectin and is more acidic than very ripe fruit and will also help to set your jam more easily.

What consistency should chilli jam be? ›

The pectin in the jam will start to diminish and intead the jam will take on a thick, syrupy consistency. As pan sizes differ and power output varies on stove tops, it helps to check the boiling mixture regularly to see if it has reached setting point.

As it cools it should thicken slightly. Transfer the jam to a clean container, then store in the fridge and use within one month. When making the jam again you could try using a candy or sugar thermometer and boiling the jam to setting point, or 104C/220F.

You could however use the jam as a sweet chilli sauce instead. Unfortunately as chillis and red bell peppers do not contain pectin then you do need to add pectin to the Chilli Jam mixture, otherwise it will not set.

Our award winning Carolina Reaper chilli jam is made using officially the hottest chilli on the planet at around 1.5 million Scovilles. We also make other hot versions with Naga and Trinidad Scorpion Chillies for those who like it hot!

It could also be that you have put the jam into jars before it has had time to cool slightly and thicken. You need to let the jam stand for 30 to 40 minutes, so that it becomes more viscous and the pepper flecks are suspended throughout the jam.

You can make your own fruit filling by using homemade or store-bought jam and thickening it up a bit by simmering it with some cornstarch mixed with water (about a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a teaspoon or so of cold water to make a paste, then stir into ½ to ¾ cup of jam).

Reduce heat and simmer until mixture reaches a thick, jam-like consistency, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir in pectin (if using) and simmer for 1 minute more.