Season: Late summer to autumn. The beauty of this recipe is that it is so very simple. Moreover, you can turn up the heat or cool it down to suit your mood by the variety of the chile pepper you use. In the late summer and autumn, look for hot fruity habaneros, rich mild poblanos, tiny hot Thai chiles, or flaming jalapeños to use in this sizzling jelly relish. I like to use red bell peppers, as they are symbolic of the heat, but, of course, there’s no reason why you can’t use yellow, orange, or green, or a mixture of all four. Use this punchy jelly with cream cheese, smoked mackerel, rice dishes, and crispy stir-fried vegetables.

　　

Ingredients

makes five 8-ounce jars

　　1 pound, 10 ounces red bell peppers

　　3 1/2 ounces jalapeños or other chiles

　　2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled

　　1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

　　5 cups granulated sugar blended with 2 teaspoons pectin powder

　　1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (1 to 2 limes)

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　

Step 1

Start by slicing both the bell peppers and the chiles in half lengthwise and removing the fibrous tissue and countless seeds. Make sure you wash your hands after handling chiles and avoid touching your eyes for awhile, as the chile oil will burn them. Finely chop the peppers, chiles, and ginger by hand or in a food processor. Place in a large pan, add the vinegar, and slowly bring to a simmer. Add the sugar mixture, lime juice, and salt, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.

　　

Step 2

Boil for 4 to 6 minutes, and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then pour into clean, sterilized jars and seal with vinegar-proof lids (see pp. 21–22). Use within 1 year.

　　

P.S.

Step 3

If you find the pepper pieces rise to the top of the jar as you pot the jelly, let the jars cool to room temperature, then give them a quick swirl – the pepper pieces will redistribute and remain well suspended in the cooling jelly.

　　The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin.Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember, and for more than twenty years her passion has been her business. Pam and her husband, Hugh, moved to Devon where they bought an old pig farm and converted it into a small jam factory. Using only wholesome, seasonal ingredients, their products soon became firm favorites with jam-lovers the world over. Pam has now hung up her professional wooden spoon but continues to "jam" at home. She also works closely with the River Cottage team, making seasonal goodies using fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers from her own garden, and from the fields and hedgerows.