Chilli Jam 🌶🌶

I received a bag of red chillies growing in abundance in a friend's garden and made a few jars of this lovely chilli jam.  Kept one for myself and gave the rest away.  Use the long and skinny cayenne chillies with glossy, taut skin, the freshest you can find.  They are not overly hot compared to other types of chillies.  Don't be alarmed by the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. That's what it takes, together with the vinegar, to help preserve the ingredients and make the jam taste amazing, sweet and savoury at the same time.  Have it with cold meats and cheeses, spoon some into your stir fries to give them a hot kick, mix it with yoghurt or cream cheese to create delicious dips.  Just remember to wear disposable food grade gloves when handling the chillies.  

Makes 1½ cups of jam

INGREDIENTS

• 6 red cayenne chillies, coarsely chopped (about 80g / 2¾oz)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

METHOD

1. Place two small plates in your freezer.  (They will be needed later to test for readiness of the jam.)
2. Wash 1 large glass jar and lid with hot soapy water.  Rinse well with hot water.  Sterilise by placing it onto a baking tray, then into a preheated 120°C/250°F oven for 20 minutes, or until it is dry and ready to be used. 
3. Process the chilli, onion and garlic with water in a food processor until finely chopped.
4. Transfer ingredients to medium-size saucepan.  Add the sugar, vinegar, lime juice and fish sauce.
5. Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring often to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan and burning.  Remove any scum or foam formed on top of the mixture with a slotted spoon during the cooking process.
6. When the mixture has visibly thickened, test for doneness by dropping a spoonful of jam on a frozen plate. The jam is ready if a skin forms on the surface that wrinkles when pushed with your finger.  If it spreads out and thins immediately, continue cooking and test again later with the second plate. 
7. When ready, ladle the jam immediately into the warm sterilised jar, filling right to the top.  Take care as the mixture is extremely hot.  Use a jam funnel to avoid spillage.
8. Seal the jar with lid while the jam is still hot.  Turn the jar upside down for 2 minutes, then invert and leave to cool.  When the lid 'pops' after a few minutes resulting in a little depression in the centre, you know your jar is airtight. 
9.  Label and date jar.  Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.  Once opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Source (with adaptations):  taste.com.au