Hot apple and chilli jelly recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Christmas, Jam Jelly and Preserves | 74 comments
Photo: Hot apple chilli jelly
Danny doesn’t like things to be too hot but strangely the combination of sweet and heat in this jelly gets the thumbs up from him. Apple chilli jelly is brilliant with sausages, pork, lamb or any rich meat. Pork chops baked with a few tablespoons of this jelly are yummy. In fact it’s a very versatile preserve and well worth making. I’ve even added a little to winter salad dressings to give them a bit of a lift. The health benefits of eating chillies are amazing.
I thought that I’d written up this recipe and spent ages looking for it on the site. Basically it’s the same as hot crab apple jelly with the addition of a little lemon juice. I’m writing it up as the left over pulp is the main ingredient for my new recipe – hot spiced apple and cranberry sauce which I will post in a couple of days.
If you are lucky enough to own a fruit steamer like me. You can extract your juice and make the jelly immediately. If not then this is a two day recipe.
Hot apple and chilli jelly recipe
Ingredients:
• 600g of cooking apples washed and chopped
• 35g of medium red chilli peppers, washed and chopped with seeds in
• 1 litre of water
• White granulated sugar 500g to each 500ml of juice
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 5 dried birds eye chillies chopped
Method:
Put the chopped apples and chillies in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
Add 1 litre of water (they should just be floating). Bring to the boil and simmer until the apples soften and become pulpy (lid on). This took about 45 minutes.
Strain through a muslin square or jelly bag overnight. (Retain the pulp to make hot apple and chilli cheese)
Add the juice to a large heavy bottomed pan and add the sugar and the lemon juice. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the juice and sugar has come to the boil remove from the heat and skim well. Return to the heat and bring to a rolling boil until setting point is reached. This took 15 minutes.
Stir in the chopped dried chillies and pour into warm sterilised jars. Seal immediately.
These make great little Christmas or anytime presents.
Leave a reply
Hi, do you have a recipe for the ‘leftovers’ cheese… that sounds yummy too!!
Hi Jo
Yes there’s a recipe for it here – it’s the same as crabapple
https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/hot-crabapple-chilli-cheese-3733
Hi. I love the look of the Hot apple and chilli jelly recipe and hope to make some for Christmas Hamper pressies.
The recipe asks for ‘Medium Red Chilli Peppers’ is that Chilli Peppers as in Bell Peppers or Medium heat red chillies?
HI HelB
It’s medium heat red chillies. Marked medium heat in the supermarket.
Hi – when you started the thread for this recipe you mentioned extracting the juice in a steamer but you didn’t say if you added the chillies to the apples in the steamer. I have some lovely apple juice made from 5lbs of mixed crab/sharp eating apples and just wondered if I could use this to make this chilli recipe – or is it too late to add them now? Same question for making Rosemary jelly – is there any way I can use the juice to make either of these jellies. Thanks for any help.
Hi Mauramac
Yes you add the chillies to the apple to exract juice and then add the dried chillies to the jelly at the end. And yes you can use your apple juice!
How long will this jelly keep. I’m wanting to make batches of it and Mint jelly to keep until June – do you think it will be OK
Hi Bizzylizzy
The jelly keeps for at leat a year!
Hi Fiona,
This looks delicious….may I ask some advice….I’ve just ordered a fruit steamer, so to make the juice part do I put the apples and chillis in the steamer….how long for etc? Also, is there a reason why you use white granulated sugar and not unbleached? I’m curious! Many thanks.
Diana
Ps a friend of mine also has a fruit steamer…she makes the most amazing juices and cordials. Between the two of you, I’ve been inspired!
Hi,
can you tell me where i can find the recipe for the apple and chilli cheese? My fruit is dripping throught the jelly bag as I type and would like to make the cheese with the left overs. Thanks
Oh thank you so much for that, that’s put my mind at rest. Can’t wait to finish it tomorrow.
What a fantastic blog this is, so many gorgeous recipes waiting to be tried, I think crab apple and sloe jelly will be next. x
Hi, I am in the middle of making this recipe and have a quick question I would like to ask please. I have just cooked my crab apples and chillis and they are currently in the jelly bag. I’m a bit concerned though that the liquid that is coming out if cloudy (a pale pinkish cloudy), should it be clear?
Hi Kate
Yes it will look cloudy but it goes clear when you heat it up and add the sugar.
I made this last year and everyone who tried it loved it. I’ve just picked a few pounds of crabs so guess what I’ll be doing this weekend 🙂
Hi Vic
We were eating this with grilled lamb chops last night – yummy 🙂
I made this recently – really good, one question though… my chillis are all sitting on the top – how do I get them to disperse evenly through the jelly?