Hot crab apple and chilli jelly recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Hedgerow food, Jam Jelly and Preserves | 113 comments
Everyone seems to be talking about chillies. They are said to trigger “feel good” endorphins and are packed with vitamin A, an immune system boosting antioxidant. Chillies improve the digestive process too as they stimulate the action of the intestine and stomach.
This year I was determined to make crab apple and chilli jelly. My first attempt was so so. There was a chilli tingle when I tasted the juice. I chucked it away. My recipe from Oded Schwartz’s Preserving added 3-4 medium heat chillis. Are these desseded? I’d used three desseded ones. A long foray on the Internet offered no clues. Chop and add your chillis seemed to be the line. So when I simmered my crab apples and chillies a couple of days ago, I left the seeds in. The result was a tasty juice with just the sort of kick I wanted. Hot but not hellish.
Hot crab apple and chilli jelly recipe
Ingredients:
- 600g of crab 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
Method:
- Put the chopped crab apples and chillies in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Add 1 litre of water (they should just be floating). Bring tp the boil and simmer until the crab 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 crab apple and chilli cheese)
- Add the juice to a large heavy bottomed pan and add the sugar. 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.
- Skim and pour into warm sterilised jars. Oded Schwartz adds a chilli (stalk removed and split once lengthwise) as the jelly is setting. I really wanted to set chillies in the jelly but be warned this is a nightmare. The jelly needs to be setting firmly otherwise the chillies gently float to the surface again, and again and again. I made two jars with chillies and abandoned the rest.
- Update: Following Sarah’s tip (see comments),I added two firey dried chopped chillies to the jelly. Marvellous.
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I have made this, I used the wrong apples and now the jame is not set enough when cold.
Please can I do anything to save this now? Can i reheat and add more pectin??? x
Hi Bonnie
The medium hot chillies are pretty mild and Scotch bonnet chillies are hot. So I’d add about 5g to the simmering crabs and taste. Add more incrementally.
BTW I added dried birds eye chillies to the jelly as it was setting last week – the sweetness makes the heat bearable even for Danny.
Hi Fiona and all,
I’ve got lots of inherited crabapples (about 4 lbs) and planning to make the crabapple chili jelly first. Have located where I can get Scotch Bonnet chilis. If using those, do I need to adjust the quantity of them in the recipe above to arrive at the same hotness as with 35g of ‘medium’ red chilis? I’m fine with fiery stuff but DH sounds more like Danny…
Also – when straining overnight – is it OK to squeeze out the last drops in the morning – I assume it’s fine for the jelly of course but does that shortchange the following cheese recipe of some flavour?
Thanks!
Hi Laurence
Apparently tomatoes need warmth more than sun. If you move them indoors they will ripen on a warm windowsill. Sometimes this can take weeks – often we’re eating tomatoes at Christmas!
This recipe from America is good- it uses green tomatoes as a sweet filling for pies
https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/rozanne-halls-green-tomato-mince-filling-and-crumb-topping-recipes-482
It might be worth posting your question on our forum. If you are registered on this site you don’t need to log on to the forum to leave a comment. There are lots of wise people out there who have more experience than me 🙂
Hi everyone!
I have 2 small tomato plants (cherry size – only a couple of handfuls, sadly…) in my garden and the last tomatoes refuse to ripen and I don’t think there is any more hope of them turning red or even pink…
I was therefore wondering if one of you had any interesting recipes for green tomatoes, baring in mind that I have a minute quantity of them (so I could add them to something, perhaps…)?
Many thanks.
Hello Sherylvet
Thanks so much for leaving such a heartening comment.
Have just mde this for the first time and it looks and tastes divine! can’t wait to make the cheese tomorrow!!
this is such a great website, i am addicted!
Hi Darren
I love this jelly too. Making loads ATM to last for a good few months. When the crabapples are gone I use ordinary apples (cookers).
This site is brilliant, i am new to foraging and the recipes are great, thanks for this recipe, made my first batch this weekend and it was perfect
Hi Laurence
I added lots of chillies to this recipe floowing your nudge and it is fantastic! Thank you.
Hi Anne
Great that it worked out for you. Yes I think you can freeze chillies.