My fridge at home consists almost entirely of fresh vegetables and jars. Tahini, miso, tamarind, mayonnaise, different mustards, different chutneys and one of my favourites - chilli jam. Whilst not eaten in huge quantities, it bothered me that lots were ultra-processed and included chemical preservatives that I'd never heard of. So I'm keen to make more of my own, and a tomato glut provided a good time to start.
This is actually technically a chutney, as it includes vinegar. It's delicious served with veg like kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and avocado or proteins like chickpeas, beans, crispy tofu, halloumi and eggs.
Makes 2 jam jars - scale up as required.
Ingredients
1kg tomatoes
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 chilli (taste it first to check the spice level)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
250g brown sugar
250ml vinegar - red wine, white wine or apple cider
Method
Roughly dice the tomatoes and place in a sieve. Allow some of the excess liquid to drain away.
Finely dice the onion, garlic and chilli. Sauté with a little olive oil in a large pan until golden.
Add in the tomatoes, fennel seeds, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil then leave to simmer until reduced down and a jammy consistency. Depending on your tomatoes this can take between 1-2.5 hours so you may need to be patient!
Sterilise your jam jars, you can do this by washing them thoroughly then putting them in an oven at 120 degrees Celsius for 20 mins.
Leave the jars and the jam to cool a little, before spooning the mix into the jars. Tap the sides gently to remove any air bubbles. Leave to cool before putting on the lids.
Store in a cool dry place, and refrigerate after opening.
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