This simple chilly jelly recipe is an asolute classic. Perfect to eat with cheese and biscuit, spread inside a warming toasty r used to flavour and spice a stew once you have tried it you’ll never be qithout a jar in your fridge.

In this recipe I use natural pectin found in apples to set the jelly. Alternatively you could use pectin to set the jelly and leave out the apples however I prefer the more natural option.

Chilli Jelly Ingredients

1 kg of cooking or crab apples
500 ml of Water
500ml of cider vinegar
Sugar (1lb of sugar to each pint juice
A handful of fresh chillies (vary according to taste/variety, i use about 15).

Method

Add the chopped apples (including the peel & core which is where most of the pectin is found!) to 500ml of cold water and 500ml of cider vinegar. Throw in about half the chopped chillies then bring to the boil then simmer for about 25 minutes.

Pour the contents of the pan through a piece of thick muslin or a jelly bag. The key here is not to force the pulp through the muslin as this can result in a cloudy jelly. Leave to drip through the bag for 5 hours.

Put the strained juice/pulp into a pan on a low heat. Measure the juice and stir in half a kg of sugar per pint of strained juice/pulp then turn the heat up for a further 10 minutes stirring to ensure the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, as you notice it thickening up stir in some more finely chopped chillies.

Meanwhile boil some clean jars in water to sterilize. Place the jelly mixture in the sterilized jars and allow to cool fully.

This stuff is superb and is delicious served with cheese & crackers and sandwiches/toasties.

Getting The Right Setting Point

In order to avoid your jelly you need to ensure you boil the jelly to the correct setting point.Below is a simple test you should do to ensure you boil the jelly enough to avoid problems with is setting.

Before you start to make the jelly place a small plate into the freezer. Once you think the jelly is ready (after 25 mins boiling) revove the plate from the freezer and place a small amount of jelly on it and allow it to cool for a few seconds. Run your finger through the jelly, if it has formed a skin that wrinkles slightly the jelly is ready. If not continue to boil for a few more minutes before retesting.

Related: Be sure to try our famous chilli chutney recipe.

This chilli oil recipe is probably the simplest way to add a bit of flavour (not to mention heat) to virtually any dish you cook. You can either use it to cook with in place of normal olive oil for cooking or simply drizzle some over freshly prepared dishes.

In our household we always have a bottle of chili oil on the counter, ready to liven up dishes. It is particularly good on pizzas and classic italian pasta dishes.

Chilli Oil Ingredients:

• Oil
• Dried red chillies
• Vinegar

Chilli Oil Recipe: Method

1. Take a handful of dried red chillies – about 7 or 8 medium size chillies should do the job,  it all depends how hot you like it!. Add them to a pan of hot malt vinegar.

2. Simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Temperature wise aim for 230-250 F / 110-120 C. Keep a close eye on the pan and lower the heat if required to prevent the chilli from burning.

3. After 10 minutes remove the chillies from the pan and allow the vinegar to drain off by placing on some kitchen roll.

4. Add the chillies to a pan of oil and gently heat. Once boiling simmer for 5 minutes.

5. After 5 minutes turn off the heat and leave the pan and the chillies to cool.

6. Next add the oil and chillies into a steralised glass bottle, preferably one with a pouring spout.

Chilli oil is used extensively in both European and Asian cooking. For a more authentic Asian style oil olive oil probably isn’t the best choice. Simply replace the olive oil in the above recipe for peanut or good quality vegetable oil.

Chilli Oil FAQ

1. How long does homemade chilli oil last?

When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade chilli oil can last up to 3 months. If kept at room temperature, it’s best to consume within 1-2 months for optimal flavour.

2. Can I use fresh chillies instead of dried?

While dried chillies are traditionally used, you can experiment with fresh chillies. However, fresh chillies contain more moisture, which can lead to a much shorter shelf life. If you opt for fresh, use the oil within a week and store it in the refrigerator.

3. Is chilli oil healthy?

Chilli oil, when consumed in moderation, can be part of a healthy diet. Chillies contain capsaicin, which has been shown to boost metabolism, reduce inflammation, and improve heart health. However, because chilli oil is calorie-dense, it’s best to enjoy it in small amounts.

4. What oil is best for making chilli oil?

As discussed above we prefer to use neutral flavoured oils such as vegetable, corn, canola or peanut oil. If using olive oil try to seect a light flavoured variety.

Types of Chilli Oil

Once you’ve mastered the base recipe there are limitless possibilities to how you can adapt it. It is fun to experiment by adding different spices and aromatics according to your preferences or style of cooking. Of course you can also adjust the amount of chilli in your oil recipe to change the heat profile of the finished chili oil.

Chinese Chilli Oil: Using Sichuan chili flakes along with star anise, cinnamon, Sichua peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves will create more a classic Chinese chilli oil.

Garlic chili oil: When simmering the oil simply add some garlic cloves to the oil to impart a garlic flaour into the oil.

South East Asan Chilli Oil: I’ve found that infusing the oil with chopped lemongrass, corriander seeds and cinammon will give the oil a disticlt Asian flavour perfect on Thai dishes.

Smoky Chilli Oil: Adding some chipotle chilli flakes or smoked paprika to your chilli oil is a great way to add a smoky flavour.

Chilli Oil – A word of caution

Simply dumping a load of fresh chillies into a bottle of oil is not a great idea as it can result in botulism which to cut a long story short is a nasty which can in some very rare cases be fatal!

Unfortunately simply boiling the oil won’t reduce the risk. The way round this is to reduce the PH level of the chillies before putting them in the oil. This is achieved in the above recipe by first boiling the chillies for ten minutes in vinegar. In order to further reduce the risk I always use dried chillies, not fresh and make sure I sterilize the bottle first by boiling it in water for 10 minutes.

If i’m making a large batch that will be stored for a long time, I will let the dried chillies steep in the oil for a couple of days before I remove them and bottle the oil.

Preserving In General

If you’re interested in preserving in general we can highly recommend the River Cottage Preserves Handbook. Authored by the Queen of Preserves Pam Corbin this great book covers everything from jams, pickles, chutneys liqueurs, vinegars to sauces.

The general advice in the book is spot on and will  provide you with the core skills to start preserving your produce but it also contains over 70 great recipes to try straight away. At just under £10 on Amazon this book is a must for any kitchen.

If you liked this chilli oil recipe I strongly suggest you take a look at our famous chilli chutney recipe.