Tomato and Chilli Jam

Making tomato and chilli jam is really simple, and as far as relishes goes it is hard to beat. With the late summer glut of ripe tomatoes this is the perfect accompaniment for cheese, ham, bread and crackers. You can vary how hot you want it to taste by leaving out the chilli seeds or adding a few more into the mix – it’s up to you. The most important thing is to ensure that you wear plastic gloves, and do not rub your eyes when chopping chillies.

Ingredients to make six to eight 227g. jars

2kg of ripe tomatoes

1 kg. Billington’s raw cane sugar

180 ml. good quality white wine vinegar

10 red chillies

3 tsp. sea salt

Juice of 2 lemons

Method

Chop the tomatoes and de-seed and finely chop the chillies. Place all the ingredients in a large pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring well. Bring the mixture to the boil when the sugar has completely dissolved. After an hour, when the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat. Take a big spoon and remove any scum from the surface, pour into sterile jars and seal the lids.