Mint Instead Of Chilli Jam

Our answer

Nigella's Chilli Jam (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a sweet and tart condiment flecked with red chillies. We suspect that the recipe could be adapted for mint but a slight problem could be the colour of the jam. Red chillies hold their colour well when cooked. Unfortunately mint tends to turn very dark green or black once it has been chopped and cooked. The vinegar will also have a slight khaki tint.

You may be able to add some green food colouring at the end to make the jelly a little brighter and if you do want to try this then we would suggest infusing the vinegar with mint first, and then straining and using this, rather than having black flecks of mint in the jam. Put the leaves and stalks of a large bunch of mint in a saucepan and crush with the end of a rolling pin. Add the vinegar, bring the mixture up to a boil, remove from the heat and let it steep for an hour then transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate the mixture overnight, to extract as much mint flavour as possible. Strain the vinegar, discarding the mint, and make the jelly, omitting the chilli. However, as we have not tried this method we regret that we are unable to guarantee the results.