Solid Chilli Jam

Asked by clairelb. Answered on 10th January 2015

Full question

Hi, just made a batch of Chilli Jam and disaster struck - it set solid! I followed every step carefully. Did I over boil? Did I leave it too long to cool? I've had to ram it into the jars. Infact its so set that there are air pockets in the mix in the jar. Sad as not had this before. C.

Our answer

Nigella's Chilli Jam (from Christmas and on the Nigella website) usually has a slightly soft set and if your jam is solid we suspect that it has been over cooked rather than cooled too much. If you boil the jam for too long then the pectin in the jam sugar will become less effective and instead the jam becomes very sticky and can be slightly caramelized.

You may find it helpful next time to either use a sugar thermometer or a cold plate test to help to find the setting point, as the boiling times can vary slightly with different pan sizes. If using a thermometer then the setting point is around 105c/220F. For the plate test put 2 or 3 heatproof plates in the freezer to chill before you start to make the jam. Once the jam has boiled for about 3/4 of its recommended time (7 1/2 to 8 minutes) remove the pan from the heat and drop a teaspoonful of the liquid on to one of the frozen plates. Wait for one minute then push the jam with your finger. If the surface wrinkles and the jam doesn't flow back easily then it has reached setting point. If it is still thin and syrupy then put the pan back on the heat, bring back to a boil and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes before testing again.