Pineapple and Chili Jelly

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January is maybe not the most exciting month to fill one’s pantry with jams, pickles and other preserves, but there is certainly still some work to be done. Pineapple, like certain other exotic fruits, is in full season here in winter and, given its low price and ubiquity, this is probably the best moment to put it into jars. This golden yellow jelly is until now the best pineapple preserve I have tested. The method, as well as my beloved hot and sweet flavours’ combination, make this jelly similar to Hot Pepper JellyApricot and Chili Jelly or Green Tomato and Chili Jelly. A unique pineapple aroma is what makes all the difference.

This jelly goes well with both Asian and Western dishes. I often have it with grilled or stir-fried meat, vegetables, on steamed rice or as a sandwich spread and it’s fabulous with fish and seafood in general. You can also serve it as a dip with crackers, nachos or… why not with Baked Wonton Chips from my previous post?

TIPS:

-Some of you might have probably heard that pineapple (as well as kiwi and some other fruits) stop jelly from… jelling. This is absolutely true, but only when it comes to raw fruit. Cooked for some time, pineapple loses this troublesome characteristic.

-Since every pepper variety is different and everyone has different preferences (or chili resistance level), it is difficult to say exactly how many chilies should be used. Adjusting is not easy since the jelly tastes stronger when it’s still hot (and it should be put still hot into the jars). The best idea is to stick to the same chili variety, make a small first batch, put aside a couple of tablespoons and taste the mixture when it has cooled down. It might be too late for this batch, but it will give you an idea of how the following ones should be modified. Needless to say, the below amounts should be treated rather as approximate (this jelly was very hot).

-The sugar and vinegar amounts depend of course on your preferences, but also on the pineapple’s sweetness. Try with the minimal amounts (see below) and increase them if needed.

-It’s a good idea to prepare different hotness levels of this jelly and label jars as “slightly hot”, “medium hot”, “very hot” etc..

-Do not forget to write down the exact amount of chili, sugar, vinegar, etc. you have used, so that you can improve the recipe next season or simply make sure you stick to the good one.

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 kg pineapple (weighed after being peeled), i.e. approximately one big pineapple

160 g – 200 g (5,5 oz – 7 oz) caster sugar

10 bird’s eye chilies or 10 bigger medium hot chilies

160 ml – 200 ml (5,5 – 6,8 fl oz) cider vinegar (4,5%)

25 g powdered pectin

1 flat tablespoon salt

Core the peppers, discard the stems and wash thoroughly removing the seeds (or not, if you want a very hot jelly).

Peel the pineapple, cut into chunks and mix with chilies in a food processor.

Combine the mixed fruit with the remaining ingredients in a big pan.

Bring to the boil on high heat and, stirring, keep boiling for about 20 minutes.

Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Taste it and adjust the taste adding the vinegar, the sugar or the chili if needed (bearing in mind the chili and the vinegar taste is stronger when the jelly is hot). The most important is that the mixture doesn’t have a very sour taste.

Add the pectin and, constantly stirring, keep at medium heat for 10 more minutes.

/At this point you can (after the jelly has cooled down) either freeze it, or keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or process it in the jars, as described below, and store it in your pantry for at least a year./

Spoon the jelly, still hot, into clean and dry jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Place the cool jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 20 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the jelly, its level of hotness and don’t forget to mark the date.

In a dry place, with a moderate temperature, the jars should keep for at least a year (I have opened a two year-old one recently and it was in a perfect state).

44 Replies to “Pineapple and Chili Jelly”

  1. Pineapple and chilies – yummy!!! This jelly sounds lovely. Funny, concerning the season, I just ordered a box (10 kg) seville oranges to prepare some marmelade…

    1. Thank you so much, Kiki. I still haven’t played with Seville oranges this year. Thank you for reminding me!

  2. Sissi, I love that you had suggestions of what to do with the jelly, I was only thinking about how tasty the spicy pineapple flavor would be on a nice slice of toast, then you mentioned grilling with it, holy cow! I think it would taste great on some delicate white fish fillets!

    1. Thank you very much, Jeno. I think there are still many ways of using this jelly, I’m sure. It’s quite versatile.

  3. I keep seeing pineapples everywhere, which always seems weird in winter…
    But that jelly looks and sounds delicious, and I bet it smells heavenly.

    1. Thanks a lot, Joyti. Luckily such exotic fruits as pineapples bring an alternative to pears and apples, the only local fruits.

    1. Thank you so much, Gourmantine. I think this jelly is quite versatile, so I bet it would be great with some naans and rice too. It’s certainly very easy.

  4. Delicious jars of goodies are really on your alley and that is why when I see post like this from you. . . I just can’t it. This pineapple jelly is perfect on your last post on crispy wontons. What makes it interesting is the addition of chili. Thank you, Sissi and wish you a very enjoyable weekend! 🙂

    1. Thank you, Ray, for the compliments. I’m not a big jam eater; sweet and hot preserves are definitely my favourite. Have a lovely weekend too!

        1. Haha! I have understood it this way 🙂 (I often make typing errors when commenting, so I’m relieved to see I’m not the only one).

  5. How delightful, Sissi, I have yet to make your other jellies but I am still going to try it. I too love the hot and sweet that you seem to enjoy.
    Did you find that cooking the pineapple releases a strong smell into the house? I ask because my husband’s family soap factory was making a pineapple soap and the fragrance was so strong and caustic that it was burning people’s eyes, and made them have respiratory problems. Fortunately, they evacuated the factory at once and no one was permanently damaged.

    1. Thank you so much, Eva. It’s always nice to be reminded I’m not the only one who loves sweet & hot combination.
      I didn’t find the smell very strong, though of course quite powerful… I found the mango’s smell in mango hot sauce much stronger. Maybe the fragrance was synthetic? Nowadays even expensive perfumes are made with synthetic fragrance (for example I stopped buying one I had used for five years because they have changed the composition and it stopped being so magical… then I read on internet that it was bought by another company which decided to save money and replace natural fragrance with synthetic).

      1. I’m pretty sure it was natural. It was quite surprising because pineapple doesn’t smell much in the raw form, but once heated it does indeed.

        1. Very interesting! I wouldn’t say that pineapple has a weak aroma, but it’s not as strong as for example mango.

    1. Thank you, Mr. Three-Cookies, for the compliments. How did you know??? I had black pudding yesterday indeed! Your post made me thaw out the piece I had in the fridge and… I also made up a new funny recipe. I will post it soon. Thank you for the inspiration! Have a nice weekend too.

  6. sounds like the sort of thign that would go amazing with sth savoury like some roast pork! it’s kind of like thai sweet chilli innit, but using pineapple for the sweetness plus a bit of yummy exotic fragrance. love it! and you’re right, though jan might not be the usual time for jam-making, i say that’s no reason to put off making jam!

    1. Thanks a lot, Shu Han. It would go absolutely great with pork. Hot and sweet flavours are perfect with pork, aren’t they? Pineapples are apparently in full season now wherever they grow 😉

  7. What a dynamite combination Sissi and your jar is simply brimming with light! One of our favourite chutneys/jellies is mango-chili – a little bit of sweet and a little bit of heat 😉 – so I have a feeling that my husband and I would absolutely love this variation on that theme. I enjoy these sorts of jellies with almost everything (including our morning eggs :)) but I would say we eat it most often with poultry – the possibilities are endless though. Thanks for the tip on cooking the pineapple – I didn’t know about its anti-jelling properties (don’t work with pineapple that often) but looking at this lovely recipe, I should!

    1. Kelly, thank you for the kind words. I often prepare hot mango sauce (I have posted a long time ago I think) and I love it too! It’s very versatile, you are right. Apparently pineapple is like kiwi when raw: it stops jellies from setting.

  8. I don’t know what happened to the post I made. Anyway, I love your newest jelly post. I can just picture the jars sparkling like jewels in the light showcasing the tasty contents.

    1. Thank you so much, A_Boleyn. What a beautiful, romantic description 🙂 I am not sure if I merit it…

      1. I know the contents of some of the jars are dark and dense but in the right light … the jars glow. Especially the fruit jellies and lighter fruit preserves. Even the pickled veggie mixes from what I remember of some of my mom’s efforts. So you DO merit the description.. 🙂

  9. Although lots of chillies may kill me (haha) I can imagine this jelly tastes wonderful! I love natural sweet flavor from fruits, and it’s a great way to balance with some spicy taste. So creative, Sissi!

    1. Thank you so much, Nami. As I have mentioned it can be prepared with any kind of chili (also medium hot) and with a small amount too. The idea is to obtain sweet and hot flavours.

  10. Oh, this combo of flavors sounds just divine. And any excuse to stay in the kitchen instead of heading out in the cold is fine with me…such a lovely jam, Sissi!

  11. Another great jam/jelly Sissi! I love adding chile to jams! I’ve never made a pineapple jam before but have pineapple and green chile on pizza and loved it, so this jelly is a keeper! Oh I can definitely taste this as an accompaniment to grilled shrimp! YUM!

    1. Thank you very much, MJ. If you like pineapple and green chile, then I’m sure you would love this jelly. Do try it one day.

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