The End for a Faithful Chilli

Throughout the year I slowly freeze any red chilli's I do not need immediately in preparation for making sweet chilli sauce. This is one of my kitchen staples and is a beautiful sweet spicy sauce better than any purchased product.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my long red chilli that has been growing in my hot house and producing a continuous supply all year round was starting to die. Unsuccessfully I tried to revive it but I think its time had come after six faithful years.

Frozen chilli's thawing in my colander and a few fresh chilli's picked that morning

This spurred me on to weighing all the frozen chilli's I had collected in various places in my freezers and make a big batch of sweet chilli sauce.

I used long red chilli's, Bolivian, Jalapeno's and Carolina Reapers, not just the long red chilli's the recipe calls for.

Print Recipe

Sweet Chilli Sauce

This recipe yields approximately 1 litre of delicious sweet chilli sauce, perfect for dipping, glazing, or adding a kick to your favourite dishes.

Ingredients

• 500g long fresh red chillies, stems trimmed

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 750ml (3 cups) white vinegar

• 645g (3 cups) caster sugar

Method

1.Begin by preparing the chillies. Stem and halve 100g of the chillies, then place them into the bowl of a food processor. For the remaining 400g of chillies, stem, halve, and remove the seeds. Coarsely chop these chillies and add them to the food processor as well.

2.Add the peeled garlic cloves and 250ml of the white vinegar to the food processor with the chillies. Process the mixture until it is finely chopped.

3.Transfer the chilli and garlic mixture to a large saucepan. Add the remaining vinegar and the caster sugar to the pan. Place the saucepan over a low heat and cook, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has completely dissolved.

4.Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and allow the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes or until it thickens to your desired consistency. (If possible open a window or close of the kitchen as the smell of the vinegar and chilli's is quite pungent)

5.Once thickened, carefully pour the hot sauce into sterilised airtight bottles and seal them immediately to preserve freshness.

I had enough to make:

• 2 X 750ml for us

• 1 X 500ml for my neighbour

• 1 X 250ml for a friend.