Harvest Time and Recipe for Tomato Chilli Jam

Nante Carrots

Yellow Courgette

Onion Flower

 Red Onions

Pepper and Chillies

 Tomatoes including Marmande and Greek Basil

All the vegetables are from my allotment and freshly harvested.

Tomato and Chilli Jam

2 kg tomatoes (ripe, skinned and quartered)
4 large red chillies (chopped roughly with or without seeds)
3 small (or 2 medium) red onions
1 clove of garlic (or more if wanted)
1 tablespoon olive oil (and more to cover the jam in the jars)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsam vinegar
4 tablespoons red wine
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon black onion seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
approx. 100g golden caster sugar

1. Gently fry the onions with the chillies and spices (pepper, black onion seeds, cumin and fennel seeds) in the olive oil until soft and starting to caramelise (don't burn them). 
2. Add the red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar and gently simmer until the vinegar has been absorbed.
3. Add the red wine and gently simmer until the wine has been absorbed.
4. Add the tomatoes and sugar, stir occasionally (stage 1) and let it simmer gently until the liquid from the tomatoes has almost been absorbed (stage 2). This can take several hours and has to be done slowly - don't try and cut corners and have the liquid bubbling at a high temperature as the sugar content might make it burn at the bottom.
5. Taste and add more sugar if required. 
6. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
7. Fill into jars and drizzle a little olive oil over the top (stage 3)

I am not sure how long it will keep, but think it will be fine for a few weeks. The jam is very hot and perfect with cheese or cold meets or could be mixed with a little oil to make a marinade for chicken, steak or grilled vegetables. If you don't like it too hot, remove the seeds from the chillies and use less of them. :-)

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3