Polly’s Simple, Mild Chilli Sauce

My chilli collection is split very definitely into two categories, mine and the garden apprentice’s.

Habanero on the plant Havana Gold in the basket

I’m afraid it’s rather stereotypical, I like the milder Jalapeño type chillies. Whilst he likes the silly hot chillies, along the lines of Habanero and Naga.

As the big bulk of our chillies are harvested in the summer, we needed a way of preserving the fruits for winter.

We used to simply chop the chillies up and pickle them, but there’re two problems with this method. Firstly as you eat food with chopped chillies, you can get some rather hot mouthfuls and some rather dull ones, it was too inconsistent. Secondly you don’t always want a vinegar taste to the dish.

This led us on to making chilli sauces, which has proved a great success. My milder sauce and his hot habanero sauce.

We mainly use them as a condiment at the table, being added to individual finished dishes. This has meant we can eat the same curries and other spicy foods with widely differing heat levels. Making for harmonious mealtimes.

This milder chilli sauce, that I’m making today, has always been made with Jalapeño chillies, but this year I’ve grown a variety called ‘Havana Gold’. They are a very similar heat level, but with a distinct habanero flavour which will be interesting.

There’s one rather large downside to them though, they are orange the same colour as the Habanero that the garden apprentice makes his hot chilli sauce from, so our sauces have ended up the same colour. This could have dire consequences; we’re going to have to label!

Top tip when harvesting the chillies

When you snip your chillies off, leave the stalk as long as possible. You’ll thank me for this later, as you’ll have more to hold when chopping them.

We all know, that the further away your fingers are from those chilli juices, the better. I’m sure most of us have had the misfortune of accidentally rubbing some into our eyes a time or two – not a pleasant experience!

So, if you have homegrown chillies you need to preserve, why not have a go at this simple sauce. Shop bought chillies would work just as well!

ASSEMBLE THE INGREDIENTS

Ingredients

30 Jalapeño strength chillies – approximately
1 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic
10 cherry tomatoes
2tsp sugar
1 tsp tomato purée
100ml White wine vinegar
2tbsp Olive oil
Pinch salt

Method

Give the chillies and tomatoes a bit of a wash, then drain in a cullender.

Roughly chop the onions, garlic, tomatoes and chillies.

Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chillies and tomatoes, stirring for another couple of minutes.

Stir in the sugar, tomato purée and vinegar. Simmer for another couple of minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Whilst you’re waiting sterilise your jars with boiling water. I stand them in the sink making it easy to empty them. Doing this now will mean they are still hot when needed.