©Ashy Macbean 2002. All rights reserved.
Green chilli preserve
This recipe came about just as I was getting ready to leave my flat to go travelling for a few weeks. I discovered a pile of green chillies in the fridge while clearing it out. This is a quick recipe. The only hassle is chopping up the chillies. They tend to burn your skin and washing doesn't help, so be careful. You have to sterilise a jar for this recipe, but that's easy. After you've chopped the chillis, put the jar and the lid into a pan of water. Bring it to the boil and leave it boiling while you finish making the sauce. When the sauce is ready drain the water from the jar and, without drying it, dump the hot sauce in and screw the lid on tightly.
The spiciness of this sauce will depend on the kind of chillies you use.
Ingredients
200g fresh green chillies
3 cloves of garlic
A quarter teaspoon of ground ginger (or some finely chopped fresh root if you've
got it)
1 heaped teaspoon of sugar
I teaspoon of salt
4 dessertspoons of vinegar
4 dessertspoons of water
1 level teaspoon of black mustard
1 level teaspoon of coriander seed
Deseed the chillies if they are big enough to do that without too much fiddling about. Chop them finely. Pound the mustard and coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar then add the chilli, garlic and ginger. Pound away until you're getting some juice and the chillies are well smashed up. You won't get a really smooth paste. Ten or fifteen minutes should do.
Put the mixture in a saucepan and add all the other ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes. Put the mixture in a sterilised jar and seal it tightly. Try to leave it for a couple of weeks before trying it. It should keep unopened for ages.