Chilli Jam - Floating Flecks/Wrong Vinegar | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

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Chilli Jam - Floating Flecks/Wrong Vinegar | Ask Nigella.com? ›

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If a recipe calls for red wine vinegar and you don't have any, you can likely substitute with balsamic vinegar, white vinegar mixed with red wine, or even tamarind paste. Red wine vinegar is made by fermenting red wine. It has a distinct tangy and slightly sweet flavor that lends itself well to many dishes.

Jam that was not heated to 104C-105C will not be set. In this is the case, heat the jam again. Use a jam thermometer to check when it reaches temperature. However, if the jam has been heated sufficiently, but still did not set, then it requires more pectin and acid.

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

Vinegar: is used to help the jelly set and the acid in the vinegar helps make it safe for canning and long term storing.

Cider vinegar is a fairly mild vinegar and is used mainly to offset the sweetness of the sugar. The acid in the vinegar also helps the pectin in the jam sugar to set.

Balsamic vinegar

But wine is also made from grapes, so that fruity flavor that it shares with red wine vinegar makes it a good substitute. Balsamic vinegar has a strong flavor profile, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the recipe you're intending to use it as a substitute in.

Lemon is crucial to balancing those sweet flavors, but it also helps the pectin to firm up the jam. It can be added at the start of the cooking process or towards the end, but what must be taken into account is that adding liquids to the jam mixture will inevitably require the jam to cook for longer.

If, after waiting, you find the jam is still too loose for your liking, empty the jars back into a wide pot and cook again. Wash and sterilize the jars and try again. While you can simply reduce the jam to your liking, you can also add commercial pectin or chia seeds to the reducing jam to guarantee thickening.

If you push your finger through it then the jam should not flow back. The Chilli Jam is soft set rather than very firm. If it has not set boil for another 2 minutes and test again. You can use the thinner jam as an alternative to sweet chilli sauce and it will keep in the same way as a set jam.

Should you stir jam while it's boiling? ›

5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.

If the fruit you are using has low pectin levels, then you can add some more pectin and reboil the jam. Pectin is available in both powdered and liquid forms. Read the instructions on the packet to give quantities, add all the jam to a saucepan and stir in the pectin. Clean and re-prepare the jam jars.

Add additional calcium water. Add additional lemon juice (if called for in the recipe). Stir well.

Once opened and exposed to air, however, harmless “vinegar bacteria” may start to grow. This bacteria causes the formation of a cloudy sediment that is nothing more than harmless cellulose, a complex carbohydrate that does not affect the quality of the vinegar or its flavor.

This slime-like protein can look unsightly, but rest assured that its a natural by-product of the fermentation that makes vinegar from wine.

What you have is called “fruit float.” When the jars of jam are very hot and there is no jell yet, the pulp, which is lighter than the juice, is able to float to the top of the jar. Strawberries are prone to fruit float although it doesn't always happen. Other fruits can have fruit float also.

White vinegar substitute: If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar. You could also swap in lemon or lime juice, depending on your recipe. When you're canning or pickling, there are no comparable substitutes.

Acids enhance the salty, umami-rich flavors already present in chili, and round out the sweetness, adding intricacy to the dish. Apple cider vinegar is versatile with a light, fruity flavor, but red wine and balsamic vinegar are both good choices for heavier chilis that need something bolder.

In a pinch, lemon or lime juice will work as a red wine vinegar substitute. Citrus juice has a completely different flavor profile, though, so it's not our first choice. That said, using lemon juice will bring an acidic brightness to the dish that you may find more pleasing than the original recipe!