Marmellata di peperoncino (chilli marmalade)

• By Claire Borg

Marmalade and marmellata have the same root, but marmellata is a typically Italian way of making a fruit conserve. This one made with chilli peppers sounds unusual, but it tastes wonderful. Make some in time for Christmas.

You will need:

two kilos of red-hot, large chillies, one kilo of sugar.

Make sure you wear gloves and take great care not to put your hands (or gloves) anywhere near your eyes, nose or lips. Wash the chillies, then lop off the bit with the stem attached. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, put the chillies into it, bring it back to a rolling boil, and let it bubble away for around half an hour, topping up with boiling water straight from the kettle if too much evaporates. Now strain off the water and put the chillies through a pass-purée. Put the purée into a smaller pan, raise the heat until it is boiling, and stir in the sugar until it has dissolved completely. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, and leave the mixture to cook for about 40 minutes, or until the conserve thickens. Keep your eye on it and give it a stir from time to time so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Pour it while steaming into hot sterilised jars and twist the lids on immediately. This will keep for a year out of the refrigerator, as long as it is in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Once you open a jar, keep it chilled.