The Cottage Smallholder

• 150 grams long fresh red chilli peppers (deseeded and cut into 4 pieces)
• 150 grams red peppers (cored, deseeded and cut into rough chunks)
• 1 kilogram jam sugar
• 600 millilitres cider vinegar

1. Put the cut-up chillies into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the chunks of red pepper and pulse again until you have a vibrantly red-flecked processor bowl.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a wide, medium-sized pan over a low heat without stirring.
3. Scrape the chilli-pepper mixture out of the bowl and add to the pan. Bring the pan to the boil, then leave it at a good boil for 10 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and allow it cool. The liquid will become more syrupy, then from syrup to viscous and from viscous to jelly-like as it cools.
5. After about 40 minutes, or once the red flecks are more or less evenly dispersed in the jelly (as the liquid firms up, the hints of chilli and pepper start being suspended in it rather than floating on it), ladle into your jars. If you want to stir gently at this stage, it will do no harm. Then seal tightly.

My first attempt was perfect but the second lot was very runny and did not set up as jam should.

I put this down to having the lid partially on the saucepan and i think the condensation from the mixture went into the pot so weakening the Jam sugar.

My next attempt was quite good, leaving the saucepan lid off but the next lot did not set up and that was without the lid on the saucepan.

I am really scratching my head now, does any one have any ideas or recommendations.