Zac's famous Chilli Sweet recipe
Nope, it's not a mistake.. Zac call's this recipe "Chilli Sweet" instead of "Sweet Chilli" for a very good reason — this sauce recipe really packs a punch!
Think of it like a sweet chilli sauce, but using a mixture of super hot chilli. Zac's Chilli Sweet recipe is super simple and will have your taste buds tingling (literally). It also makes a fantastic present, we usually gift numerous bottles of the sauce for Christmas.
You don't have to use super hot chilli. In fact, this recipe can be customised to suit your taste buds. The key in this recipe is to keep the heat high while still keeping that sweet, sticky sauce we all know and love. In our household, we love super hots, but you can use any type of chilli. Even the standard Long Red chillis will be fine.
Making a big batch of Chilli Sweet is also the perfect solution to when all your chilli plants want to ripen at once! Preserve your harvest and enjoy it for months to come (if you can resist eating it all at once). What's even better is that there are only 4 ingredients in the whole recipe — super simple!
Zac's Chilli Sweet boiling away on the stove.
YOU WILL NEED:
500g of fresh chilli (any variety, and a little more than 500g is also fine).
3 cloves of garlic (easily omitted for allergies or intolerances)
3 cups of white vinegar
3 cups of caster sugar
METHOD:
Step 1: Cut the stem off the chillis and slice in half. Deseed the chillis at this stage if you want to.
Place chillis in a food processor. Add the garlic, 1 cup of vinegar, and process until the chilli is finely diced.
Like we said before, this recipe is highly customisable. Really, the first step in this recipe is to deseed the chillis, but you don't have to if you like the heat! This will also depend on the types of chilli you have. Here at The Aussie Seed Shed, we probably wouldn't deseed Rainbow Thai chillis, but we would deseed Chocolate Ghost chillis. It is totally up to you. If you are feeling game, why not try half and half?
Step 2: In a saucepan add remaining vinegar, sugar, and the processed chilli mixture. Place the saucepan on a low heat and dissolve the sugar.
Step 3: Once the sugar is dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Leave the mixture to simmer for around 40 minutes. Stir a few times throughout the 40 minutes.
The sauce should start to thicken while it is simmering away.
Step 4: Once the sauce has thickened, pour it into sterile jars or containers.
Four different sauces Zac made for Christmas 2021: (1) smokey tomato relish, (2) corn relish, (3) chilli sweet sauce, (4) mustard pickles. They really do make great gifts!
FAQS
What if I don't like heat?
If you are not a chilli fan, but you'd still like to make a sweet chilli recipe, you could try replacing some of the chilli with capsicum.
What if my sauce doesn't thicken?
If you find the sauce is not thickening, you could add a slurry of corn starch and water. Just make sure to properly cook out the corn starch or you will get a powdery taste in the sauce.
What if I don't have a food processor?
If you don't have a food processor, you could just chop the garlic and chilli very small. The recipe is not dependent on the size of the chilli or garlic chunks. It will thicken and set regardless.
How do I sterilize my jars?
To sterilize your jars, you can pour boiling water over them or place them in an oven for around 15 minutes. To properly preserve your sauce, make sure the jars are airtight.
How long will my sauce last?
If you sterilise your jars and the sauce is stored properly, the sauce is likely to last 3 to 4 months. When it starts to go off you should see some discolouration around the jar lid or around the fruit of the chillis themselves.
Do I have to use white vinegar?
You could potentially use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar in this recipe as well. We haven't tried it, but the concept is the same (let us know if you try it!).
Have you tried this recipe? Customized this recipe? Have you got your own sweet chilli recipe you think is the bomb? Let us know!
