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Pineapple Pepper Jam

Also known as Pineapple Pepper Jam (Nigerian Sweet-Spicy Condiment)

Pineapple Pepper Jam is one of the most exciting creations of the modern Nigerian artisan food movement — a preserve that perfectly captures the Nigerian instinct to combine sweet and spicy flavours in a single preparation. Fresh Nigerian pineapple, with its extraordinary sweetness and acidity, is cooked down with sugar, Atarodo chilli and a little ginger to create a jam of remarkable complexity — sweet, tangy, fruity and with a gentle but definite warmth from the pepper.

Pineapple Pepper Jam, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 big fresh ripe pineapple, peeled and very finely diced — no blending, keep texture
  • 2 big cups of white sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), very finely minced — seeds removed for milder heat, kept for hotter jam
  • A big piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • A pinch of salt

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking the Pineapple. Place the finely diced pineapple in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the sugar, lemon juice, minced Atarodo, grated ginger and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.

  2. 02

    Long Simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer the jam for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking. The jam is ready when it has thickened significantly and a small amount placed on a cold plate wrinkles when pushed — this is the set test.

  3. 03

    Tasting and Adjusting. Taste the jam carefully. It should be sweet, fruity, tangy from the lemon and pineapple, and warmly spiced from the Atarodo and ginger. Add more chilli if you want more heat, more sugar if too tart.

  4. 04

    Jarring. Pour the hot jam into sterilised glass jars. Seal the lids immediately. Invert the jars for 2 minutes, then return upright. Allow to cool completely.

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