When I first did this recipe last year (Pomona’s Pectin helped me develop it!) I liked it, but noticed that after storage time the sauce got hotter as time went on. Oops! So I went back to it, and reduced the pepper flakes by half this year. It’s still spicy. Tender tongues might to cut it by half again. But more so, I decided to make it with honey this year, instead of granulated sugar. We processed so much honey this year, that I’ve been canning a lot with it so far this season. You can of course use sugar, use 2¾ cups of it.
Drizzle it on your meals and enjoy the punch of flavor.
Thai Style Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp pickling salt or kosher salt*
- ½ cup minced garlic
- ¼ cup red pepper flakes**
- 6 cups apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp calcium water***
- 1¼ cups + 2 Tbsp honey
- 3 tsp Pomona’s Pectin
Directions:
Add mason canning jars into a water bath canner. Fill jars with water and the pot about halfway up. Bring to a boil.
Add the bands and new lids to a small saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a simmer, turn off.
Measure the honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into the honey. Set aside.
In a large non reactive pot, add the salt, garlic, pepper flakes, vinegar and calcium water. Bring to a boil.
Add pectin-honey mix, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.
Return to a full boil, stirring often. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
Drain canning jars back into the pot, place on a clean kitchen towel. Sterilize ladle and funnel in the hot water.
Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean with a new damp paper towel. Place a drained lid on each jar, screw band on finger tight.
Place filled jars in canning pot, lower rack in. Make sure the jars are covered with water. Bring to a boil, and maintain boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level).
Remove jars from water. Let jars cool on a clean kitchen towel. Remove bands and wash, check seals on jars; lids should be sucked down.
Sauce should sit for a few days/week before eating, as Pomona jelly/jam can take a bit longer to fully set up. If the pepper flakes/garlic sink, gently shake the jars while it is cooling, to help it float. It can also be mixed back in once opening.
Consume within 1 year, once opened eat within 3 weeks and keep in refrigerator after opening.
Notes:
You can use whatever size mason jars you have on hand. Makes about 8 cups. We used 4 16-ounce pint jars.
I used jarred minced garlic to save time. Make sure it is not packed in oil. Use a 6 to 8-ounce jar, drain gently.
*Only use pickling salt or kosher salt. You want a pure salt that has no impurities, particularly iodine, which can cause discoloring.
**¼ cup red pepper flakes produces a nice hot and spicy sauce. If your taste to spice is less, 2 Tablespoons will be your friend. Find in bulk spice sections for the best price.
***Calcium water is made from the second packet in the Pomona’s box. It is mixed with water. The leftover water can be stored for months for further projects.
~Sarah
