Kylee Newton's lime and chilli marmalade

Photo / Kylee Newton

Ingredients

1kg	limes, unwaxed
750ml	water
30ml	lemon juice
¾-1 tsp	chilli flakes
750g	white sugar, or preserving sugar

Directions

1. Place several small saucers in the freezer. Sterilise your jars and lids by washing and rinsing them in hot water, then place them into a warm oven at 100C for at least 20 mins.
2. With a sharp knife carefully remove the skins from three-quarters of the limes, and chop the flesh into 5-8mm chunks, discarding the skins and any pips, pith, and membrane. Cut the remaining limes lengthways, then slice very fine (1-2mm) semi-circles cut side down. Scrape all the cut limes into a large heavy-based pan, big enough for the mixture to double in size, along with any juice collected on your chopping board.
3. Cover with the water, add the lemon juice and bring to a rapid boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, stirring intermittently for about 15 minutes to soften the skins. Mix your chilli flakes through the sugar.
4. Stir the chilli sugar through the lime mixture until completely dissolved and bring back to a rapid boil on the highest heat. Watch the pan as at times it may threaten to boil over.
5. After about 10-20 minutes of rapid boiling do a wrinkle set-test by taking the pan off the heat, removing one of the saucers from the freezer, spooning an eighth of a teaspoon on to the saucer and placing it in the fridge for 1 minute. Push the marmalade on the plate with your forefinger and if it produces a surface wrinkle, then it's ready to jar. If it doesn't continue to boil and test every 1-2 minutes.
6. When ready, skim off any foam. Carefully remove the hot jars from the oven and quickly ladle (or use a Pyrex jug to cleanly pour) into the hot jars, close (1-2mm) to the top of the rim. Wipe down with a hot damp cloth and seal immediately. Store, sealed, up to 12 months. Once opened, eat within a month and store in the fridge.

Put this lime and chilli marmalade to delicious use in Kylee Newton's spiced marmalade margarita.

Kylee Newton is a food writer and author of two cookbooks, The Modern Preserver and The Modern Preserver's Kitchen. See her work at themodernpreserver.com and on Instagram @themodernpreserver