Spicefreak

Happy tuesday fiery food fans, today we’re returning to devon. Or, more specifically, the South Devon Chilli Farm.

Last time we heard from them I was trying out one of their jams and I’m going to be doing the same again now. Only, this time it’s a rather different sort:

What I have here isn’t sold on its heat but on its elderflower content and the delightfully delicate, rather british and summery taste that that provides.

It’s their Elderflower Chilli Jelly.

This difference in purpose is clear, too, from its lighter, pale-yellow packaging, compared to that other jam’s black. Yet they make its chilli content well know, all the same, with the stylised pepper on the front, in between the product’s name and theirs.

It’s a pretty minimalist design that doesn’t mention the flowers, visually, but the pale yellow it uses is very much their shade. I feel like it gets across what it needs to, even if it could be a little clearer.

The jam itself, though, is almost perfectly clear. A thin, spreadable, amber jelly with only the tiniest fragments of its flower and apple peel content to mar its otherwise perfect clarity.

In fact, it looks almost like honey until I photograph it and my camera picks up some rather redder hues within.

I think it’s safe to say, at this point, that it isn’t your average, pepper-heavy, chilli jam. It’s more of a jam with chilli – A verdict that its ingredients list definitely supports:

Sugar, Apples (40%), Elderflowers (5%), Fresh Chillies (1%).

A simple list that gives no clues as to the pepper itself.

And, while we can tell it’s red from the product’s appearance, that’s about all I can get from its flavour, too. It’s not exactly the strongest of tastes in this apple and elderflower jam and, given the delicate nature of elderflowers, that’s saying a lot.

This jam isn’t particularly bold with any of its flavours but its boldest is definitely the flower itself. Though there are also plenty of light, golden undertones, presumably stemming from the sugar and apple.

To me, it seems as though the chilli is here just for heat, which is a shame when an orange habanero could so pleasantly compliment both the golden undertones and the floral overtones of this particular blend. However, its already on the high side of a

2.5/10

Heat

and its usability as a breakfast item on toast, pancakes or crumpets would definitely suffer if it went any higher.

Plus, even without the chilli contributing much to its taste, this jam is a delicious combination of light and floral, yet almost honeyed that really shows off what its signature ingredient is capable of.

It’s not a jam for cheese sarnies, regardless of what the jar might say, but it’ll still go with milder, creamier cheeses, perhaps in the form of 💀 a chilli cheesecake 💀. And regular cake will suit it, too, allowing it to act as a very different victoria sponge filling.

It may work as a glaze for meats, like other, more standard, chilli jams do, but, if it does, it will be a light one, only accenting the flavour of the main dish slightly.

Where, in my opinion, this is going to be at its best is on breakfasts, as stated above, or with clotted cream on scones.