Jalapeno Jelly product reviews

I was drooling over the thought of this and couldn't wait to try it. Unless chilli is akin to napalm, I am unlikely to taste it (so, bearing in mind it is a jelly with Jalapeno and more likely to appeal to the average light-weight Kiwi rather than the chilli-fried palate of the average Brit (this Brit)) I prepared to try it.

Seeing a nice clear jelly with what appeared to be lumps of Jalapeno chilli floating it it, I was hoping for a nice mild tang of chilli (Jalapenos are at the milder end of the scale).

I won't say I was disappointed in the product, because I wasn't, but for my chilli-hardened tongue, I was unable to taste the chilli in the jelly. My wife, who can detect the merest hint of chilli in any meal, enjoyed this without fear of burning her lips, tongue and throat. In fact, she enjoyed it so much she asked for more.

It came across as a nice savoury accompaniment to any meal, and one I feel I will be eating with English muffins or crumpets rather than anything else (yes, I have odd tastes at times - but any chilli on crumpets is normal for me).

I guess the acid test is "Will I buy this again?"

The answer is yes - I'm sure my wife will insist on it!

WOW!!! I find it odd that this comes in a round jar when the other products are in square ones but this one does hold more.. It looks fantastic sitting where you can see the pieces of jalapeno through the jelly.

I love the smell and would love to see how much it intensifies during cooking (not that i think it will last long enough). I was a bit worried about eating it with jalapenos being a hot chilli but this is something else.

It has a mild bite but sweet fruity taste and goes fantastically with cheese. The next way to try this is with peanut butter on toast and again if it last long enough, in a cake.

They say a picture paints a thousand words so here it is...

I do like spicy food... not too spicy mind you... if the tastebuds are stunned into silence by the heat they can' do much to let you savour the taste can they. So, keeping that in mind I wasn't too sure what to expect from this. It doesn't help that I have never been one for preserves such as marmalades, jams or jellies.

So, taking a leaf from the suggestions sheet that came with the samples, I decided to do something different, and try this on hamburger patties. Instead of pan-frying them, I slathered this on some patties and stuck them on the BBQ, giving them a good baste before every flip. A few patties were also done with another product of a similar nature, and some were left untreated as 'control samples'. Then... time for the taste test...

What a difference this made! While the other product gave the patties a bit of a zing, this product was all caramelised sweetness and subtle undertones of smoky, roast capsicum. The depths and little nuances that would creep through were a pleasant surprise, keeping the food interesting and a little more exciting to eat than a 'plain old regular pattie'.

When tried on a cold sandwich, this didn't please my palate as much, but then I strongly suspect that can be traced fair-square to my previously mentioned dislike of such condiments, but for those who want something a little different, I can easily see how this would go a treat as a base, spread on a cracker with a thin wedge of strong cheese and a delicate, thin slice of ham and maybe a half a cherry tomato capping it off. Just the thing to tease the tastebuds before a special party.

Overall, quite an eye-opener, in a very good way. Still not my ideal spread by any means, but it would suit many situations and cooking ideas. Well worth exploring even if only once.

I possibly have a new favourite sauce! While I love spicy and hot food, Jalapeno normally tests my limits. However, for those who are more spice wary, don't let the name fool you. As the seeds are not used in the jelly, this is much closer to a sweet chilli type sauce rather than the eye-watering jalapeno flavour you would normally expect.

I wasn't shy about loading up a homemade burger with this jelly and it gave my burger a really nice tasty kick that wasn't too overpowering but had a pleasant heat to it.

On the downside I did find that to suit my tastes I did use quite a bit so a 120ml wouldn't actually last us more than maybe three meals at a stretch but for something special this would be worth the money and something I would buy in the future.