Last March my mother reminded me about my grandma’s 90th birthday in April. She thought I perhaps should send her a special card or a little gift. So, since I am the biggest fan of handmade gifts, I decided to make something special for her. And… since I am into food I instantly thought that maybe I could make a cool preserve that could be put in a jar and shipped to Poland.

I don’t think my grandma’s pallet is so sophisticated but she isn’t picky either. I decided on 4 ultimately SoCal ingredients so she could have a little taste of my life here. Tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and lime. I boiled them down and made a little preserve that could be used as a jam, chutney, marinade, or glaze for meats. I ended up making way more so my mom, my brother, and his wife got some as well. I even made special Food Polka labels. Haven’t heard from Grandma but my mother and her neighbor say it’s delicious. You are welcome to try it out.

Spicy tomatillo-jalapeno jam

Shopping List:

• 1 lb tomatillos (husks removed)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (with stems)
• 1 jalapeno (seeded and thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
  1 cup water
  4 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
  zest of 1 lime
  pinch of salt

Now follow these steps:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan and set over medium heat; allow them to come to a simmer and stir occasionally; let them slow cook for about 45 to 60 minutes (until thicken and achieve loose jam consistency).
2. Take a pot of the heat and let it cool down; pour it into a jar or container; cover tightly and refrigerate.
3. Enjoy.

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