Beerenberg Chilli Jam Review

The Chilli Jam That Belongs in the Dessert Fridge

Beerenberg describes its Chilli Jam as “a mildly dangerous choice”, but there is very little danger hiding inside this jar.

What it does contain is plenty of flavour.

This is a sweet, fruity and pleasantly acidic chilli jam with a thick, substantial texture and just enough chilli to give it character. The heat is extremely mild, but that makes it approachable, versatile and easy to use generously.

I tested it by itself before trying it with several different foods. It worked beautifully with scones and cream, but the biggest surprise came when I spooned it over peanut butter ice cream.

The frozen dessert didn’t hide the chilli. Somehow, it made the chilli flavour shine.

By the time the testing was finished, most of the 190g jar had disappeared. That probably reveals more about this product than any numerical score could.

First Impressions

Beerenberg Chilli Jam is presented in a 190g glass jar with the company’s familiar silver lid, paper label and red tamper seal. The packaging is simple but distinctive and gives the product a more premium appearance than many supermarket condiments.

The words “a mildly dangerous choice” appear beneath the product name. It is a clever description because it introduces the idea of chilli without making the jam sound excessively hot.

Inside the jar, the chilli jam has a deep red colour and a thick, glossy consistency. It looks substantial rather than watery, with visible pieces of fruit and vegetables throughout.

My first taste revealed plenty of sweetness, noticeable acidity and a rich fruit character. The chilli was present, but the heat was extremely mild.

This is clearly designed to be used by the spoonful rather than rationed out a few drops at a time.

What Does Beerenberg Chilli Jam Taste Like?

The first flavour to arrive is a rich fruit sweetness, followed quickly by a noticeable acidic tang. That acidity is one of the product’s greatest strengths because it prevents the jam from becoming heavy or cloying.

Apple and quince give it a deeper and more interesting fruit character than a conventional sweet jam. There is also a subtle savoury influence from the onion, salt and spice, although none of those ingredients dominates the flavour.

The chilli is clearly present as a flavour, but it contributes very little actual heat. This distinction is important: a chilli product does not need to be painfully hot for the chilli itself to add something worthwhile.

Eaten directly from the spoon, the jam is sweet, fruity, tangy and mildly savoury. It does not fit neatly into either the sweet or savoury category, which is precisely what makes it so versatile.

This is not simply an ordinary fruit jam with enough chilli added to justify the name. The chilli, acidity and savoury ingredients give it a character of its own.

How Hot Is Beerenberg Chilli Jam?

Despite containing 6% chilli, this is an extremely mild product.

I would rate the heat at approximately 1/10. There is a faint chilli warmth, but no meaningful burn and nothing that should intimidate the average supermarket shopper.

That low heat makes the jam accessible to people who enjoy the flavour of chilli but normally avoid hot sauces. It can be applied generously without overwhelming the food underneath it.

Experienced chilli eaters, however, may find themselves searching for a kick that never properly arrives. The label does promise only “a little kick of Australian chillies”, so Beerenberg has not presented it as a seriously hot product.

I would be very interested in seeing a hotter version alongside the original. A carefully measured amount of ghost pepper could lift the finished heat to around 3/10 while adding a deeper, slower warmth without significantly changing the jam’s excellent fruit flavour or thick consistency.

As it stands, the chilli contributes more flavour than fire. For this particular product, that is not necessarily a weakness, but there is certainly room for a hotter variation.

Price and Value

I paid approximately $6.50 for a 190g jar at Drakes Supermarkets. At the time of writing, Beerenberg lists the same jar online for $4.50, although retail prices will vary and delivery costs may apply when purchasing directly.

It is more expensive than an ordinary supermarket fruit jam, but this is also a more versatile product. It can be used with cheese, savoury meals, scones and desserts rather than serving only as a breakfast spread.

Considering the quality of the flavour, the high Australian ingredient content and how quickly the jar disappeared during testing, I consider it good value at the price I paid.

The only real value problem is that 190g suddenly feels like a very small jar once you discover how well it works with ice cream.

The Scones and Cream Test

Chilli jam is commonly treated as a savoury condiment, but its apple and quince content made me curious about how it would perform in place of an ordinary fruit jam.

I served it generously on scones with whipped cream.

The combination worked remarkably well. The richness of the cream softened the jam’s sweetness, while its acidity became more noticeable and cut cleanly through the dairy.

This did not taste like an ordinary serving of jam and cream. The chilli added another layer of flavour and lifted a familiar afternoon snack into something considerably more interesting, without making it uncomfortably hot.

It would also be an excellent addition to a camping trip. Imagine fresh scones cooked in a camp oven, topped with whipped cream and a generous spoonful of chilli jam, then enjoyed beside the fire as the sun goes down.

Add a mug of billy tea and the flickering flames of the “outback TV”, and it would be very difficult to find a better afternoon snack.

The Cheese and Crackers Test

Beerenberg recommends serving its Chilli Jam with stir-fries, chips, sausage rolls or cream cheese. Rather than repeating those serving suggestions, I wanted to test where the product’s combination of fruit, acidity and chilli could do something less predictable.

Cheese and chilli jam is a more predictable combination, but it is still an important test for a product that claims to balance sweet and savoury flavours.

The fruit sweetness contrasted well with the saltiness of the cheese, while the vinegar and citric acidity helped cut through its richness. The thick consistency also made the jam easy to serve on crackers without immediately running over the edges.

The chilli added a subtle warmth in the background, although the pairing remained mild enough for people who would not normally choose a chilli product.

It worked exactly as a good chilli jam should. The result was balanced, easy to eat and well suited to a cheese board, entertaining platter or afternoon snack.

This pairing may not have been the most surprising part of the review, but it confirmed that Beerenberg Chilli Jam performs very well in the role most people would expect it to fill.

The Peanut Butter Ice Cream Test

The final test was the most unusual and, without question, the most successful.

I added a generous spoonful of Beerenberg Chilli Jam to peanut butter ice cream containing peanuts, chocolate flavour and caramel.

I expected the frozen dairy to suppress the chilli, but the opposite happened. The ice cream softened the heat while somehow allowing the actual flavour of the chilli to become more noticeable.

The jam’s apple and quince fruitiness worked beautifully with the roasted peanut flavour. Its acidity cut through the richness of the ice cream, while the subtle chilli character added a savoury edge that prevented the dessert from becoming overwhelmingly sweet.

This pairing would be particularly appealing to someone with a savoury palate who normally turns down dessert. It still tastes indulgent, but the acidity and chilli give it more contrast and complexity than an ordinary bowl of ice cream.

Peanut butter ice cream was an exceptional match, but this jam should work with many other flavours. Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, coconut and even a rich cheesecake-style ice cream could all provide an excellent base for its fruit and chilli character.

After trying this combination, using the jam on anything else almost seemed like a waste.

This may be a condiment sold alongside savoury products, but its best home could be in the refrigerator waiting for dessert. Just don’t tell everyone it is there, because you will probably want the entire jar for yourself.

Final Verdict

Beerenberg Chilli Jam is an excellent example of a product that does not need extreme heat to make chilli worthwhile.

Its greatest strengths are its rich apple and quince fruit character, well-controlled acidity and thick, substantial texture. The chilli contributes very little heat, but it gives the jam an identity that separates it from an ordinary sweet preserve.

It performed exactly as expected with cheese and crackers, then became considerably more interesting with scones and cream. However, peanut butter ice cream revealed something completely unexpected: the frozen dairy softened the warmth while allowing the flavour of the chilli to shine.

That was unquestionably the best pairing of the review and the reason this chilli jam deserves a permanent place in the dessert section of the refrigerator.

A hotter version would also be worth exploring. A small amount of ghost pepper could increase the heat without destroying the excellent balance of fruit, sweetness and acidity found in the original.

By the end of my testing, almost the entire 190g jar had disappeared. That may be the most convincing review score of all.

Excellent chilli jam. Dangerously small jar.

This is an independent review. I purchased the product for testing, and Exotic Chillies has no commercial relationship with Beerenberg.