Nigella Chilli Jam, some questions

[notasausage]

How long should it take to melt the sugar over a low heat. Mine was on for an hour and I eventually cracked and gave a stir where I found a skin had formed on the top and a layer of solid sugar on the bottom.

Why no stirring? Does it make it cloudy?

Why has it to cool in the pan, this meant it didn't jar up all that well even though it was still fairly warm?

It does taste good but I'm not sure about the 3 hours it took to make 3.5 jars!

I think you cool it because hot jam can shatter glass jars.
I sterilised my jars as I finished cooking, so I didn't bother to let it cool because I was putting hot jam into hot jars. Mind you I also got a hot jam burn on my cleavage so maybe not the best example to follow.

I also put it into hot jam jars to reduce chances of the glass shattering.

I've never stirred it but occasionally swirl the pan. It takes a good hour or so to meet the sugar ime, but I just get on with other things.

You've just reminded me, I'll have to get going with a new batch!