Spicy Jelly

We are growing about 12 different kinds of hot peppers in the garden this year. They all seemed to ripen at the same time. I had a plethora of peppers and needed to find something to do with them quickly.

This recipe uses a fair amount of peppers. And I always enjoy pepper jelly when I have it out, so why not make it at home!

I did not whirl my peppers until completely smooth. I did leave some tiny bits, I like to have the bits.

Cooking the jelly is fairly easy. You basically just heat everything together and wait for the sugar to melt.

The longer you cook the sugar the thicker the jelly will be. This recipe calls for a short cooking time. The end result was a fairly thin jelly. If I were to make it again I would probably cook the sugar mixture 7-8 minutes longer. But, the jelly does thicken a little in the refrigerator, so I guess it works.

For the canning you will need a pot large enough to cover the lids of the jars. I usually start to bring my water to a boil while I am making everything else. It is a large volume of water, so it takes some time to reach boiling.

I also place the jars I intend to use, filled with water, into the boiling pot until I am ready to use them. This sterilizes them and heats them up.

I didn’t always do this and the result was jars breaking from the hot mixture being poured into cold jars.

Sealed jars will last virtually forever. Once you open the jar - keep the jelly in the fridge.

This jelly has a lovely spiciness to it. It would be a great accompaniment to a charcuterie board or served alongside a roast.

HOT PEPPER JELLY

1 1/2 Cups Cider Vinegar

1 Cup Chopped Green Pepper

3 Tablespoons Hot Pepper Sauce

6 1/2 Cups Sugar

3 Ounces Liquid Fruit Pectin

Hot Paraffin

In a food processor, place vinegar, green pepper and hot pepper sauce. Whir until smooth. In a heavy saucepan, combine pepper mixture and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat, bringing mixture to just below the boiling point. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pectin and mix well. Skim off any foam. Pour into hot jars. Cover with 1/8 inch of hot paraffin or process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.