Pepper Jelly

I made up two batches of this last year as Christmas gifts and it was a huge hit with every one. I canned them in small 4oz gift jars so each batch made a bunch of jars. I made one batch with red bell peppers and red Serrano peppers along with red food coloring. It turned out a bright crystal red color with the sweet flavor of the red bell peppers as the biggest component of flavor. I made the second batch with green bell peppers and fresh jalapeno peppers along with a few drops of green food coloring. It turned out a nice deep green with a good flavor of jalapeno with very little heat.

This stuff is great over cream cheese with crackers or even on a bagel. It is also often used as a glaze for pork loin and such.

Below is the original recipe I used with my notes and substitution out beside it.

Ingredients

• 3 green bell pepper, minced (When minced up I prefer to strain much of the liquid with a sieve or even a tea towel)
  
• 2 (4 ounce) cans diced jalapeno peppers (I used fresh peppers seeded and chopped)
  
• 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar (I prefer to use Apple Cider vinegar, better flavor to me)
  
• 6 1/2 cups white sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1 (6 fluid ounce) container liquid pectin (I have had best luck with Certo Brand)
  
• 5 drops green food coloring
  

1. In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine peppers, vinegar, sugar,
   and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium high heat. Stir frequently until
   mixture begins to boil. (I boiled for 5 minutes before adding the pectin to help with the jelly setting up)
   
2. Stir in pectin; boil 5 minutes longer, stirring constantly, and mix in
   food coloring. Skim off foam, and remove from heat.
   
3. Ladle into sterilized jars. Seal, and process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes.
   

Remember jelly recipes do not work well when doubled. When you do you often have issues with the jelly setting up. If you need more make separate batches and keep the ratios correct.

Jason, I was looking at your pepper jelly recipes to compare it to ours, and the most important thing I read was the caution at the end. Don't double up. You're my wife's hero tonight, as she still pouts about none of her jellies setting up this past fall. Now she knows why! It was only our second year canning, we still have a lot to learn.

Thanks!

I think a couple things are important to jelly setting up.

One is boiling the mixture for a few minutes before adding pectin. I do not know why this works but I saw it suggested a few places and have never had a problem with things setting up since I started doing it. I actually think my jelly this year set up a bit too firm for my liking but it was good. I actually make a peach preserve that uses no pectin other than the natural pectin in the fruit and it always sets up well from a good boil.

Two is to get excess water out of the mixture. That is why I strain the bell peppers that have a high water content. You will not get all of the water out you just want a large volume of it out.

Finally I think the Certo brand liquid pectin is very good. I have never had a failure with it.

I have only been doing this about three years but I did a bunch of reading on things and my Mom was a good teacher.

Thanks for even more info. We've been learning from books only, sometimes that's just not enough. Here's a recipe we really like, the emerald green is a wonderful color. It has a biting, tingling sensation to the tongue for 30 seconds or so, pleasantly, but it's not spicey hot.



5 large red bell
peppers (2 pounds) May use green peppers
1 1/2 cup white vinegar
1 box MCP
pectin
1 TBL cayenne pepper (may use more or less for taste, but this is how
we like it)
6 1/2 cups sugar
red or green food coloring

In
blender, blend peppers and vinegar. Put all ingredients except sugar in big pan
and boil
for 2 minutes. (the two minutes starts when you cannot stir down the
boiling)
Then add the sugar all at once. Bring to a boil again. Rolling boil
for 4 minutes.
Seal in jars. Process 10 minutes in a gentle boil water bath
canner.
Makes 8 half pints. (often I get 9)

Here's also a somewhat closed recipe to yours.

It's a Five Pepper Jelly:

Ingredients

¾
pound red bell peppers, 2 large
⅓
pound green bell peppers, 1 large
½
onion, fine dice
4
jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
2
teaspoons salt
5
cups sugar
1 ½
cups red wine vinegar
½
cup lemon juice, fresh if possible
½
teaspoon ancho chili powder
¼
teaspoon cayenne
½
teaspoon crushed red pepper
6
ounces liquid pectin
2 ½
teaspoons cumin seeds, whole, toasted

Step 1
An interesting ingredient in a number of sauces or just fantastic on warm tortillas or cornbread.
Step 2
Remove the seeds and stems from the bell peppers and coarsely chop them.
Step 3
Place the chopped peppers in a food processor and process until they are finely chopped. Put the processed peppers into a colander and add the onion, jalapeno and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Allow to drain for 3 hours. Press to extract as much of the moisture as possible.
Step 4
Transfer the mixture to a large heavy non-reactive saucepan. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, chili powder, cayenne, crushed red pepper and the remaining salt. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the pectin and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, stir in the toasted cumin seeds and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Stir to distribute the chopped peppers evenly and pour into hot sterilized half-pint jars. Wipe the rims clean with a damp towel and seal with new lids and metal rings. Place the jars on a rack, without letting them touch, in a deep canning kettle with water to cover by 1 inch. Cover the kettle and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, boil for five more minutes. Remove the jars to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before storing.

boffer wrote:Jason, I was looking at your pepper jelly recipes to compare it to ours, and the most important thing I read was the caution at the end. Don't double up. You're my wife's hero tonight, as she still pouts about none of her jellies setting up this past fall. Now she knows why! It was only our second year canning, we still have a lot to learn. Thanks!

Jelly can be fickle. Don't cut the sugar, don't double up. Follow the recipe. A number of years ago we had a bumper crop and made hot pepper jelly with the wee Thai peppers. OMG, It was almost too hot!

OK just put up 4 pints of jalapeño pepper jelly using last years frozen bounty!  Had 2 platns last year, and tons leftover so culled and canned!  

Hot water bath.  I think they will be HOT!  My peps seem to be super hot.  Excited!