I was excited to see jalapenos at the farmers market and bout them along with tomatoes. One of my favorite pantry items to have on hand is a jar or two of pepper jelly. Served over a brick of cream cheese and crackers, and an instant appetizer, or used for chicken wings or as part of a BBQ sauce for meatballs or meatless balls, and many other ways to use. I actually never have used just on toast but I suppose it would be good if you like to start a day with some heat. I'll pic up jars at farmers markets or little country shops, but I like making it myself and giving a jar or two away as part of a gift, particularly to my sisters who host Thanksgiving and Christmas. They both love it as well. My recipe is nothing different than what can be Googled or found on the box of Sure Jel or Certo. I actually was surprised though to Google and found that most online recipes have a green, red, or orange or combination in it as well. I've never used anything but Jalapenos.
12 seeded and chope to almost a mince jalapenos (I wear gloves while doing this). I think I got 13 on Saturday so will just use the all.
6 Cups sugar
1 1/2 Cup Apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter, began butter, margarine, or veg oil to help with foaming
1 packet pectin (I use Sure Jel or Certo as that's what is usually stocked at stores shop)
I usually cook the peppers a bit to soften a bit as I found when I didn't, while good, the slight chew in the jelly was off putting. This also gets some of the water out, but keeps the pepper juice (flavor), so the jelly sets well. Add sugar, salt, and vinegar and cook to a low boil, then turn down to a consistent high simmer for at least 10 minutes. Stir in the pectin and butter/substitute and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes, making sure the pectin is completely dissolved. Skim any foam before putting in sterile jars (I just boil mine and keep upside down until I'm ready.
I usually get six half pints or so from a jelly or jam recipe. I use the hot water method to preserve, using new lids, but I'll reuse bands that are in good shape. My jars are in the boiling water for at least 10 minutes, taken out carefully and sit to cool and "pop.". If after 8-10 hours I don't get a pop, that will just be one for the refrigerator, but I rarely have bad luck with this method.
A few Jalapeno jelly recipes that I make. Well, not really recipes agan, just ideas beyond the brick of cream cheese, but give that a try as well.
Spicy Meatballs-Ratio
1/2 cup jelly
1/2 cup Ketchup
1 pound already prepared meatballs
Throw all in a crock pot on low stir after an hour or so and continue to let the sauce cover the meatballs
Spicy and Sweet Chicken Wings
Bake chicken wings at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until completely cooked
Brush jelly over the wings and either put on the grill or under the broiler, turning, so both sides get a little of the charring
Egg roll or Potsticker dip
Pretty much the BBQ sauce, but instead of 1/2 and 1/2, I use twice the jelly to ketchup recipe. I made this up up when we had an order of egg rolls and I had forgotten to ask for chilli dip.
Taquito Dipping sauce
Taquitos are petty much just a rolled taco tube, and baked until crispy. Just melting a bit of the jelly to use as a dipping sauce is really delicious. I've done this for both the store bought Taquitos and for ones I've made myself when I've had an excess of corn tortillas.
Pepper and other jam making is on my list to make this weekend. This jar is from the farm market, owned and located at an old highschool friends parents farm. We'll eat much of this jar this weekend as I try to have a little normalcy with football Sunday. Do you make jelly? Have you made pepper jelly before?
Your recipes sound fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI like it because it has a lot of versatility in the kitchen.
DeleteWe aren't jelly/jam type people but my brother loves pepper jelly w/cream cheese on crackers. I've never made pepper jelly(I do pepper relish which doesn't use hot peppers tho)since it's not something we'd eat/use. FYI-the bands can be removed after jars have sealed/lids have popped and cooled and are ready to be stored. Some folks like to keep bands on but if you have a shortage of them they can be removed.
ReplyDeleteYour pepper relish is delicious! I remember it well. I think I'll be fine with bands to the amount of lids I have-just a dozen so should be enough to do 6 jars of pepper jelly and the same of fruit jam. Because we are big jam eaters and mine are the favorites over store bought so worth the time for me.
DeleteNo, I have only made strawberry jam a couple of times. I don't can at all but wish I had learned from Mom and Granny! I just made a quiche using a lot of thinly sliced tomatoes and onions and I'm going to make a zucchini one next. Yes, I'm trying to not waste my veggies from the produce delivery. I also have a lot of Cubanelle peppers I need to do something with. I'd love to try the jalapeno jam but just a little bit LOL- I don't handle real spicy.
ReplyDeleteMy brothers wife actually taught me to can when I was 12 or 13, but only the hot water bath kid. I would then make jam for the county fair for 4-H. My mom was more a produce freezer. She was happy when I learned to make jam though and kept me in supplies.
DeleteFor several years I made pepper jelly in mild and hot and sold so much in 4 oz. jars. I love hot pepper jelly on cream cheese and crackers.
ReplyDeleteThe four ounce jars are a nice size-I used them for the blueberry jam I made tow ears ago as I wanted to give away a lot, bu the recipe didn't make a huge batch and the berries were still quite pricey.
DeleteThe pepper jelly/cream cheese combo on a cracker are so good.
ReplyDeleteIt's such an easy appetizer or snack if people stop by-not that anyone is just stopping b right now, but you know what I mean.
DeleteSo excited to try this! We have many, many peppers. This is going on my weekend list.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a fun thing for your boys-seems like a teen thing to make things with peppers. As I said above, I learned to can/jam make as a teen/tween and have been happy to have that little domestic skill.
DeleteI have made loads of jam, but only two types of jelly; apple and crabapple. Those work well as a substitute for grape jelly, as in my slow cooker cocktail meatballs recipe.
ReplyDeleteToday, I am picking the last of the blackberries, and making jam. I will probably have one more batch of applesauce to can before the season is done. I love to can, actually. It's a bit of a passion of mine.
I'm not a huge apple jelly fan=I don't like apple juice so that's probably it, but can see how it would work so well with a BBQ sauce. I might like the crab apple though-is it a tarter jelly? I made currant jelly when my parents still lived in the country form their huge currant bush. It was my son's favorite.
DeleteHmm, that pepper jelly could be another interesting find - I'd never heard of it - so what with that and making Anne's crack slaw yesterday I'm on a roll. Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear if you decide to make it, or if you find in any French shops. It's everywhere here.
DeleteI make jam every year. I'm not sure that I've ever made jelly. I don't know that I've ever seen jalapeno jelly - here it is always red pepper jelly over cream cheese on crackers.
ReplyDeleteMost recipes cut the jalapeno with red pepper or green pepper, but I like it hotter since it is in so much sugar already. Most jelly though goes well over the cream cheese. A bagel with cream cheese and strawberry jam is lie eating cheesecake for breakfast!
DeleteI've never made jam or jelly...your recipe sounds like something my hubby would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun to do with your kids. It's a comfort thing now for me.
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