Jalapeno Jelly

There are few things that are more Southern that canning. My grandmother (who is actually an admitted Yankee but made many concessions for my farm-raised, pure Mississippi boy grandfather) has made homemade pickles for as long as I can remember. Pickles, jams, jelly- all very Southern. How will I add a Southwestern kick? Spicy peppers, of course! If you have not had jalapeno jelly, let me tell you- it is a fabulous thing. You can use it all sorts of ways, but my favorite is just on a cracker with some cream cheese- it may sound odd, but it is delicious!

So, I had never even thought about canning and had to do some research on how to can, how to make things gel and of course, how to seal the cans. I found a recipe for Jalapeno Jelly/ Jam- the recipe calls for straining out the peppers, but I left them in, for a chunkier jam type consistency, and it was delicious. So you can strain, or not, depending on what you think you will like.



1 large yellow pepper, seeded
14 jalapeno peppers, some seeded- depending on level of desired heat
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
1 pinch salt
4 cups sugar
3 oz. liquid pectin

1. Combine the bell pepper and jalapeno peppers in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped/ pureed. This can be done in batches, if the peppers do not fit.
2. Transfer the peppers to a large saucepan, and stir in the cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through at least 2 layers of cheesecloth, and discard pulp. You should have about 1 cup of liquid.
3. Return the liquid to the saucepan, and stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil, boil for one minute, then stir in the liquid pectin.
4. Ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars in a hot water bath. Refrigerate jelly after seal is broken.