Hot Pepper Jelly Can-Jam for October!

YIKES! HOT PEPPERS!!! What are you trying to do to this VERY MILD eating family!! :)  Well, I took the challenge... and although NONE of you HOT PEPPER loving people would find this hot at all... it works for us! Actually, out of the six of us... one truly LOVES the hots and the rest of us like mild, so here's hoping we all can eat it when I'm done! :) Can you believe this is month #10 for the Can Jam?! It's been fun and challenging....  just perfect!

Using a recipe from the book; Saving The Seasons (pg118), I followed the directions to make my first ever "HOT (but NOT too HOT) PEPPER JELLY"....   this is very yummy over a block of cream cheese and then spread on a cracker... AND just in time for holiday gatherings or to put in a gift basket!

HOT PEPPER JELLY

5 Cups jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (about 2 lbs) Admittedly, I used our sweet red peppers from the garden and added SOME hot green peppers to make this work for our family. I used 4-5 large red sweet peppers and 3 jalapeno peppers. It seems to be the right amount of zip for us!

1 1/2 Cups apple cider vinegar

1 box powdered pectin

7 Cups of sugar

1/2 tsp. butter (optional)

Wash, stem, remove seeds and finely chop the peppers. (NOTE: wear rubber gloves when working with hot peppers!) Put the peppers into a cooking pot and stir in vinegar & pectin. (Add butter to reduce foaming if desired). Measure out the sugar and set aside in another bowl. Bring the pepper mixture to a rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and return to full rolling boil for 1 minute, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam from surface. Ladle quickly into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Tighten lids and process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes 8 half pints!  

Aren't they pretty!

Audrey & I tested it. Cream cheese, crackers

and a little jelly... WONDERFUL!

We both think that this

has just the right amount of zip!

Ok, the challenge got me again!

 I will be making at least one

more batch of this jelly too!

A cookbook sidenote for use:

crackers & cream cheese

sandwich spread

serve with poultry or pork

Additional Note:

Be sure to clean the

knife & cutting surface

and wash your hands

after you're done with

the hot peppers

BEFORE

doing anything

else!