Pepper Jelly

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." -Edward Standford Martin

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This post is 3rd in a series, Handmade Holiday Gifts.

I'm up to it again, making jams and jellies! I don't usually make savory jellies, so this is unusual for me, but wonderful. I had some peppers left over from something, so I put them to work in this tangy, spicy, sweet jelly. The great thing about this is if you make it in the little 4 oz. wide mouth jars, it makes it the perfect size for opening up and using immediately with some cream cheese and crackers as an appetizer. So it really does make a great gift, hostess, or otherwise. Something else makes this a great gift, it's beauty. It's very colorful and pretty. I used yellow and orange bell peppers along with red jalapenos to stick with colors that worked well together. You can also go with green, using green bell peppers and green jalapenos.

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I'm not even a fan of peppers so much. But I am a fan of this jelly, because I love the combination of flavors. A little heat, and the tang from the vinegar is irresistible. You can adjust the heat as you like it, it is quite flexible.

I also like the versatility of this jelly. Sure you can use it as I did, spread on top of some soft cheese on a cracker, very delicious. Or even mix the cheese with the jelly as a spread. On a sandwich would be equally amazing.

Colorful Pepper Jelly
adapted from "Autumn in the Country" a Gooseberry Patch book

1 cup bell peppers, your choice of colors, minced small
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers, minced small (I left a few seeds in a few, for a little heat. If you don't like things spicy, don't use any seeds.) Oh, and use some gloves when handling them.
red pepper flakes (optional, if needed)
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
6 oz package liquid pectin
canning jars (this recipe makes 5 0r 6, 8 oz jars)

Combine peppers, sugar and vinegar in a large stockpot over medium, high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add pectin, stirring constantly. Let mixture stand for 2 minutes.

Take a spoonful in a small bowl and put it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool. When it's cool enough, taste it. If it's not spicy enough, you can add some red pepper flakes.

Pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims; secure lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave them in the water for 15 minutes. Remove jars from pot, set jars on towel to cool. Check for seals.

*edited to add* I forgot to mention, the pepper pieces will rise to the top, to get the peppers throughout the jelly, shake up the jars periodically while they are cooling.

*Note* Liquid pectin and powdered pectin are not interchangeable. The recipe would need to be altered to use powdered.

Instructions for using the boiling water canning method

31 Ways to Eat Pepper Jelly