Hot Pepper Jelly - I need a good recipe

[Paula]

My sister got us hooked on hot pepper jelly on cream cheese and crackers this summer. Soooo, I'd like to try to make some hot pepper jelly myself (and freeze it for the winter). I saw recipes for hot cranberry and pepper jelly which I'll be making because it seems perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Does anyone have a favorite hot pepper jelly recipe or flavor? Isn't hot pepper jelly a southern tradition? Thanks.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Good stuff! I sure love reading about your cooking!

 

[Mermaid]

Paula, my mother ran her own business making jams and preserves and hot pepper jelly was one of her all-time customer favorites. I'll be calling her later today so I'll ask her about her recipe for you.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I've never made jelly, and I have no recipes for such. I find www.allrecipes.com to be a very good source for recipes, with people rating and commenting on the recipes they use. You might check it out.

 

[Beach Runner]

Sorry, Paula, this Southern girl can't help you on this one. Even though I was born and reared in Atlanta, about the only Southern cooking I do is the occasional turnip greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. I OD'd on Southern food as a child, so I prefer ethnic/international cuisine.

Here's a recipe from my Junior League's cookbook and submitted by someone who is a good cook:

Hot Pepper Jelly

2 medium red peppers, seeded and cut into eighths
6 jalape?o chilies with seeds, halved
8 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 6-ounce box liquid pectin

Combine peppers and jalape?os in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped (do not pur?e). Add to large saucepan with sugar and vinegar; bring to a boil over high heat. Skim foam from surface. Add pectin and return to a boil; boil for one minute. Skim foam again. Ladle mixture into 9 sterilized 1/2-pint jars.

 

[ktschris]

KTSCHRIS's Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe:

Step 1. Turn on computer

Step 2. Go to harryanddavid.com

Step 3. Order


It's simple and yummy. Hope it helps

 

[Paula]

Thanks for all your advice. I found some good recipes on the internet (or they look good), but I like getting recipes from people I know because they're often better (tested) and then I can say, "Hey, this is Mango's Mom's hot pepper jelly" and I can even write that on the jar -- "Mango's Mom's Magnificent Hot Pepper Jelly" sounds like a great name. I like Harry and David's hot pepper jelly, too, though I'm going to support our local market and make my own with the local peppers. And Harry and David is $$$$$ and we're eating a lot of it these days.

 

[jamsandjelly]

Dear Paula,

I received an email from my daughter, Deirdre, stating that you wished my jalapeno pepper jelly recipe. When I had my jam business this variety outsold everything else, and with good reason.

It?s easy to make, however, Deirdre didn?t know how experienced you were with jam making. If it?s new to you, I would suggest you get the Ball Book of Jam Making (put out by the Ball bottle people?you can get it in hardware stores, Amazon, etc. Any other easy, well illustrated cookbook would also give you good instructions.

You will need a stainless steel 8 qt. pot, a large testing spoon (a wide serving spoon would serve), the usual Cuisinart to chop up the peppers, a scale to weigh sugar, measuring cups, etc. 6-8 8oz. Jelly jars with 2 piece lids. Do not use jars and wax. A pitcher for pouring hot jelly into jars. I use a stainless steel water pitcher bought in a kitchen supply house.

JALAPENO PEPPER JELLY

1 ? cups cider vinegar
? cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 c pectin (I use dry pectin, but the liquid Certo works well)
3 lbs sugar
? lb. bell peppers, all green or mixed red and green. Leave in seeds. Chop in cuisinart.
? lb. jalapeno peppers, chopped
Dab of butter, around 1 tbs?this controls the foaming when pot comes to rolling boil.

l. Combine vinegar and lemon juice
1. Bring to boil?add pectin?heat to boil. Stir so ingredients stay liquid.
3. Add peppers?heat to boil
4. Add sugar, slowly, and bring to boil.
5. Add butter
6. Cook 2-3 minutes?counting begins when you have a full rolling boil.
7. Skim, pour into pitcher, bottle.


The peppers will be coming in until early fall so there is no need to make it in this unbearable heat. Unless of course, you have a real taste for it and have to do it now.

When we go to Umbria we stay at the same apartment at a country house. While there I always make their jams for the family, but Lino?s request is always the jalapeno pepper jelly and as hot as I can get it. Knowing it makes him happy, I make a two years? supply so it will last until we get back.

Regards,

Leone

 

[Paula]

Leone: I love you (and Deirdre, too). Thank you. I had my first taste of hot pepper jelly this summer and I'm so hooked. I have done canning before and I even have the Ball Canning Book (didn't even think to look there). I don't can things in the regular way anymore, I just make jams, chutney, etc., and freeze it (we have a full stand up freezer). I will spend much of early September cooking and freezing, and I'll make a lot of your pepper jelly for sure. I just put it over cream cheese on crackers and I love it -- is there anything else you do with pepper jelly?

And I didn't realize you go to Umbria. We go to Tuscany where my father was from. A little town called Barga, near Lucca. Absolutely lovely.

Thanks again for taking the time to write up your pepper jelly recipe for me. I will make it and it will have your name on the jar...

 

[momof2kids]

KTSCHRIS's Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe:

Step 1. Turn on computer

Step 2. Go to harryanddavid.com

Step 3. Order


It's simple and yummy. Hope it helps

Or just go to the outlet mall and buy it (Pepper & Onion Relish) in person at Harry & David - much cheaper there plus you get free samples!!!

Recently, I have also seen jars of pepper jelly at Honey Baked Ham in Destin by Barnes & Noble.