Holy Jalapeno!!

If any of you are put off by the thought of jelly made out of jalapenos, I just pity you. If you have never had a cream cheese stuffed, deep-fried jalapeno dipped in this wonderful stuff, you haven't really lived!

It is the sad reality that my garden does not produce all it's peppers and tomatoes at the same time, making it easier for me to make salsa! (which is almost the whole reason I planted the garden.....) First come the peppers all at once. So many that I can't handle it!! Then, when I finally get a good amount of ripe tomatoes, all the peppers are gone.....It's a good thing they're cheap! But I'm still left with a plethora of peppers. So I put up some jalapeno jelly to keep me warm in the wintertime! If it lasts that long......Spencer has been begging me for three days to bust open a jar. When I explained what I was making, he was so not convinced. It wasn't until I special made him a cracker with cream cheese and a little jelly that he changed his mind. He quite loved it.

So don't knock it until you try it:

Jalapeno Jelly

1 cup jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup red or orange pepper--can be bell or combination of other peppers (I used Santa Fe peppers)

6 cups sugar

2 envelopes liquid pectin, 3 oz. each

1/2 tsp. unsalted butter

Prepare canning jars and lids as directed by manufacturers directions. This recipe makes 6 8-oz. pint jars....so have 8 jars ready, just in case.

Do not use seeds in the jelly. If you want a hotter product, put the seeds into a piece of cheesecloth or muslin and put it into the sugar mixture, but REMOVE it BEFORE you put the pectin in. In a large stainless-steel pan combine the vinegar, peppers, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. (Add the unsalted butter here if you want to use it--it helps to keep the foam down to a minimum.)

Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a full boil, at this point, stir constantly. Once a rolling boil is reached, pour in the liquid pectin. Return to a full boil and stir constantly for 1 full minute. Remove from heat.

Immediately ladle the jelly into your hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims off and screw on bands.

4 to 8 oz. jars need to be processed 10 minutes at sea level. pint jars, 15 minutes. ADJUST TIME FOR ALTITUDE!!!

In Utah County, an additional 10 minutes needs to be added to the bath process.

Remove from canner and place on towel to cool. Wait about 15 minutes and then carefully tilt and twist jars to distribute the pepper pieces throughout the jelly while cooling. Cool at least 12 hours before storing.

Thanks to sleepycathollow for the recipe! I thought it turned out great! I will try the pepper seeds in a cheesecloth idea when I make it next--just to add a little more heat.