This jelly can be hot-hot-hot (or not)

I have to admit that my first foray into making jelly from jalapeño peppers was an unmitigated disaster.
I have a bit of experience in making jams and jellies out of fresh fruits that are heavy on the natural sugars and the added sugar so that you easily end up with a thick, gooey base that morphs into a spreadable jam with a little pectin and some heat.
Working with peppers is a little different. It needs a little more pectin to thicken up the jalapeños that don't have so much pulp and little of their own thickening sugars.
My first batch looked like a clear thick water with some tiny chunks of pepper floating at the top. I tried to add a bit of food coloring as per the recipe I had been given, but then I just had green thick water with tiny chunks of pepper floating at the top.
Oh well - if at first you don't succeed...
So, I dumped the first batch and sterilized the jars and tried the whole thing again, making adjustments to the recipe. This time it was better.
I added the food coloring, though I generally don't like to do that, just because it looked prettier for the picture. It makes no difference in the flavor so leave it out. You'll have a sort of speckled clear jelly, but once you slather in on a hunk of bread with some cream cheese, the color doesn't matter. The sweet-hot flavor will make you close your eyes to enjoy the taste.
Jalapeño Jelly
  • 12 jalapeño peppers
  • 1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 4 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces of liquid pectin
  • 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (the heat is in the seeds and membranes so if you want more heat, leave in some seeds and membranes. For a cooler jelly, take all of that out.)

  •
•Put the 12 jalapeno peppers in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped.
 •Transfer the peppers to a large saucepan, and stir in the cider vinegar. Bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
 •Strain the mixture through at least 2 layers of cheesecloth, and discard pulp. You should have about a cup of liquid.
 •Return the liquid to the saucepan, and stir in the salt and sugar until the whole of it is dissolved. Bring everything to a to a boil again over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil, keep it going for one minute, then stir in the liquid pectin.
 •Stir in the remaining peppers, and ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. •Seal jars in a hot water bath.
Vegan

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