When there is an abundance of something our imagination goes beyond and over and we try out things that we have never even thought of before. That is usually my case at the end of every summer. I plant so many peppers (different varieties though) during the beginning of the season that by the end of summer I have an abundance of every kind. Though I freeze a lot of peppers I still end up having a lot to use up. And this Jalapeno Jelly is the perfect solution to use those peppers.
Why make this Jalapeno Jelly?
Last spring when we went on a vacation to Florida by road, I had an opportunity to visit several small farm stores on our way back. At one such place, we bought a jar of jalapeno jam. We instantly fell in love with the jelly. It was very hot and it was very sweet at the same time. It fits the Indian palette very well (at least for those who still like their food spicy). After tasting the jelly, I decided that I can use this hot pepper jelly in several recipes. So that is exactly what I did. I made a couple of jars of this jelly from peppers that I had frozen from last year. This Jalapeno Jelly works great as a spread on bread sandwiches but other than that we could use this hot pepper jelly in stir-fries and also as a marinade on paneer, tofu, or vegetables. I love this as a side for my parathas, dosai, etc. The sweet and spicy with a little bit of sourness from the cider vinegar works great. Preparation time – 30 minsCooking time – 30 minsDifficulty level – medium
Ingredients to make Jalapeno Jelly – (makes 2 pints)
Jalapeno peppers – about 1 cup (stems removed and de-seeded) Cider vinegar – 1 cup Sugar – 3 cups Liquid pectin – 1 pouch Red food coloring – optional
Step-by-Step Procedure
Wash and drain the peppers. Remove the stem and de-seed them. You could leave a few seeds if you like your jelly a little bit extra spicy. I skipped this step since I used peppers from last year that were frozen. So I never had a chance to remove the seeds.
Puree the peppers with the cider in a blender.
Combine the puree and the sugar in a large saucepan. I would use a nonaluminum sauce pan just because the vinegar is acidic.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Let it boil for 10 minutes.
Now stir in the liquid pectin and bring it to a rolling boil again. Boil hard for 1 minute then stir constantly. At this stage add the food coloring, if using, and bring it to your desired color.
Ladle hot jelly into jars. If canning the jellies, follow your manufacturer’s instructions to can them. But from my experience, this jelly remains fresh in the refrigerator for about 6 months.
Allow the Jalapeno Jelly to cool entirely so that it can set well.
Remove the seeds from the pepper to reduce the spiciness of the jelly. Also do wear gloves when working with the peppers, especially if you have kids around you. We might be tempted to lift them or wipe their face and forget that our hands dealt with hot peppers (been there, done that). This recipe can be made with frozen jalapenos as well. I have made this recipe with frozen peppers. Pectin helps in thickening the jelly.
More hot pepper recipe
If you still have an abundance of Jalapenos or any other hot pepper for that matter, then this spicy gummy bear recipe is a must-try. Also, make a batch of Jalapeno cheese bread for dinner with some soup. And make a large batch of this delicious Homemade Salsa that tastes better than a restaurant. If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter/X
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