Hot Pepper Jelly
We all have foods we adore, foods we like, and foods we’re not crazy about. Personally, I’m not crazy about spicy foods. I wish I was. I understand the appeal, but ultimately, I just can’t handle very much heat. However, I’ve found that when a spicy food has a sweet component, the heat becomes much more bearable. This hot pepper jelly is spicy, but not too spicy. The hot sweetness of the jelly combined with the sourness of the vinegar is a perfect combination. I especially love this jelly on ground chicken pearl meatballs, but it’s also wonderful on cheese and crackers, fried foods, roasted vegetables…
The hot pepper jelly calls for one whole jalapeño, seeds and ribs included. Most of the heat is in the ribs and seeds, so I personally remove some of them to soften the heat; however, leave them in if you love heat. Also note that jalapeños differ in heat based on their size and coloring. Jalapenos with a goldish stripe are much hotter (see the jalapeños pictured here).
Note: I purée the peppers before cooking because I prefer a smoother jelly. But if you prefer a chunkier jelly, I would recommend skipping this step. Alternatively, the cooked peppers can be puréed with a stick blender after cooking. The liquid gelatin added at the end is optional. The jelly is still delicious without it, just a bit less gelled.
Hot Pepper Jelly
4 large red bell peppers, weighing ~1 pound 6 ounces (624 grams)
1 whole jalapeño
1½ cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces or 14 grams) liquid pectin
Remove stem and seeds from red peppers and chop. You should have ~4-4½ cups (1 pound 3 ounces or 539 grams). Chop the jalapeño, leaving in seeds and ribs (for desired heat). Purée chopped peppers in a food processor until fairly smooth. Add to medium saucepan together with sugar, vinegar, and salt. Heat to boiling. Cook at a low boil until mixture is reduced by ~⅓ and is thick. Add pectin and boil for one minute.
