preserving: spicy red pepper jelly

5073393286 2c3cfbf63b preserving: spicy red pepper jelly

Oh man this is good stuff. A few years ago, my top appetizer-to-toss-together was goat cheese, red pepper jelly and quickly sauteed Greek pita (the slightly thicker variety—not the pita pockets). I would give the pitas a quick visit in the skillet with some olive oil and Italian herbs, then cut them into wedges. It was always, always a hit and the jar of red pepper jelly would be inhaled consumed politely by guests.

Since coming home from our year abroad [cycling from Amsterdam to Paris, then living in Italy]—we are still recovering from unfavorable exchange rates (aka weak dollar!). My budget doesn’t stretch to an $8 splurge on my favorite jar of red pepper jelly (from Stonewall Kitchen); so I did what any newbie-to-the-canning-world would do: I made my own. And for pennies on the dollar. I was thrilled to discover it was every bit as good as the off-the-shelf variety (okay, maybe better, but you will have to make it to see for yourself…).

4609098286 3ec5910d49 preserving: spicy red pepper jelly

Now my favorite appetizer is just as easy to assemble: open jar and insert spoon, plate cheese, saute and cut pita… but that much more rewarding. And guess what my friends and family are getting for Christmas?

Quick note: I made Spicy Red Pepper Jelly with Pomona Pectin which I LOVE. This natural citrus pectin means I can add less sugar (and no—they didn’t send me any free samples—I discovered it all on my own. I also made Rhubarb Strawberry Jam with Pomona’s Pectin and used 4 cups fruit and only 1 1/3 cups sugar… it was full of fruit flavor).

Spicy Red Pepper Jelly
1 cup finely chopped (OR quickly pureed) bell red pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tsp calcium water from POMONA PECTIN.
1 1/2 tsp pectin from POMONA PECTIN.
2 1/3 cup white sugar

1. Wash and rinse jars; let stand in hot water. Bring lids to boil; let stand in hot water.

2. Prepare fruit: Puree peppers, place in pot with vinegar and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil, then let simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add calcium water to pan. Stir well.

4. In small bowl, combine pectin powder with 1/2 cup sugar.

5. Bring pepper mixture back to a boil, stir in pectin-sugar blend to dissolve. Then add remaining sugar. Stir vigorously to dissolve, once it boils, remove from heat.

6. Fill jars to 1/4inch from top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on lids. Boil 10 minutes in hot water bath. Remove and let cool.

5015184811 e12880a6c1 preserving: spicy red pepper jelly

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Krista said (12 October 2010 at 8:11 am):

Oh, your jelly is GORGEOUS!!! I adore pepper jelly too – and your sauteed pita wedges sound amazing. I’ve never tried making my own jelly, but I imagine it must be HEAPS better than store bought.

amy said (12 October 2010 at 8:12 am):

That looks fun to make and how beautiful are they? Sounds like another one I will put on my to do list!! And super happy you told me how to use it as well. Now I am headed to our local farmers market and I am hoping to find the “pear” of my dreams:) For canning and a wonderful pear tart.

Lorrine Lanier said (8 November 2010 at 6:25 am):

Thanks for that. I moved away from Greece when I was really young, and I really want to rediscover my heritage. I’ve been trying out a lot of random greek recipes, and the best I’ve found yet is this greek recipe – it totally remind me of my childhood. I dont remember much of it except for the lovely smells and tasty food on every street corner.

Lisa said (6 December 2010 at 5:15 pm):

Thanks for the recipe. I made it last night and this was my first attempt at pepper jelly. I used finely chopped red jalapeno peppers instead of the pepper flakes (a bit more than a 1/3 of a cup) because I had fresh ones on hand. It had a tiny kick but I think I’ll add more next time. Overall the jelly was a bit vinegary for my taste though… maybe that was because I used the fresh pepper?

janelle (author) said (6 December 2010 at 9:03 pm):

Bummer! LOVE the idea of fresh peppers;). I double checked and it does say 1 1/3 cup vinegar. That does seem like a lot, but I didn’t notice when the flavor shoed itself in the end. Maybe you have a better palate;)).

Best of 2010. | Talk of Tomatoes said (31 December 2010 at 10:22 am):

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[...] Last summer I was playing around in my kitchen, learning about small-batch canning and attempting to fill my shelves with jars. BUT some preserves quickly moved beyond ‘playing around’, and jumped to the category of ‘must make every year.’ We got used to tucking into a particular preserve and found ourselves reaching for it time and again. This summer, I started with a list of ‘must-make’ preserves: 1. strawberry jam, 2. peach plum ginger compote (pictured), 3. brandied fig jam and 4. red pepper jelly. [...]