Hot Pepper Jelly

Recipe adapted by Erin Mittelstaedt, courtesy of Pomona’s Universal Pectin

INGREDIENTS

• 4 red peppers finely chopped (3 ½–4 cups)
• 3 jalapeno peppers; remove seeds and finely chopped (⅓–½ cup)
• 4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 6 teaspoons calcium water (calcium powder and instructions included in Pomona’s Pectin box)
• 6 cups of sugar
• 4½ teaspoons Pomona’s Universal pectin powder

PREPARATION

1. Wash and rinse canning jars. Place canning jars, lids and bands in hot water (180°F) for at least 10 minutes. Let stand in hot water until ready to fill, remove jars, lids, and bands one at a time as needed.
2. Bring red peppers, jalapenos and apple cider vinegar to a boil.
3. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in calcium water.
5. Measure 1 cup of sugar into a separate bowl, add and thoroughly mix in pectin powder into sugar.
6. Bring pepper mixture to a boil and slowly add in sugar-pectin mixture stirring vigorously until dissolved. Once dissolved, stir in remaining 5 cups of sugar. Once all the sugar is incorporated remove from heat.
7. Fill jars to ¼–inch of top. Wipe rims clean and screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water covered by at least one inch of water. Cover pot and boil for 10 mins (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Remove from water and let jars cool. Once cooled (can take up to 12-24 hours) check seals and lids, they should be sucked down.

Makes 12–13 cups. Cook time, 24 hours.

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Cook’s notes: This red pepper jelly recipe is simple and only requires six ingredients: red peppers, jalapeno peppers, apple cider vinegar, sugar, pectin, and calcium water. (The calcium for the calcium water is included in every box of Pomona’s Pectin.) It is delicious served over cream cheese on crackers.

I used a food processor to finely chop the peppers but you can chop them by hand as well. Be careful with the jalapenos, I made the mistake of using bare hands when cleaning them and then rubbed my eye which immediately felt like it was on fire. Using gloves when working with jalapenos is probably best. Read about working with pectin here.