While this may not be a cheese recipe, we would argue that it is absolutely essential to include our Pepper Jelly recipe here! Those of you who have tried our homemade pepper jelly, either at one of our dining events or in one of our gift boxes, know how magical it is! Beyond just pairing it with cheeses, we have used it as a dipping sauce for fried calamari or eggrolls, as a glaze for a holiday ham, a risotto mix-in, and it makes a GREAT sandwich condiment!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. sweet red peppers (Bell Pepper or any variety of sweet pepper) seeded and cut into 1" pieces (around 6 cups)
- 1 or 2 small hot red peppers seeded and chopped (add more if you prefer more heat!)
- 3 Tbsp. Low/No Sugar Needed Pectin (comes in a jar as a dry powder, can be found online. Regular can be used if you cannot find this version, just not the liquid pectin.)
- 3 1/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 c. white vinegar
- Canning jars with lids and screw rings (should yield 2-3 pints)
Directions:
- Prepare & sanitize jars as directed for water bath canning (you can do this in your dishwasher, using the 'sanitize' setting & no detergent).
- Fill canner or stock pot with enough water to cover jars at least 2" above lids. Heat water to boiling.
- In a small saucepan, put enough water to cover lids (seal side up) and put on low temperature.
- Pulse peppers in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Combine pectin and 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a heavy 5-6 quart pot (stainless works best). Stir together pepper mixture, vinegar and 3 remaining cups of sugar. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then continue to boil vigorously over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture whisking constantly. Return jelly to a vigorous rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly). Remove from heat.
- Ladle jelly into clean hot jars leaving 1/4" of space at top. Run a clean knife or spatula between jelly and sides of jars to eliminate air bubbles.
- Wipe off rims of filled jars with damp clean cloth, then firmly screw on lids and bands. Put jars in a water bath canner and boil for 15 minutes (30 min for larger jars).
- Remove and cool. Jelly will thicken as it cools. Note: if lid does not seal after cooling, you can use a new lid & re-can or just refrigerate.
Tip: we also make green pepper jelly using this same recipe by using all green peppers. It tastes just as good with green! We haven't found anything this jelly doesn't taste good with. Hope you enjoy as much as we do.
