Hot Red Pepper Jelly Recipes

Steps:

• Place vinegar and peppers in a blender; cover and puree. Add 2 cups sugar; blend well. Pour into a Dutch oven. Stir in remaining 4 cups sugar; bring to a boil. Strain mixture and return to pan. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin and food coloring if desired. Continue to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool., Serve with cream cheese on crackers.

Steps:

• Sterilize jars and lids:
• Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Dry screw bands. Put empty jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner or a deep 8- to 10-quart pot and add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. Remove canner from heat, leaving jars in water, covered. Heat lids in water to cover by 2 inches in a small saucepan until thermometer registers 180°F (do not let boil). Remove from heat. Keep jars and lids submerged in hot water, covered, until ready to use.
• Make jelly:
• Pulse bell peppers with red-pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped. (Mixture will measure about 2 1/2 cups.)
• Whisk together pectin and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• Stir together pepper mixture, vinegar, butter, salt, and remaining 3 cups sugar in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then continue to boil vigorously, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture, whisking constantly. Return jelly to a vigorous boil, stirring constantly, and boil, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly). Remove from heat.
• Carefully remove jars and lids with canning tongs, then drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel and quickly dry lids. Invert jars and immediately ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. (Last jar may not be full.) Run a clean plastic spatula between jelly and sides of jars to eliminate air bubbles. Wipe off rims of filled jars with a damp clean kitchen towel, then firmly screw on lids with screw bands.
• Seal and process jars:
• Put sealed jars on rack in canner or pot and add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches. (If you have a jar that is partially full, do not process it. Cover it with a lid and screw band, then keep in refrigerator.) Bring to a full boil, covered, then boil jelly, covered, 15 minutes. Transfer jars with canning tongs to a towel-lined surface to cool. Jars will seal; if you hear a ping, that means that the vacuum formed above the cooling jelly has made the lid concave. Remember that you may or may not be around to hear the ping. The important thing is for the jars to eventually have concave lids. Jelly will thicken as it cools.
• After jars have cooled, 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift lid with your fingertips. If you can't, the lid has a good seal. Replace screw band. Put any jars that haven't sealed properly in the refrigerator and use them first (along with jar that was only partially full).

Steps:

• Run the red and green peppers through a coarse grinder, or pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a strainer, and drain really well. This is key to your success.
• While the peppers are draining, sterilize your jars by boiling or using the dishwasher. Keep hot.
• In a large pot, combine the peppers, vinegar, white sugar, red pepper flakes and pectin. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat while stirring constantly. A rolling boil is one that does not stop when stirred. Boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat, and ladle into hot sterile jars to within 1/2 inch of the top. Seal with new lids and rings. Place into a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. The jars should be completely covered by water. Remove and let cool. The jelly will be somewhat loose. The last jar may not be full. Just refrigerate, and use within a week or two.

Steps:

• Place a few small plates in freezer. Combine apples and 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, mashing occasionally with a potato masher, until fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer fruit to a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl; let drain without pressing on fruit, 4 hours. Strain again through sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. (You should have 2 cups.)
• In a saucepan, bring juice, vinegar, salt, bell pepper, and hot pepper to a boil. Add sugar; return to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cook, stirring, 11 minutes. Turn off heat. Place a small spoonful of jelly on a chilled plate; return to freezer 1 minute. Remove and push your finger through mixture; if it wrinkles, it is done. If not, return to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes, then check again. (Or cook until a thermometer registers 221 degrees.) Skim foam from top.
• Ladle into clean containers, leaving 3/4 inch of headroom; let cool completely. Cover, label, and refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 1 year.