Jalapeno Jelly

Who would have thunk it? I LOVE jalapeno jelly! 

I had this plethora of jalapenos from the garden this year.  (Hooray for not killing off all the plants this summer!)  There were so many that I thought I'd take a risk and attempt something new...canning.

This was the perfect way for me to delve into the world of canning.  There was a very small yield, so if I completely messed things up I wouldn't have wasted a bunch of time and energy.

The recipes I used were from Mommy's Kitchen and the Cafe Sucre Farine. Most jalapeno jelly is green, but I used half a red and half an orange pepper, so my jelly is orange-y.  I prefer this because green jelly weirds me out.  It reminds me of Slimer from Ghostbusters.

I haven't tried the jelly in these jars yet.  I didn't sterilize enough jars so I put some jelly up in the fridge.  The fridge jelly seemed a lot clearer and brighter, probably because it didn't go through that final boil to seal the jars. 

The Jelly in these jars look a lot more brown than orange.  That is more a trick of the poor lighting in my kitchen.  Although, like I said, the fridge version of the jelly is a lot more vibrant than the stuff that went through the canning process.  Hopefully, it will taste just as good.

Jalapeno Jelly from Mommy's Kitchen and Cafe Sugre Farine
6 oz jalapeno peppers, seeded (about 7 medium) (I took all the seeds out of mine, but leave some in if you want the jelly to be really spicy!)
1/2 each roasted red and orange peppers, seeded
1  c apple cider vinegar
3  c sugar
1 - 3 0z pouch Ball or Certo Fruit Liquid Pectin (Ball makes a really thick jelly, which I prefer)
3 - half pint canning jars with Lids & Bands

Wash jars in hot soapy water and then prepare a large pot with a round rack or dish cloth on the bottom of the pot. Place jars on top of rack/dish cloth. Simmer, not boil, jars and lids in hot water bath until ready to use. Set bands aside.  Remove seeds and stems from all peppers. Use gloves when handling the jalapenos as the oil will burn for some time if you touch your eye or nose, even if you are super careful.  Puree peppers in food processor with 1/2 c cider vinegar til smooth, do not strain. In lg pot combine puree w remaining 1/2 c cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 10 min, stirring frequently, making sure it doesn't boil over. Add pectin, making sure to squeeze all of it out of the pouch.  Boil hard for 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. (I didn't have any)
 
Ladle into hot jar leaving 1/4" head space. Wipe rims with clean cloth. Remove lids from hot water and center on jars. Apply bands but do not over tighten .   Add jars to hot water bath. Water level should be as such to cover jars completely.  Boil 10 min, starting timer when water is at a rolling boil.

Remove jars to hot pad to cool.  After 24 hrs, lid should not pop up when center is pressed.