Green Pepper Jelly

Yield: about 6 half pints

7 sweet peppers
1 – 2 jalapeño peppers
1 ½ cups vinegar
1 ½ cups apple juice
1 package powdered pectin
½ teaspoon salt (canning or kosher salt)
5 cups sugar

To prepare:

Wash pepper; remove stems & seeds. Puree peppers with 3/4 cup of the vinegar in a food processor.

Combine vinegar and apple juice, pectin, salt and peppers in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.

Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Slowly stir mixture two more minutes to distribute the pepper pieces throughout. Skim foam if necessary.

Ladle hot jelly into clean, warm jars, leaving ¼ inch head space.

Adjust two-piece caps. Process filled jars10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. (5 minutes if using sterilized jars).

Remove from hot water and let cool undisturbed for 12 – 24 hours.

Clean jars and remove rings for storage. Label and date the product.

Serving tip: serve spread over cream cheese with crackers; serve with warm corn bread and chili. 

Note: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned. Also wearing a dust mask may help prevent being overwhelmed with the odor of hot peppers.

With the interest in home canning, it is important that the proper processing procedures be used on any home canned product. Following a reliable source like the USDA Home Canning Guidelines, www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.htm) will help us keep our food safe and enjoyable. For complete instructions or more information on home canning, contact the OSU Extension Center at 918 746-3706.