Hot Pepper Jelly
- 8 large red bell peppers (about 3 pounds), stemmed, cored, seeded, and quartered
- 4 medium jalapeño peppers, stemmed, cored, seeded, and quartered
- 2 small serrano peppers, stemmed, cored, seeded, and quartered
- 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 cups sugar
- ½ cup white (distilled) vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (if you prefer a “hotter” jelly)
- Two 3-ounce pouches liquid pectin
Instructions:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers and keep your hands away from your face.
- Wash and rinse 6 half-pint preserving jars and their closures and submerge in a large kettle of boiling water.
- Cut the bell peppers, jalapeños, and serranos into 1-to 1½-inch chunks and pulse in two batches in a food processor or electric blender at high speed until very finely chopped.
- Line a large fine sieve with several layers of cheesecloth and set over a glass or ceramic bowl. Scoop in the chopped peppers, add the garlic, and press out as much juice as possible; if necessary, bundle the peppers in the cheesecloth and wring out the juice. You will need 2 cups; if there is insufficient pepper juice, round out the measure with tap water. Discard the peppers.
- Pour the pepper juice into a deep, nonreactive 2-gallon kettle. Add the sugar, vinegar, lime juice, and, if desired, the hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, adjust so the mixture bubbles easily, then cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Mix in the liquid pectin and as soon as the mixture returns to a rolling boil, cook for 1 minute exactly.
- Set the kettle off the heat. Quickly skim off the froth, then ladle the boiling jelly into the hot jars, filling each to within ¼ inch of the top. Tip: To avoid spills, use a wide-mouth canning funnel. Wipe the jar rims with a damp cloth and screw on the closures.
- Process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath (212° F.). Lift from the water bath; complete the seals, if necessary, by tightening the lids, then cool to room temperature.
- Date and label each jar of jelly, then store on a cool, dark shelf for about a month before serving.