Ingredients
- 1.2 pounds apples (3 to 4 medium), finely chopped
- 12 ounces red bell peppers (2 medium), finely chopped
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 12 ounces jalapeño peppers (about 12 medium), seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp kosher or pickling salt
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups cider vinegar
Directions
- Prepare the jars and lids.
- In a large pot, combine the lemons, apples, red peppers, jalapeños, salt, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often and reducing the heat as necessary, until thick.
- Remove from heat and fish out the lemons, which will now just be soft pieces of peel; discard lemons.
- Ladle jam into the hot jars to within 1/4 inch of the rim. Remove any air bubbles and wipe rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until fingertip-tight.
- Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
I love pepper jelly, a Southern staple frequently paired with cream cheese and crackers, but I’d never made it myself. Every time I saw a jar, I’d buy or trade for it, but every recipe I’d ever seen used pectin. My gustatory feelings about pectin aside, I’m just not very good at using it — often I can’t get the right set, even when I follow instructions to a tee. (Maybe pectin is punishing me?) Finally, though, a client asked whether I could make some pepper jam, so I started experimenting with natural pectin boosters. First, I threw in a few apples, and then I saw a very old recipe in a vintage Time Life preserving book that used quartered lemons. Bingo! The result isn’t quite the same as the pepper jellies you might know — it’s a little looser, a little chunkier — but it’s absolutely incredible with cream cheese and crackers. And biscuits, too!
Tips
I find it easiest to use a food processor to chop the apples, red peppers and jalapeños — just make sure not to chop them too finely!
I highly recommend you wear plastic gloves to handle the jalapeños; otherwise, you’ll be sorry.
More recipes from Preservation Society Home Preserves:
Courtesy of Preservation Society Home Preserves by Camilla Wynne, 2015 © Robert Rose Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold.
