Monday, February 11, 2013

Red Pepper Jelly


 I made this as a gift for some friends and paired it up with goat's cheese (made locally) and rice crackers. A totally sibbling combination! (minus the rivalry of course).
My first attempt at jelly... looked so easy, and IS easy, as long as you don't boil it for too long; an important point I did not know until after the fact. This Red Pepper Jelly tastes delicious, however, it turned into more of a drizzly glaze. After speaking to a friends of mine who has more professional cooking experience, he explained that if it is boiled for too long the pectin loses all it's activity.
Trial and error! Although this jelly didn't really come out jellified I want to share it with you because it still tastes delicious, looks amazing, and I will get it right next time. You can learn from my mistake

 4 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried hot red-pepper flakes
1 pouch of liquid pectin
5 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
  • Place red peppers in a food processor and purée.
  • Combine puréed peppers, sugar and vinegar in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
  • Remove pot from the heat. Let cool for 15 minutes. This allows the peppers to continue cooking slowly and prevents them from floating to the surface.
  • Add pectin and return pot to stove. Simmer over medium heat for at least 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Skim any foam from the surface.
  • To jar your jelly, place your jars and their lids in boiling water to sterilize them. Spoon the jelly into the jars immediately and lid them. As long as you use hot jars and hot sterilized lids they will stay sealed.

1 comment:

Suzie said...

YUM! What a great gift!