Jalapeno pepper jelly

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
By Carondelet Kitchen

YIELD: 
4-5 half pint jars

TIME:
About 2 hours

Homemade jalapeño pepper jelly with no added pectin! The jelly base comes from tart Granny Smith apples. The addition of a cranberries gives it a vibrant red color.
 
Tart green apples have more pectin than sweet apples, so use tart green apples for this recipe, earlier in the season the better. This is especially true if you are not also using cranberries, as cranberries have their own natural pectin as well.
 
Jalapeño jelly can be pretty "hot" if you have included a lot of the seeds in your cooking. The jelly is great served on crackers with cream cheese because the fat molecules in the cream cheese absorb the hot capsaicin of the jalapeños, reducing the heat, but leaving the flavor of the chiles.

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds of tart Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, chopped into big pieces, including the cores
6 jalapeño chili peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, the seeds and ribs removed from 3 of them (for mildly hot jelly. If you want a hotter jelly leave the seeds and ribs in all of them.)
1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 cup cranberries (optional but recommended, will help with color and with setting)
3 cups water
3 cups Apple Cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
 
Special Equipment:
8-quart Dutch Oven or equivalent large stainless steel pot
A digital thermometer
A large, fine-mesh sieve (or several layers of cheesecloth, or a muslin cloth jelly bag)
4 to 5 half-pint canning jars.

PREPARATION
Step 1:
Boil and mash the apples, jalapeños, bell pepper, and cranberries: Combine the apple pieces, apple cores (needed for their pectin content), jalapeños, bell pepper, cranberries (if using), water and vinegar in a large pot.
 
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low, simmering for about 20 minutes, or until the apples, cranberries, and peppers are soft. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan where it might burn.
Use a potato masher to mash up the apple pieces to the consistency of slightly runny apple sauce. If the mash is too thick, add more water.
 
Step 2:
Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth:
Spoon the mash into a fine mesh sieve, muslin cloth, or a couple layers of cheesecloth, suspended over a large bowl. Leave to strain for several hours (even overnight).
 
If you want a clear jelly, do not squeeze or force through the mesh. Just let it drip. If you want a fuller flavor jelly and don't mind that the result won't be clear, you can force some of the pulp through the mesh.  If you decide to force the pulp, we recommend running it thorough the sieve twice.
 
If your pulp is too thick, and nothing is coming out, you can add an extra 1/2 cup or cup of water to it. You want to end up with about 4 cups of juice.
 
Step 3:
Add sugar to juice, heat to dissolve:
Measure the juice, then pour into a large, wide, thick-bottomed pot. Add the sugar (7/8 a cup for each cup of juice). Heat gently, stirring to make sure the sugar gets dissolved and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
 
Step 4:
Boil until setting point:
Bring to a boil. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, using a spoon to skim off the surface scum.
 
Continue to boil until a digital thermometer shows that the temperature has reached 220-222°F (8-10°F above the boiling point at your altitude).
 
Additional time needed for cooking can be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or longer, depending on the amount of water, sugar, and apple pectin in the mix.  You will notice the mixture thickening as you stir.
 
A thermometer reading isn't always the most reliable indicator of whether or not a jelly is done. Another way to test is put a half teaspoonful of the jelly on a chilled (in the freezer) plate. Allow the jelly to cool a few seconds, then push it with your fingertip. If it wrinkles up, it's ready.
 
Step 5:
Can in jars:
 
Pour jelly into sterilized jars* to within 1/4" from the top and seal. We usually use a water bath canning method.
 
Makes approx. 4=5 half-pint jars.
 
Serve with cream cheese on crackers.