Pennsylvania Dutch crack — red pepper jelly

• 5 Tbsp. Ball^®Classic Pectin 
• 12 jalapeno peppers, cored seeded and minced (about 1-1/4 cup) 
• 1-3/4 cups cider vinegar 
• 1/2 tsp. butter 
• 3-1/2 cup sugar
• Ball^® glass preserving jars with lids and bands
• Required: Ball^® freshTECH Jam + Jelly Maker

What is this required thing ‘YOU WILL NEED’ that I never heard of? With weird capitalization, and that shout-y header and all?

Then I looked. Then I laughed. Oh no, no, no. None of this “better living through chemistry” stuff — or large and  unnecessary kitchen appliances.

Besides, pectin is for wussies. Forget about it. Do this instead.

My favorite version of this jelly is as hot as I can make it, from Canning for a New Generation by Liane Krissoff.

The recipe can be found at this site, with the photo from the book — it shows the final product.

Although it’s a fairly simple recipe, the work is all at the beginning. First, you combine a lot of stuff with your hot peppers, much of it pectin rich — apples, lemons, and I used cranberries in the “plum” ingredient line that adds color. Cranberries have pectin too.

Then you cook it all down into a slurry:

And sieve it through a very fine mesh — as in my boullion sieve — no pushing stuff thorough here — just scrape lightly if the sieve clogs. You want a liquid with no solids:

Starts like this . . .

until no more liquid comes out. Don’t push the mush through the sieve.

And collect the precious liquid.

I wound up with quite a lot of liquid in the end. The recipes in the book are on the small side, as Krissoff began canning in an urban kitchen, so I usually double them.  Even though I have a very large preserving pan, I had enough liquid to almost justify two batches, but it just squeaked by as a single batch.

The final yield

. . . into the pan, mixed with the right amount of sugar.

Then you cook down this juice, with 3/4 cup of sugar for each cup of juice rendered. A single batch makes about four cups, which you can top up with water if you run short. Mine was extra juicy — I got about 10 cups instead of the 4 x 2 = 8 expected.

Cook until it reaches at set point, at about 220ish degrees F. I took mine to 225. The jelly is a bit on the soft side, the better to spread on whatever. It makes a great glaze too.  Roasted chicken, for example, really goes well.

Despite my many jam-making adventures, this is the one people ask for hopefully every year. Kids don’t like it. More for you. Good with adult beverages.