Red and Green Pepper Jelly

from Prizewinning Preserves
Yvonne Tremblay
A three-time grand champion jam and jelly maker at Toronto's Royal Winter Fair, Tremblay is a master of extraordinary preserves with peach lavendar jam, orange zucchini marmalade and purple basil jelly among this collection. 240 pages. $24.95.

This attractive jelly with suspended bits of red and green sweet peppers won first prize at the 1996 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. This recipe can be made with all red or all green peppers. If you follow these instructions you should have no problem with the floating peppers. Hot pepper jellies are very popular and make great Christmas or host/hostess gifts. Serve over cream cheese on crackers as an appetizer or snack.

1 cup finely chopped sweet red peppers
1 cup finely chopped sweet green peppers
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, minced (optional)
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, or 1/4 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
6 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 pouches (85 mL each) liquid pectin

1. In Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot, stir together sweet and jalapeño peppers, vinegar, hot pepper sauce and sugar. Bring to full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil gently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Return to full boil over high heat; stirring constantly.

3. Immediately stir in pectin; return to full boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from heat; skim off any foam. Stir for 5 to 8 minutes (this prevents floating peppers).

5. Ladle into prepared jars to within 1/4" of rim; wipe rims. Apply prepared lids and rings; tighten just until fingertip tight.

6. Process jars in boiling water canner (see details, page 6) for 5 minutes.

7. Let rest at room temperature until set. Check seals; refrigerate any unsealed jars for up to 3 weeks.

Makes about five 250 mL jars.

To test for floating, fill one jar; let rest for 1 minute. If peppers look as though they are starting to float up, pour jelly back into pot and keep stirring; begin again with new sterilized jar.

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