Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 cup vinegar
• 5 cups sugar
• 1 foil pouch, liquid fruit pectin

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan combine jalapeno peppers, cranberry juice cocktail, and vinegar.
2. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
3. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to remove all of the liquid.
5. Measure 2 cups liquid.
6. Discard pulp.
7. In a large pot, combine the 2 cups strained liquid and the sugar.
8. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
9. Stir in the pectin.
10. Return to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.
13. Immediately ladle jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
14. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.
15. Process jars in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boil). 
16. Remove jars from canner, cool on wire racks. 
17. Jelly may require 2 to 3 days to set. 

Makes about 5-6 half-pints.

Holly's Note:
I found the original recipe at Better Homes and Gardens. The first year I made it, I used habaneros instead of jalapenos. I left most of the seeds in and it was hot. Damn hot. But, my uncle loves spicy, so he enjoyed it. This year, we used jalapenos and it wasn't quite as hot. The cranberry juice gives it a lovely pink color. 

This year I had so many extra jalapenos that I added a whole pepper to each jar of jelly.