Re: [CH] pepper jelly
Jim Graham (spooky130@cox.net)
Thu, 11 Aug 2005 12:14:35 -0500
On Thu, Aug 11, 2005 at 11:24:57AM -0400, Yvonne Burchfield wrote:
> Coming out of lurking mode again.
Same here. :-)
> I have decided to make some pepper jelly with all the beautiful habs
> coming out of the garden.
Must be nice---last year's hurricane (Ivan) wiped out most of my pepper
garden, and just as it was starting to get started again this year,
hurricane Dennis came along.... Anyways, back to jelly. :-)
> I have Matt's recipe and it calls for one box of powdered pectin.
> My question: Can you substitute one pouch of liquid pectin for the
> powdered? Are they interchangeable or will I need more of the liquid
> kind?
Here's what I do for habanero jelly...works out very nicely, IMHO (and
that opinion is shared by the chile-heads I know locally, who go crazy
over the stuff).... Buy the CERTO liquid pectin (grocery store). You'll
also need a bit of apple juice, apple cider vinegar (I used white wine
vinegar in the last two batches as a substitute---will probably do so from
now on), and red food coloring (it only takes a drop or two).
Follow the recipe for the uncooked jalapeno jelly (use habs instead, with
red food coloring instead of green), but use the procedures for the COOKED
version.
Adjust the amount on the habs to taste---I'm not sure how much you can
increase it without causing problems with the jelly setting (or even if
it's a problem at all!), so I'm bumping it up gradually from one batch to
the next.... For my most recent batches, I used about 1/2 and 3/4 cup
diced habs. They say remove the seeds, but I don't know why...go with
whatever you think looks best.
Anyways, about a day or so later, you've got some nice habanero jelly.
You can make it more mild for non-chile-heads (e.g., as a gift) by using
less habanero. My first batch was like that.... Non-chile-heads had a
chance to discover that wonderful habanero flavor, and the sweetness
offset the heat enough that even those who consider jalapenos too hot
for them loved the stuff ... and the chile-heads I knew at the time went
nuts over it (even if it wasn't really hot). These last two batches make
the non-CHs at work run, screaming, for something to drink, and the CHs
I work with can't get enough.
Oh, on that, a couple of notes.... First, when they say keep it at a
rolling boil for exactly one minute, they mean 60 seconds, not 59, not
61...60 seconds. A second or two lower and the jelly won't set as well.
A second or two higher, and the jelly will be too thick, and the sugars
will crystallize over time.
When your jelly is finished, be creative in using it---I've found it
to be nice on, along with the obvious uses, breakfast burritos, and
some other places where you might automatically think of habanero sauce.
Anyways, speaking of breakfast burritos, it's time for breakfast and
some habaneros to start my day. :-) Good luck.
Later,
--jim
PS: Kerr has some really nice jelly jars that are perfect, particularly
if you're planning on giving any of the jelly away as a gift. The
jars aren't expensive, so if (when) people don't return the empty
jars, it's no big deal.
--
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