Ball Blue Book Jalapeno Jelly Food

JALAPEñO JELLY

Steps:

• Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
• While wearing latex gloves, cut stems from fresh jalapeños, then cut peppers in half. Remove the seeds from the jalapeños for a less spicy jelly (Helpful hint: Run a teaspoon along the inside of each cut jalapeno to remove the seeds), or leave the seeds in if you'd like very spicy jelly.
• Coarsely cut peppers, then place in a food processor or blender with 1 cup of vinegar. Puree until smooth. Do not strain.
• Pour pureed jalapeño mixture into a medium pot along with the remaining 1 cup vinegar and all of the sugar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. (Be very careful here, this mixture WILL foam up and over the top unless you are careful.) Just as it starts to come to a boil, lower heat and with a ladle, skim off any foam. Then, increase the temperature under the pot to a point where it will gently boil, but not rise up and over the top.
• Boil for 10 minutes then while whisking, add one pectin pouch and boil hard for an additional minute. Remove from heat, skimming any additional foam if necessary.
• We chose not to add the optional green food coloring to our jelly. But if you'd like your jelly to be a darker green, add one or two drops and stir to combine.
• Ladle hot jelly into hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when pressed in center.

BALL BLUE BOOK PLUM JAM

Steps:

• Never double canning recipe!
• Combine plums, water, lemon juice, and pectin in a large sauce pot. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Add sugar; return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4" head space. Adjust caps.
• Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
• Brandied Plum Jam: add 1 cup brandy to fruit mixture.
• Plum Orange Spice Jam: add zest from 1 orange, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg to fruit mixture.

HABANERO APRICOT JELLY

Steps:

• Using a food processor, finely mince the diced apricots.
• Place the apricots in a large stainless steel stockpot, add the vinegar and cover. Let the apricots soak in the vinegar for at least 4 hours (can be left to sit overnight if you'd like, but 4 hours will do the trick).
• Using a food processor, finely mince the red bell pepper and habanero peppers.
• Place the apricots, vinegar, peppers, and sugar in a large stainless steel stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to make sure all the sugar dissolves.
• Once the mixture has reached a full rolling boil (a boil you can not stir down), it will double in size. Stirring constantly, keep at a full boil for one minute.
• Remove from heat and whisk in pectin and continue to stir for 3 minutes - this helps to evenly distribute the apricot and pepper pieces throughout the jelly.
• Ladle the jelly into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any jelly which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 5 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.

BALL BLUE BOOK PEACH OR PEAR JAM

Steps:

• Combine fruit, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Stir in liquid pectin. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
• Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps.
• Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. (Note: Add appropriate additional processing time for high altitudes).
• Recipe variation:.
• Add 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice and 1 cinnamon stick tied in a spice bag to jam during cooking. Remove spice bag before filling jars.

JALAPENO PEPPER JELLY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar, apples, vinegar, green pepper, jalapenos and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Strain mixture and return to pan. Stir in food coloring. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Continue to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into five hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Serve with cream cheese on crackers.