Recipes
Peach & Hot Pepper Jelly
Who doesn't love a little sweet and spicy during the height of summer, right? With fresh local peaches from the farm down the road and more homegrown red hot chili peppers than I know what to do with, I decided to try out a new recipe adapted from a simple jalapeño-peach jelly recipe I've used in the past, and it turned out great! Enjoy this jelly topped on bri cheese, spread on toasted sourdough bread with butter or as a marinade for fish and chicken. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredient List
Makes about 8 half-pints
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4 pounds ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and mashed (about 8 cups)
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2 cups cider vinegar
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8 fresh red hot chile peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
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10 cups granulated sugar
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1 foil pouch of liquid pectin
Directions
1. Peel and pit peaches. Add the peaches to a large saucepan {stainless steel, enamel or nonstick}, and mash the peaches. Some lumps are totally okay!
2. Add vinegar and chopped red hot chili peppers to the peaches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until peaches and peppers are very soft.
3. Prepare jars, lids and rims.
**Disclosure: I am not a professional canning expert. Please consult a professional canning resource for details on water bath canning before attempting to home can.**
4. Using a colander lined with two layers of 100% cotton cheesecloth, strain the mixture. You should have about 4 cups strained liquid. Set the solids aside.
5. Optional: open the cheese cloth and pick out about 1/3 cup of the cooked chili pepper pieces and add back to the saucepan with the strained liquid. Discard the remaining cooked chili peppers and peaches (or use to make biscuits or a galette). I like having a few chili pepper pieces in my jars because it looks pretty, but this is totally optional and you can omit this step.
6. In the same large saucepan, combine the 4 cups strained liquid and the sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly (careful here as the liquid can very easily overflow if you aren't stirring). Quickly stir in pectin. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam with metal spoon and discard.
7. Ladle hot jelly into hot, prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rim and lids and tighten rims to just fingertip tight.
8. Process filled jars in boiling water canner for 5 minutes {start timing when water begins boiling}. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool. Make sure your jars are properly sealed (this may take 12-24 hours), store any unsealed jars in the fridge!
9. Let jelly flavors meld 2-3 days before using. Enjoy!!
