The aroma filling the house with pepper jelly was pretty intoxicating. The inspiration came from here. I started with 5 very ripe red and yellow peppers and ended up with 4 small jars of sweet pepper jelly. The Light Certo jelled almost immediately. It remains to be seen if I need to reduce the pectin for the next time. I jiggled a jar and it appears well… jelly like.
Remember to always use pickling salt for preserving, because the iodine in table salt eventually turns every fruit and vegetable brown.
5 large very ripe red and yellow peppers
1 cup red wine vinegar
3-1/4 cups of sugar
1 Tbsp pickling salt
1 box of Light Certo [powdered pectin]
1/4 cup sugar
Fruit Fresh
• Core the peppers, discard the stems and wash thoroughly removing the seeds.
• Put them through the food processor reserving a few small bits.
• Place the processed peppers, including the few reserved bits in a large pot.
• Add the red wine vinegar and 3-1/4 cups sugar.
• Add the salt and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Boil for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• In a small bowl combine the Light Certo with 1/4 cup of sugar.
• Add to the pepper mixture and bring it back to boil.
• Boil for one minute all the while stirring.
• Remove from heat and pack the pepper jelly into hot sterilized jars.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of Fruit Fresh to each jar.
• Wipe the rims, place on the snap lids and screw on the caps. Check the box and make sure to follow manufacturer’s suggestion for softening the cap seals. In the past we had to boil the caps for 5 minutes to soften the seal. Recently purchased caps had to be heated only with boiling water.
• Place the jars in 210F oven for 40 minutes or until the jars are very hot to the touch.
• Prepare a dry pack: line a basket or a box with tea towels.
• Remove the hot bottles from the oven and transfer them to the prepared dry pack.
• Encase the dry pack into an old quilt or several blankets and leave it to cool.
• Every jar will be sealed.
