Feature this beautiful jam on your charcuterie tray
Our sweet and hot peppers are ripening faster than we can pick. We’re out in the pepper rows every day gently twisting peppers from stems. Time to get those peppers in my country kitchen to make hot and sweet confetti jam.
You may know this time-honored jam as hot pepper jelly or Christmas jelly. (It’s the colored peppers responsible for the moniker.)
Hot pepper jam is beautiful to look at – translucent with bits of suspended pepper. Customize flavor and heat simply by adjusting amount of sweet bells vs. hot jalapeno peppers.
Dollop jam on cheese topped cracker for an easy pick-up appetizer.
Or go the traditional route. Place a rectangle of cream cheese on a small platter, spoon jam on top and surround with toasted baguette slices or your favorite cracker. A log of goat cheese works, too. Take a spoon and make a slight dent down the middle to hold jam.
This condiment is yummy as a glaze for skin-on, bone-in roasted chicken.
Baked sweet potatoes are elevated to a new level with a spoonful of jam. Brush a layer on grilled or roasted salmon.
OK now that I’ve given you ideas to use the jam, here’s how to make it.
Confetti sweet and hot pepper jam
Makes about 6 jars, 8 oz each or 12 jars, 4 oz each. The 4 oz jars are perfect for gift giving.
Ingredients
You’ll need 4 cups diced peppers total so mix and match how you like.
3-1/2 cups seeded and finely diced bell peppers – a mix of red, green and yellow is colorful
1/2 cup seeded and finely diced jalapeno peppers
1 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin, 1.75 oz
5 cups sugar
Instructions
Run jars through dishwasher and keep hot. Put flat seals and bands in hot, not boiling, water.
Put peppers in very large pot. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice and pectin.
Bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add sugar all at once and continue to cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat.
Skim any foam off.
Ladle into jars, filling to 1/4” from top.
Wipe rims with clean, damp cloth.
Cover with flat lids and screw bands on.
Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath, remove jars and cool on countertop before storing in pantry for 2 years or so.
Tips:
Sometimes peppers float to top of jars. To prevent this, turn jars upside down and then upright several times during cooling. As jam cools and gels, peppers stay suspended.
After jars cool, check seals by pressing center of lids with finger. If lid springs back, seal is not complete so store in refrigerator or freezer.
If you don’t process jam, store in refrigerator up to 3 months or so or 5 months or so in freezer.
Not familiar with “boiling water bath” canning? It’s not hard and if you don’t have a canner, no worries. Check my site for tips.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Confetti sweet and hot pepper jam recipe by Rita Nader Heikenfeld
