Jalapeño Pepper Jam

In my canning fury a few weeks ago, one of the new recipes I tried was a recipe for hot pepper jam. I wasn’t entirely sure what to think… Jalapeño peppers in a sweet jam? I was skeptical. But, I had tasted a few similar recipes at the farmers market a few weeks earlier, so I figured it couldn’t go all wrong. After all, what did I have to lose? Only a few of the jalapeño peppers I seem to be so good at growing in the garden.

It’s true… I am great at growing jalapeño peppers. Actually, I am great at growing just about any form of hot peppers, but I digress. Almost everything else in my garden typically dries up, but I have a knack for spicy produce. That probably says something about my personality, but I will just move on. The point is, I had about 30 jalapeños to work with when I made this jam.

In case you think this blog post is going nowhere, I will just get straight to the point.  I was pleasantly surprised by the jalapeño jam. It is sweet, spicy, tangy, and wonderful. It’s a pretty simple recipe, so I hope you’ll give it a try. The canning really isn’t that bad!

Want to know my favorite way to enjoy it? Just spread some cream cheese on top of a cracker (confession: I am a fan of Triscuits) and top it with a little big of jam. It makes a tasty snack, and I think you could serve it as an appetizer around the holidays, too.

Jalapeño Jam
(Adapted from the Sure-Jell package directions, Makes about 6 half-pints)

• 4 cups of seeded and finely diced peppers
  (about 10 jalapeños, 2 green peppers and 2 red peppers)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1.75 ounce package of powdered pectin
  (I used Sure-Jell)
• 5 cups granulated sugar

Prepare a boiling water canner and sterilize the jars, lids, and bands.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine the diced peppers and vinegar.  Gradually stir in the pectin, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.  Add all of the sugar at once, return the mixture to a boil, and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Fill the sterilized jars, wipe the rims, and fit them with lids and bands.  Process for 15 minutes in boiling water.

First time canning? Be sure to check out these guidelines for boiling water canning! I have done my best to ensure that this recipe is safe for canning, and I used a reputable source.  However, it is always important to double check the guidelines to make sure a recipe is safe for canning.