Showing posts with label canning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canning. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Bell Pepper Jelly

I thought this would be a good recipe to post now so every one that is growing bell peppers and jalapenos in their gardens can use them up for a fun treat for the holidays. If your not growing a garden, then watch for the sales at the grocery store!
My Family loves this sweet tangy jelly any time of the year but it really is a Thanks Giving And Christmas time snack that looks and tastes festive!  You can pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve it with crackers, warm it up and serve it as a dip for quesadillas or serve it with pork or beef.
 The fun thing is that you can make this with green bell peppers for the green jelly or red bell peppers for red jelly.  Some times it's hard to stop eating this jelly and you have to ask some one to please put it away before you hurt yourself! (meaning you might over eat!)
 
 
3 medium green bell peppers, quartered and seeded
2 jalapeƱo peppers, cut in half and seeded and stem top removed
1½ c. white vinegar
6½ c. sugar
1 box (2 pouches) Certo
green food coloring
 
Wash jars and let them dry.  place them close to the stove so you don't have to go far to fill them.

OK, before we begin lets set a few things out so we won't have to stop to get them ready.  Cut the tops off the Certo  pouches and place them in a cup.
 
 
get your food coloring ready
 (green for green peppers and red for red peppers)
 
now place your lids in a small sauce pan with enough water to cover them and place over low heat.  You don't want to boil the lids, you just want the rubber around the edge to heat up enough to become soft so it will mold to the jar and create a good seal.
 
Now cut the bell peppers in fourths and discard
the seeds and stems

 
cut the Jalapenos in half and discard the seeds and stems.  A spoon makes quick work of this. You may want to use gloves to handle these peppers so you won't end up touching your eyes or mouth and feeling the burn. I only know that because, I've done it! :)

 
Put peppers and vinegar in blender and puree.
Add 1/3 of the peppers at a time, blending after each addition.






 
Pour puree into large cooking pot,
 
stir in sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
 
 
 
 
Add Certo and bring back to a boil and
boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly. 

 
Take off heat, add food coloring, 3-6 drops. 
It depends on how dark green you want it. I added 6.


 
 skim foam off top if there is any then pour into jars leaving at least a 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar.
 
Before adding the lid and ring, you need to make sure that the top of the jar is clean.  Be sure to wipe it off with a clean cloth to assure a good seal.

 
Remove a lid from the hot water and place on jar with the rubber seal against the top of the jar.  Add a ring and tighten down snug. 


 
Now let the jelly sit with out moving it for at least 24 hours so it will have time to cool down, seal and set.
 
It is very important that the lids seal.  You can see here in the first photo that the lid has a slight rise in the center.  In the second photo you can see that it has been sucked down which means it has sealed.  Don't force it, always let it seal on it's own.  You may even hear a pop as it happens. Store in a cool dry place.
# 1
 
# 2

I ended up with 8 half pints with this batch.
 
Now pull out the cream cheese and crackers! 
 
 
 


 © Nancy Rappleye 2013 
 






 

 



 




Thursday, February 2, 2012

Strawberry Freezer Jam

I love the taste of fresh strawberries all year round!  
When our kids were little we used to pick 100 pounds of  strawberries in the early summer and freeze them to use during the winter.  The kids loved to put them in the blender and make a drink and I could make jam any time I wanted to! 

4 c. frozen strawberries
4 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
1 package Sure- Jell Pectin

Thaw 4 c. frozen strawberries

Mash berries and measure out 2 c. into another bowl. You may have a little left over and that is OK, just use it over ice cream, in a fruit drink or in some stuffing for stuffed French toast!



Add sugar and stir until completely mixed in.



Let strawberry mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times to make sure the sugar is dissolving.
About 3 minutes before the ten minutes are up, start cooking the pectin.
Place 3/4 c. water in a small saucepan and add pectin.  Stir to mix and place on high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly, and boil and stir for 1 minute.  

(Amigo in Santo Domingo carries this)





remove from heat, pour into strawberry mixture and stir for three minutes.


Pour into freezer safe containers making sure you leave about a half an inch at the top for the lid and for expansion of the jam when it freezes.  


Let the jam sit on your counter top over night before putting it in the freezer. The next morning, place in freezer and use whenever you want! I have had jam in the freezer for up to a year and it has been just as good as the day we put it in the freezer.  
 I know there are some who don't want to use so much sugar for what ever reason and Sure-Jell has an option for no or less sugar jam. Follow the instructions in the box under freezer jam.

What ever you decide to do, your jam will taste like fresh sweet strawberries! 


 © Nancy Rappleye 2012