Red Pepper Jelly

I got a good deal at Costco so I decided to make red pepper jelly.  While dinner was in the oven tonight, I whipped up a double batch of jelly.  The recipe below is for a single batch which makes about 6 small jars.

Ingredients

2 cups of finely ground red peppers

(2 large or 4 small peppers)

5 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 envelope of liquid Certo

Wash the peppers and cut into chunks (make sure to remove all seeds and ribs).  Put them in a food processor and pulse until ground but small pieces still visible.  Stop at least once to clean the sides of the bowl and push any larger chunks down.

Combine the peppers, sugar and vinegar in a large pot and bring to a boil.  

Stir and boil for 5 minutes.  Keep your eyes on it so it doesn't boil over.  Then take it off the heat, cover the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes. (All the while you should be sterilizing your jars - see my recipe for chili sauce and it will give you detailed instructions).

Add the lemon juice and boil 5 more minutes.  Then remove from the heat and add an envelope of Certo.  Stir well and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Skim the foam off the top and then bottle in sterilized jars.

The foam is neon orange.  Once the top is clear of foam you can bottle the jelly.

I love to use red pepper jelly spooned over a small brick of plain cream cheese and served with crackers.  It makes a tasty, quick appetizer.  It is also nice to add a big spoon to a stir-fry or glaze a chicken breast with some jelly.   It is very versatile and easy to make - a great hostess gift.