Ginger Pepper Jelly or Mint Pepper Jelly

Sauce

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Difficulty: Medium | Servings: 10-11 8-ounce jars

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of manzana peppers washed and chunked (or red and yellow-mixed hot peppers for ginger)
  • 4 cups white sugar (for mint)
  • 4 cups Demerara sugar (for ginger)
  • 4 cups 5% white vinegar (for mint)
  • 4 cups 5% apple cider vinegar (for ginger)
  • 1.5-2 cups packed mint leaves minced (for mint)
  • 3-6 inches ginger root, minced (for ginger)
  • 6 sprigs rosemary (for mint)
  • 80-104 grams low sugar pectin
  • 11 8-ounce jars
Notes

Submitted by Dr. Judith Becker, associate professor pediatrics-cardiology

This is a great dish to gift at Christmas. Serve with crackers and Brie, cream cheese or another cheese. It can be used to top baked Brie in a Phyllo (Fillo) shell, as well.

Tip: Pectin goes bad, so don’t over-purchase!

Directions

  • Sterilize canning jars in dishwasher.
  • Wear gloves.
  • In food processor or blender, mince peppers and ginger/rosemary in 1 cup of vinegar.
  • Mix the dry pectin with about 1/2 cup of sugar sweetener and set aside.
  • Combine the pepper purée, the rest of the apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar for mint) and sweetener in a pot, and heat to a boil over medium heat while stirring periodically to prevent burning. Boil for 10 minutes while continuously stirring.
  • After boiling for 10 minutes, add the pectin mixed with the sugar and stir briskly. Then return the mix to a boil; boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water then take a half-spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon.
    • If it thickens up to the consistency of jelly, the jam is ready.
    • If it doesn’t thicken, mix in a little more pectin (about 1/3 to 1/2 of another package) and boil for 1 minutes or cook a bit longer.
  • Fill jars to within 1/8-inch of the top, and screw covers.
  • Place in boiling bath for 10 minutes, and then cool.
  • For ginger pepper jelly, I have used Demerara sugar instead of white sugar (substituting 1:1).