Habanero Gold Jelly

My garden is starting to slow down a bit. Rather the unseasonably cool, wet weather is forcing the slow down. I'm doing clean picks weather permitting. The hot peppers are still producing nicely so I'm working on putting them up in various forms. I will be bringing in a couple of the hot pepper plants for the winter for a ready fresh supply during the winter.

Habanero Gold Jelly

It's nice to have a few varieties of hot pepper jellies in your pantry. Hot pepper jellies are wonderful for making quick appetizers or using as a condiment for meats. They can also be used as a glaze for meats. This particular hot pepper jelly pairs Habanero peppers with apricots for a uniquely pleasant flavour that will pair nicely with cream cheese as an appetizer. This hot pepper jelly like most of my jams and jellies has been converted to use Pomona's universal pectin. With regular pectins to prevent floating fruit the recommendation is to stir for 5 minutes before putting into jars. Pomona's continues to gel as it cools so the work around is occasionally shaking gently from side to side as the jelly cools. The alternative is to stir the jelly just after you open it before serving. The yield was 3 - 250 ml jars processed and almost a full jar for fresh use. I think the jelly is quite pretty in the jars.

Habanero Gold Jelly
modified from: Bernardin® canning jar insert Taste the Harvest, 2006.

⅓ c (75 ml) finely sliced dried apricots
¾ c (175 ml) white vinegar (5% acidity)
⅓ c (75 ml) finely chopped onion
⅓ c (75 ml) finely chopped sweet red pepper
2 finely seeded, chopped Habanero peppers
1 finely seeded, chopped Jalapeno pepper
3 c (750 ml) granulated sugar
1 tsp Pomona's universal pectin
1¼ tsp calcium water

Prepare the dried apricots and place in medium covered glass bowl. Pour the vinegar over the apricots and let sit 4 hours. Prepare onions and peppers. Stir pectin into the sugar. Pour the apricot mixture into large saucepan. Stir in onion and pepper mixture. Stir in the calcium water. Bring to a boil. Stir in sugar/pectin mixture. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Ladle into prepared 250 ml jars leaving ½-inch head space. Wipe rims and adjust 2 piece lids. Process in BWB for 10 minutes at altitudes below 1,000 feet above sea level. For higher altitudes adjust processing according to altitude chart (here).