Raspberry Pepper Jam

Oh I hit the jackpot with this one.  I wasn't sure about this recipe at first but it turned out absolutely delicious.

The original recipe can be found at http://www.raspberry-depot.com/raspberry-pepper-jelly.html .

I did make some modifications based on what we had available in our garden.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh picked raspberries

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 banana pepper, chopped

6 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

4 oz pectin

Directions

In a pot combine the raspberries, peppers, sugar, and vinegar.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Keep at a boil for around 10 minutes

Bring mixture down to a simmer. Mash raspberries to adequately release the juices. Be careful not to allow the pot to boil over.

Remove pot from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Mix in pectin until well combined.

Run mixture through strainer to remove seeds and bits of pepper

Pour or ladle mixture into sterilized jars.

Wipe any drips from the mouth of the jar, add lids and rims.

Let them sit over night to make sure they seal properly.

Store in a cool place and once opened store in refrigerator.

I was shooting for a jelly, however, when taste testing, this recipe landed in between a jam and sauce. It quickly absorbed into my slice of whole wheat bread after a few minutes. If you shoot for more of a jelly consistency I would recommend adding more pectin or adding the pectin after straining the mixture. This would be a good recipe for pouring it over some cream cheese and eating with crackers. The first taste was nice and sweet with a tangy and slight pepper after taste. The recipe yielded approximately 3 pint jars.

I hope you enjoy. I sure am. You can see I already put a dent into my jar pictured above.

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com.