Cranberry Sriracha Pepper Jelly

CRANBERRY SRIRACHA PEPPER JELLY

 

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This stuff is crazy good! We love it spooned over cream cheese and served with crackers but it also makes a wonderful glaze for chicken, pork, salmon, etc.

Author: Chris Scheuer

Recipe type: Condiment

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3½ cups)
• 2 3-4-inch jalapeno peppers, quartered and seeds removed and reserved*
• 1 ¼ cup orange juice (I like the not-from-concentrate kind)
• ¾ cup rice vinegar
• 4 ¼ cups sugar (divided)
• ½ teaspoon butter
• 1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin
• 4 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

See a Hawaiian Sweet & Sour Sausage Recipe

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine cranberries, jalapeños, orange juice, rice vinegar and ¼ cup sugar in a medium large saucepan (at least 6 quart-size). Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot with lid slightly ajar. Cook for 10 minutes. Watch carefully to keep mixture simmering but not cooking up over the top of the pot.
2. Remove from heat and pour into a fine mesh strainer with a bowl set underneath to catch the juice. Push on solids gently with the back of a spoon to extract most of the juice. Measure juice and add enough water to equal 2 cups. You want exactly 2 cups of liquid.
3. Wash pot and add 4 cups of sugar, cranberry juice mixture and butter**. Stir to combine and bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down.)
4. Add Certo pectin and stir constantly for exactly one minute.
5. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal teaspoon. Add jalapeño seeds and Sriracha. Immediately ladle into clean jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace at the top. Cover jars and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours then refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Makes about 4½ cups of jelly or 9 4-ounce jars.
6. Jelly can also be processed with a water bath at this point. I never do this as I'm a bit lazy and have plenty of freezer space.

NOTES

*It's a good idea to use gloves when handling jalapeños or any hot peppers as they can burn your skin.
** A small amount of butter will help keep mixture from foaming up to much when it simmers.
Regarding jam and jelly - this recipe is not difficult to make but jam and jelly making are an exact science. Be sure to measure carefully and accurately for good results. Setting a timer for the 1 minute cooking time will ensure that the consistency of your jam is correct. I love to improvise in the kitchen but not with jam and jelly unless I'm creating a new recipe and then it might take me 3 or 4 tries before I get it right.