A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [242]
3. Return the juice to the saucepan, now rinsed out, and for every cup of juice, mix in ¾ cup of sugar. Insert a candy thermometer.
4. Set over moderately low heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, then cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture reaches the jelling point (218° to 220° F.). You can also try this “sheeting” test to determine if the jelly is done: Take up a spoonful of the hot jelly mixture and if the drops run together, forming a solid sheet as they fall from the spoon, the jelly is ready.
5. While the jelly cooks, wash and rinse 4 half-pint preserving jars and their closures and submerge in a large kettle of boiling water.
6. When the jelly is done, skim off the froth, then ladle the boiling jelly into the hot jars, filling each to within ¼ inch of the top. Tip: To avoid spills, use a wide-mouth canning funnel. Wipe the jar rims with a damp cloth and screw on the closures.
7. Process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath (212° F.). Lift from the water bath; complete the seals, if necessary, by tightening the lids, then cool to room temperature.
8. Date and label each jar of jelly, then store on a cool, dark shelf for about a month before serving.
HOT PEPPER JELLY
MAKES 6 HALF-PINTS
Wherever I travel about the South, I’m reminded of the popularity of hot pepper jelly. It’s a farmer’s market staple to be sure, but I’ve also seen it for sale in gift shops and thrift shops, at local candy stores, even in barbecue joints and mom-and-pop cafés—little jars stacked up by the cash register. Often the jelly is the pride and joy of the owner’s mother or daughter. And often it is excellent. I’ve bought many a jar, cradled it in my carry-on luggage, then served it with cocktails as good southern hostesses do, shimmering atop cream cheese–spread crackers or melbas. Or even easier, as “Hot Jezebel,” nothing more than a large block of cream cheese liberally blobbed with hot pepper jelly. Most of my southern cookbooks, particularly the little church or club fund-raisers, include at least one recipe for hot pepper jelly, some of them flecked with diced peppers, others as clear, as sparkling as fine rosé. Some of these jellies are as hot as West Hell, others more tepid. That’s what I prefer. If you have an asbestos palate, add a little hot red pepper sauce to the mix. Note: Choose unwaxed peppers for this recipe; wax will affect the jelly’s texture, flavor, and clarity. Your jelly will have better color if all the peppers are red; green jalapeños and serranos will redden as they ripen. Just set them on the counter for a couple of days or pop into a brown paper bag with an apple; that will hasten the ripening. Tip: Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers and keep your hands away from your face.
8 large red bell peppers (about 3 pounds), stemmed, cored, seeded, and quartered
4 medium jalapeño peppers, stemmed, cored, seeded, and quartered (see Note and Tip above)
2 small serrano peppers, stemmed, cored, seeded, and quartered (see Note and Tip above)
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
6 cups sugar
½ cup white (distilled) vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (if you prefer a “hotter” jelly)
Two 3-ounce pouches liquid pectin
1. Wash and rinse 6 half-pint preserving jars and their closures and submerge in a large kettle of boiling water.
2. Cut the bell peppers, jalapeños, and serranos into 1-to 1½-inch chunks and pulse in two batches in a food processor or electric blender at high speed until very finely chopped.
3. Line a large fine sieve with several layers of cheesecloth