Habañero Pepper Jelly
October 27, 2012
The rains came this week and called the official end to summer. The cool weather came a bit late if you ask me, our sweaters and socks, not to mention our umbrellas, were looking mighty lonely. We picked our last lug of peppers just in time, hauling in a respectable bounty before the soaking. Our pepper plants have nearly given us more peppers than we know what to do with, or than we would know if we were not busy making all sorts of yummy pepper dishes every few days. There was no question of how to prepare this last harvest of peppers. For the last year there has been a habañero pepper-sized hole on my pantry shelf (and in my heart- sigh). Before you jump to judgement and label me as a dramatic preserved foodaphile, let me explain. I started making a version of this jelly years ago. In the early days of our relationship, my husband and I would make whole meals out of Swedish crisp bread topped with cream cheese and pepper jelly. It was so good, we dubbed it “THE snack”. It became a staple in our pantry and our diet. For some reason, I never got around to making it last summer, so there was sweet relief in filling the pantry void with this jeweled treat.
Sweet, tart, and spicy, Habañero Pepper Jelly is nearly irresistible. Habañero peppers have a robust flavor that infuses the jelly, but they are very spicy. For this batch, I used a combination of semi-hot Hungarian wax peppers and a handful of habañeros. There is a serious kick. More often I pair the spicy habañeros with sweet bell peppers. Of course, you can add whichever kinds of peppers you wish. Not a fan of the heat? It is fine to use only sweet peppers. The only guideline is to try to use peppers that are in the same color range. I once tried to use green, yellow, and red peppers and the result was a murky brown jelly. Serve this jelly with a cheese course (great with goat cheese, brie, or cream cheese- a sharp cheddar is good too). The jelly adds a serious kick to a simple grilled cheese or spread it on a turkey sandwich. Come to think of it, this would be a wonderful hostess gift for Thanksgiving. This recipe is all the reason you need to run out to the Farmers’ Market today to snatch up the last of the fall peppers. You will not be disappointed.
Chunky Garden Salsa
September 27, 2011
This has been our best tomato year ever. Quite a shocker given the cool summer, but in our tiny garden we have a bona fide bounty of tomatoes this year. They spill from their bowls, piling up in every free space the kitchen counters can afford. These tomatoes have been taunting me. After a wait that tested every ounce of my patience, they began coming in heavy just at the time the other parts of my life asserted their own demands. The kids, the family gatherings, and oh, my job that actually pays the bills, all take their cut of my precious time before I get to the satisfying job of canning. But this weekend was made for me and the tomatoes.
Starting early in the morning, I prepared a “ketchup” that we all agreed is delicious, but not ketchup. Luckily, instead of an outright rejection, my son suggested we rename it and came up with “Rojo Sauce”. Perfect. Another lug of tomatoes went into a basic tomato sauce, and the last load into Chunky Garden Salsa.
To be honest, I have not had great success with canned salsas in the past. Each recipe I used seemed have one of two problems: the salsa was too watery and/ or the specified canned lemon juice gave the entire batch a foul artificial taste. This recipe takes care of each of those issues and demonstrates some serious tasty flavors. Instead of simply peeling the tomatoes, I grilled them to lend a bit of a charred flavor. After skinning and removing the core, the tomatoes drain in a colander which removes most of the excess water and allows the salsa to easily thicken up on the stove. In place of lemon juice, the recipe called for half white vinegar and half lime juice. This gives it a perfect acidity and delicious flavor from the lime. My only complaint is that I only ended up with five pints. These are sure to go fast around our salsa-loving house.
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Peppered Peach and Rosemary Jam
August 6, 2011
The peaches have been calling me this summer. On my last trip to the farmers’ market, I gleefully strode away with a huge box mounded high with beautiful peaches and nectarines. Fortunately, this coincided with an almost unprecedented two free days without the kiddos. Oh, how productive this mama can be when the children are away!
There were enough peaches to make a few different types of products. It was hard to resist making the Perfect Peach Cake (it really is soooo good), but I did. Instead a made a batch of pie filling inspired by this recipe from Mrs. Wheelbarrow. A few pounds went to making a puree for peach ice cream (still working out the kinks on that recipe). With the bulk of the peaches I made one of my favorite pantry items, Peppered Peach and Rosemary Jam.
This jam is special. Sweet white peaches, earthy rosemary, and just a hint of spice from the cracked pepper, the combination is delightful. I serve it with cheese such as brie or chevre. It is a definite crowd pleaser and an excellent hostess or holiday gift.
Peppered Peach and Rosemary Jam
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 5 half-pints
3 pounds white peaches (you can use yellow, but I prefer the white varieties for this jam)
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 cups sugar
4 large sprigs rosemary
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Peel and pit the peaches. (Very ripe peaches are very easy to peel with a knife. If your peaches do not peel easily, they are probably not ripe enough. If you must make the jam without allowing them to ripen further, you can boil them for one minute, then plunge into cold water to loosen the skin.)
Slice the peaches into 1/2 inch slices. Place peaches in a large bowl, add lemon juice, sugar, rosemary, and pepper. Cover and let stand for 4 hours. Stir every hour to incorporate the sugar.
Transfer peach mixture to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 15 minutes, until mixture is syrupy. Lightly mash the mixture to break down peach slices, leave 1/3 of wedges intact. Discard rosemary sprigs (you can fish out the individual rosemary leaves if you want, but I leave some in for color and interest.)
Ladle jam into hot sterile jars. Leave a 1/2 inch head-space. Top with a new lid and band. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for half-pint jars. See Home Canning Basics for more information about the canning process.
Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe: Peppered Peach and Rosemary Jam
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