Pepper jelly and jalapeño jam are other favourites of mine. It's sweet and spicy, and sometimes it can even be a little vinegary. I especially love toast with a thick layer of cream cheese or a mild goat cheese, and then topped with an embarrassing amount of pepper jelly. Sometimes I add lettuce or sprouts (if I have them on hand), in an attempt to be healthy. Greens on a pepper jelly toast happen rarely at best. I just want the jelly, really.
This recipe for cranberry-pepper jelly is from the November 2011 issue of Bon Appétit. Combining two of my favourite preserves into one seemed like a genius idea to me, and boy was it ever. It's quite spicy, loaded with cranberries, and with just a hint of sweetness. It would make a great accompaniment to a Thanksgiving turkey, or even just a simple Sunday roast chicken. Delicious! And yes, I also ate it by the spoonful, and dolloped over slices of toasted bread with some goats cheese, spread thick.
I stuck to the original Bon Appétit recipe pretty closely, and only slightly changed the method.
Spicy cranberry-pepper jelly
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers seeded and finely chopped
- 2 long red chilli peppers seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon grey salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup liquid pectin I used Certo pectin
- 3 cups frozen cranberries you can use fresh of course!, thawed
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the chopped peppers, granulated sugar, pepper flakes, and salt. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so that the peppers begin to release some of their juices.
- On medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved before proceeding.
- When the sugar is dissolved, add the lemon juice and liquid pectin, and stir. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes
- Add the cranberries, and simmer gently for another 10 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Transfer jelly to sterilized jars, and let cool completely before refrigerating. Alternatively, you can seal the jars according to your jar manufacturer’s instructions.
PolaM says
Wow this looks like a genius idea! I bet it tastes great!
healthyfoodietravels says
How interesting! I have never associated cranberries with spicy, but it sounds like a great, unusual recipe 🙂
mjskit says
I will admit it - I'm greatly addicted to jams and jellies and always looking for something new and exciting. Well - you did it with this recipe! I will be having this on my Thanksgiving table!
Aveen says
Oh how jealous I am of people who can get Bon Appetit magazine! This looks absolutely delicious, when the cranberries start appearing in our local shops I'll definitely be trying this recipe. Love your photos too.
liza says
Hi there
I saw ur jelly pic at food gaucker and loved ur blog. Was wondering if u could tell me how many jam jars I will need for this recipe? Im making this recipe later today and don't want to be short jam jars. Thanx for ur time.
Jan says
@liza Thanks for the kind words, Liza! This recipe made six 125 mL jars (a little over 3 cups total), plus a little extra that I put in a tupperware. I used smaller jars than the standard 1 cup (250 mL) jars to give out as little gifts! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
De says
Hi, I am going to try this receipe later and I'm wondering about the seeds from the
cranberries? I kind of think I should cook/smash cranberries and run thru cheesecloth/strainer and just add juice, but I'm not sure. Can you tell me more about the seeds from the crabberries???
Anonymous says
I just made and jarred my first batch of hot pepper jelly - not this recipe, but my own. I only had one jar, which I used and filled, but I had enough left over to put into a small tupperware bowl. Is this okay? I plan on using it on Thursday. What's the shelf-life like? And is it okay and/or necessary to refrigerate it?
Jan says
@Anonymous Definitely refrigerate! If you haven't canned the jelly in a sterile jar, refrigeration is best to store jams and jellies. It will keep for awhile in the fridge, and definitely will keep until Thursday!
liza says
Thank you so much for your tips. I made this jam and added a little cinnamon and it turned out awsome. Thank you again.