Field Trip : Making Easy Jalapeño Pepper Jelly and Strawberry Banana Freezer Jam at the DCH

• By Barb
• Posted in Bringing the garden inside, DIY home and garden craft projects, Things that inspire me in the garden
• On September 1, 2012
• Comments Off on Field Trip : Making Easy Jalapeño Pepper Jelly and Strawberry Banana Freezer Jam at the DCH

What a treat! This past Monday, I attended a canning workshop at the Delaware Center for Horticulture. Our knowledgeable speaker, Jacque Willamson, explained the basics of home canning with an emphasis on waterbath canning. Not only was she able to provide  good information and resources like the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving  and Put’em up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, she brought samples of her canning efforts!

Refrigerated Dill Pickle Slices and Easy Jalapeño Pepper Jelly were two of the delicious taste tests we made. I never thought I would care for any jelly with “Jalapeño Pepper” in its name, but this translucent gem was perfect placed atop a little cream cheese and a cracker. This pretty jelly’s recipe is as follows:

 
 

Easy Jalapeño Jelly  

(makes makes about five 8oz. (250ml) jars)

* Before you start, prepare canner, jars and lids

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. jalapeño peppers (stemmed, seeded, and deveined) Wear rubber gloves when doing this step!
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 cups granulated sugar
• 2 pouches or 6oz/85ml liquid pectin

Directions:

Before you start, prepare canner, jars and lids; wash jars (keep them warm in simmering water or a heated dishwasher), fill canner half full with enough water to cover jars with at least 1 inch of water and heat to a simmer, place lid on canner

1. In a blender or food processor, puree peppers and 1 cup cider vinegar until smooth.
2. In a large saucepan, combine pepper puree, remaining cup of vinegar and sugar and bring to a high heat. Boil, stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin, boil hard while stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
3. Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space in the jar. Screw band with lid on to fingertip tight.
4. Place jars in canner, making sure they are covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait for 5 minutes and remove jars, cool and store.

For an encore, Jacque made Strawberry Banana Freezer Jam right before our very eyes and gave each of us a jar to take home! And, the results were wonderful, as you can see! I am definitely going to make up some jams and jellies this Fall! Here’s the recipe for this no-cook jam that looked as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!

Strawberry Banana Freezer Jam  

(makes makes about five 8oz. or 250ml jars)

Ingredients:

• 1 and  1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 pouch (1.59oz/45g) freezer jam pectin
• 2 cups crushed hulled strawberries
• 2 cups mashed bananas

Directions:

1. Just mix it all together and place in the jars, it will “set up” in the refrigerator or freezer!

Enjoy! See the schedule for more workshops at The DCH.