How to Make and Preserve a Delicious Hot Pepper Jam
One great addition to your stockpile is some spicy jam, and it can add some kick to all kinds of meal options. Making a basic recipe is pretty easy, and the following steps will give you a general idea of the process. Feel free to swap ingredients, or you can also use different varieties and amounts of peppers to give it the flavor and kick that suits your palate.
Ingredients:
Pectin
1 cup of jalapeno peppers
½ cup of red sweet peppers
2 cups of sugar or agave
1 ½ cups of apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons of calcium water (or use a dash of ground supplements)
Getting Started
Wash and cut the heads and tails from the peppers before dicing them into small pieces. If you have a food processor or blender, you can pulse them until they are in tiny chunks. Smaller pieces make them softer and better-integrated with the finished product, so don’t feel bad about cheating and using an appliance instead of chopping them by hand. Make sure that you hold on to the seeds, or a portion of the seeds, as they are what gives the peppers their heat.
It will probably take some experimentation with a few different batches before you choose on your favorite pepper/seed combination. However, remember that it’s always easy to add more as opposed to taking away, so start modestly and increase the level of heat as desired.
Next, combine the sugar and pectin in a bowl and set aside. Add the vinegar and the chopped peppers into your stockpot and bring up to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly start to stir in the pectin and sugar, making sure to stir continually until it completely dissolves. Add in the calcium water, and keep stirring the liquid for about 5 minutes. This will help to prevent pieces of peppers from clumping together.
Canning and Storing the Finished Product
When finished stirring, let the mixture simmer for 5 more minutes before carefully ladling even amounts of peppers and liquid to each of your sanitized and preheated canning jars. Leave about ½ inch of headspace before wiping down the lids, screwing them on tight and placing them in a water bath canner. Make sure that the jars are completely submerged in about 1-2 inches of water. Process for 10 minutes.
Remove the jars and let them cool at room temperature overnight. Check the lids and make sure the seals are good before labeling and dating the jars you want to store. There are different opinions out there regarding shelf life, but it’s safe to say that you can expect at least six months to a year as long as the jars are sealed properly and stored in the right environment. You can also refrigerate a jar for at least a few weeks as long as you have a good container and lid as well.
Keep in mind that you can incorporate different kinds of peppers with various fruits in order to come up with some pretty delicious flavor combinations. Try some out for yourself, and feel free to share some of your better-tasting discoveries.
