We use them in so much of our cooking that I’ve taken to even pickling my own. For the last year I’ve been searching for a recipe for jalapeño jelly that didn’t rely on food dye or commercial pectin, but to no avail. So, with some experimentation, I’ve come up with the following recipe which uses apple jelly made from Granny Smith apples (the tart, green apples) as a base, and cranberries for color. Granny Smith apples (and cranberries too) have plenty of natural pectin, so no additional pectin is needed to make the jelly gel.
Why Cream Cheese and Jalapeño Jelly Are Made for Each Other
The jelly is great served on crackers with cream cheese because the fat molecules in the cream cheese absorb the hot capsaicin of the jalapeños, reducing the heat, but leaving the flavor of the chiles. This is also why sour cream tastes so good with spicy Mexican food. Jalapeño jelly can be pretty “hot” if you have included a lot of the seeds in your cooking. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low, simmering for about 20 minutes, or until the apples, cranberries, and peppers are soft. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan where it might burn. Use a potato masher to mash up the apple pieces to the consistency of slightly runny applesauce. If the mash is too thick, add more water. If you want a clear jelly, do not squeeze or force through the mesh. Just let it drip. If you want a fuller flavor jelly and don’t mind that the result won’t be clear, you can force some of the pulp through the mesh. If your pulp is too thick, and nothing is coming out, you can add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of water to it. You want to end up with about 4 cups of juice. Continue to boil until a thermometer shows that the temperature has reached 220-222°F (8-10°F above the boiling point at your altitude). Additional time needed for cooking can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour or longer, depending on the amount of water, sugar, and apple pectin in the mix. Let cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
