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Sunday, June 03, 2012

Extra-Hot Pepper Jam

This Extra-Hot Pepper Jam recipe is not for the faint of heart, but if you dare to try some, I guarantee it will lift your spirits to new heights.


Ingredients

  • one large red bell pepper, minced
  • one large orange bell pepper, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh jalapeños, minced (no seeds)
  • 1/2 cup fresh habenero, minced (no seeds)*
  • 7 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 2 (3 oz.) pkg liquid or powdered pectin

Instructions
  1. combine first 6 ingredients in a 3 quart pot and bring to a boil
  2. continue to boil for 6 minutes, stirring frequently
  3. remove from heat source and skim away the foam using a spoon
  4. add the liquid or powdered pectin into the mixture and blend well
  5. bring everything back to a boil for a couple minutes and remove from heat
  6. with a ladle, scoop and pour the pepper liquid into hot sterilized half-pint size jars (or smaller)
  7. leave 1/4 inch head space
  8. wipe the rim of the jars clean, cover immediately with metal lids and proceed to screw-on the bands
  9. process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes
Note: You may substitute 1 Tbsp. habanero powder instead of the minced peppers.

Yields about 7 half-pints of jam and 2 half-pints of preserves. It may take a few days for the jam part to set so be patient. Store the jars of jam in a place where no one will shake or handle them.

You can of course add the seeds to this recipe but unless you are a glutton for punishment it's best to keep the Scovilles toned down a bit, or use milder peppers to tone-down the Scovilles even more. I advise you to use latex gloves to cut and mince the peppers ... Ahheee! C'est Bon!

Enjoy!


Ahhh ... the Sweet Success of Hot Chili Peppers

In the 1860s, Edmund McIlhenny, the inventor of Tabasco Hot Pepper Sauce, would hand-out free samples of his secret concoction to friends and relatives in used French par-fume bottles. The bottles' legendary shape became his trademark and easily identifiable by millions throughout the world today.

Five generations later, his ageless condiment remains a popular household name. You can still find it in countless homes and restaurants across our planet.

The taste of his new hot-sauce was exciting! Everyone loved its unique flavor and bouquet. It took time, patience and diligence to cure and age his pepper-sauce, but it finally paid-off. His formula for success, however (in my opinion), was when he put it into the hands of the fiery Cajuns who had settled the area of his processing plant a century before. They used it unsparingly to spice-up their love and passion for French foods.

The tipping-point came when McIlhenny began ordering the par-fume bottles for his famous sauce, in large quantities, straight from the overseas Paris manufacturers. A new industry was borne.

There was no better ingredient for success--one Irish saucier in the midst of a nation of French exiles who loved to cook. You can read more about the history of the Tabasco Company at http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_history/mcilhenny.cfm

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5 comments:

  1. YIKES... 1/2 C of habs?! That's pretty harsh. Makes me want to try this one; thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with phu! 1/2 cup sounds appealing. A lot of the pepper jellies and jams don't have much heat. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The first batch that I prepared didn't gel (probably outdated pectin). So, I called it 'Sweet Fire' and presented it as a syrup. I gave out a few samples and the next thing you know? ... some of those folks were calling me back asking for more. Go figure.

    BTW, it's an excellent quicky sandwich spread with a slice of cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very interesting post. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this . . .and I like hot food. He, I see that Steve over at Woodworkin & Good Eats is one of your followers. Have you checked out the Motorcyle Rocking Horse he made for his granddaughter. It is a blast. Have a great day and keep inspiring me with these great recipes. Connie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Jacques
    Thanks for the Extra-Hot Pepper Jam recipe.
    I'll create one for sure, my kids are gonna like it :)
    If you don't mind, can you submit your Extra-Hot Pepper Jam photo in http://www.foodporn.net ?
    It's a food photography site full of all DIY food pictures from members around the world. Or perhaps you'd like to submit by yourself? Let me know when you did, so I can share it.

    ReplyDelete

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