Cranberry Sriracha Pepper Jelly
This stuff is crazy good! We love it spooned over cream cheese and served with crackers but it also makes a wonderful glaze for chicken, pork, salmon, etc.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries about 3 ½ cups
- 1 medium bell pepper stem removed and quartered (seeds are okay!) I use a red bell pepper but really any color is fine.
- 2 medium-size jalapeno peppers (about 3-4 inches long) quartered and seeds removed and reserved
- 1¾ cups orange juice fresh or purchased (I like the not from concentrate OJ)
- ¾ cup rice vinegar use regular white vinegar if you use a hot water bath for a shelf stable jelly
- 4 ¼ cups sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon butter
- 1 3-ounce pouch CERTO Liquid Fruit Pectin
- 4 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
Instructions
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Combine cranberries, bell pepper, jalapeños, orange juice, rice vinegar and ¼ cup sugar in a medium large saucepan (at least 6 quart-size).
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Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot with lid slightly ajar. Cook for 10 minutes. Watch carefully to keep mixture simmering but not cooking up over the top of the pot.
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Remove from heat and pour into a fine mesh strainer with a bowl set underneath to catch the juice. Allow the juice to drain for 5 minutes then push on solids gently with the back of a spoon to extract most of the liquid. Measure juice and add enough water to equal 2 cups. You want exactly 2 cups of liquid.
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Wash the pot and add the cranberry juice mixture, the remaining 4 cups of sugar and the butter. Stir to combine and bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down.)
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Add Certo pectin and return to a full boil. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
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Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal teaspoon. Add 2 teaspoon of Sriracha. Taste and add more Sriracha and the jalapeno seeds if you prefer a spicier jelly.
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Ladle into clean jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace at the top. Cover jars and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours then refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Makes about 4½ cups of jelly.
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Jelly can also be processed with a water bath at this point. I never do this as I'm a bit lazy and have plenty of freezer space.
Recipe Notes
See Cafe Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
How to adapt this recipe for hot water bath canning:
Follow the same recipe but swap out regular white vinegar for the rice vinegar and use these directions for safe preserving.