Serve with crackers.

Pepper Jelly

The first time I saw this in jars on a friend's counter 20 years ago, the beauty of the red and green pepper flakes floating in the jelly made a huge impression and I had to have some sitting on my pantry shelf.

Usually a bar of cream cheese is put on a serving platter, the pepper jelly poured over and crackers served on the side. Pepper Jelly also makes a great dip for oven fried chicken or fish. Once you make a batch and try some, other uses will come to mind such as dipping fresh vegetables.

This has to be made with liquid pectin, which comes in pouches in a box. All attempts at making it with regular powdered pectin failed to set.

Some cooks prefer jalapeno peppers but mine is always made with red, green and/or yellow bell peppers plus banana peppers if the garden is bursting with them.

Directions

Chop 3/4 pound of cleaned peppers into slivers.

Add 2 cups cider vinegar and 6-cups sugar

Boil for 10 minutes, stirring. Add 2-pouches liquid pectin and bring back to a full boil. Boil a full minute. Either skim off foam or add 1-Tablespoon butter to calm down the foam.

Pour the jelly into the hot, sterilized canning jars. (I use 8-ounce jars for home use and 4-ounce jars for gift packs.) Wipe off the top and seal. Boiling water bath 15 minutes.

Curry Pickles

These are from an old Farm Journal cookbook. They have only a little curry powder in them and are more like a bread and butter pickle since they have a generous amount of sugar in them.