Easiest is jalapeño/cranberry.
This is the recipe I followed. It is mildly spicy and sweet. You can spice it up adding some chopped cayenne and letting the mixture steep longer. The recipe is dead on as to what it makes, eight x half pints.
Grape juice can be used but to me the taste is not as nice, apple juice is good.
Don’t try to double jelly recipes, make them as written or the jelly gods will smite you.
Before you begin, put your jars and lids in your filled canner to sterilize and get it hot. Don’t even start the jelly until your jars and lids are boiling. Jelly is about timing and waiting for your jars to be sterilized will ruin it.
I remove, fill and replace in canner; one jar at a time to keep jar temps up. Work quickly. Do not neglect wiping jar rim with a damp paper towel. A mechanic’s glove will help in handling them until you grab them with your jar lifter.
3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers (and cayenne or habanero if wanted)
1 cup white vinegar
7 cups white sugar
2 pouches (3oz ea) liquid fruit pectin
10 drops red food coloring if you like, I don’t use it.
- Place cranberry juice and peppers in a blender or food processor; cover and process until peppers are fully chopped. Let steep to spice up the jelly, strain immediately for milder jelly. Strain through a double thickness of cheesecloth or an old T-shirt.
- Pour the strained juice into at least a 8 qt stainless pot, add vinegar. Stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil (rolling boil means stirring doesn’t stop it) stirring constantly. Stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute after rolling, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat; skim off foam (add a pat of butter when boiling to minimize foaming) Add food coloring if desired. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
- Remove from canner and sit on towels or a wood cutting board in a draft free area. Let cool completely and check for lids to seal. Wait a few days before gifting or using.
