Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Beautiful Fall Colors of Red and Gold ... Habanero Style!

Not the colors on the trees, although that's may have been what inspired me to make this recipe because the reds and golds are glorious in the trees in our yard right now.


I just overcame my fear of canning this weekend (finally!) and the first recipe I decided to try was Habanero Gold Jelly.  Not only had I never canned before but I've never touched or eaten a Habanero pepper!


These babies are HOT! I wished I would have done some research on them before handling because I now know (a little too late) that I should have worn rubber gloves. Fortunately, the burning sensation on my fingers has subsided from scraping the seeds with bare hands! If you like hot and spicy, you'll love this! Along with Habanero peppers, sweet red pepper, red onion and dried apricots make up the red and gold of this delicious jelly. Please don't be alarmed at my red hot experience - the jelly was delightful.  I seeded the Habanero peppers to keep it a little more tame.


The recipe for Habanero Gold Jelly has been on the Cooking Forum website for many years and many of my foodie friends have made it before. I recently discovered that the original recipe is credited to Bob Rouleau of Canada and it can be found on the Bernadin Canada canning website. 


Tonight we had one of our daughters and her boyfriend for dinner and I served this jelly as a relish with brie and sharp cheddar cheeses on baguettte slices.  The creamy brie and the jelly with an 'attitude' was a wonderful pairing. Since many men love the heat of chili peppers, this jelly was very popular tonight! Others have used it in sauces or marinades for grilled meat and poultry or as a condiment. If you want to popular with the spicy men in your life - give it a try!



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Habanero Gold Jelly

Adapted from a recipe by Bob Rouleau, Canada
Printable Recipe

Makes 4 half-pint jars

1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 up finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers - I removed the seeds but you can leave them in if you want it REALLY hot
OR 1/4 cup diced, combined jalapeno and Scotch Bonnet peppers
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Here is a good reference site for first-time canners, like myself, which explains how to prepare your jars for canning and other safety tips.

Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices. Measure into a large deep stainless steel saucepan with vinegar; let stand 4 hours. Individually, cut onion and seeded peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice.  Measure each ingredient; add to apricots. Stir in sugar.

Bring to a full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add liquid pectin, mixing well.

Pour jelly into hot jars, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims and apply lids.

Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Cool upright, until lids pop down, about 30 minutes. When lids are concave but the jelly is still hot, carefully grasp jar without disturbing lid and invert, twist, or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout jelly.

Repeat as necessary during the cooling/setting time, until solids remain suspended in the jelly.

76 comments:

  1. wow this jelly is so cool so gloves next time!

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  2. Great! You've made the habanero gold jelly. Yours look beautiful!

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  3. This is one of my favorite jellies- so versatile! Your photos (and the jelly of course) are gorgeous!

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  4. lovely mosaic. love fall.
    thanks for the site and the recipe
    great job

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  5. I've had the Habanero Gold before, it's great stuff! Looks beautiful, and so delicious for an Autumn mosaic! Perfect colors!

    I think over at the CF they also made some kind of savory thumbprint cookie with the Habanero Gold. I loved it in the morning on a toasted, buttered English muffin. Definitely wakes you right up!

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  6. Mary your photos are so wonderful! I love pepper jelly but never had this habenero gold style. I grew a habenero pepper plant one summer and got so many peppers that I didn't know what to do with them and froze them. I wish I thought to try canning them like this!
    I also like that chopping gadget from Williams Sonoma! Thanks!

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  7. Oh my goodness Susan, that first photo is absolutely breathtaking!

    I have a confession, I've never tried pepper jelly. I know, I know, I'm missing out, right? But after seeing your photos, I'm seriously considering picking up some habaneros on my next trip to the farmers market.

    Bravo!

    :)
    ButterYum

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  8. That's one of our favorite treats - I always have some on hand. Plain cream cheese, crackers and the jelly work any time!

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  9. Susan, I've seen this recipe for years and have never made it. I may have to give it a try, and will definitely wear gloves. Thank you for that tip!

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  10. Forgot to say, I have that gadget for chopping and LOVE it!

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  11. Your photographs are stunning...those leaves in the background *sigh*, no fall color in my neck of the woods yet. I'm afraid I have a fear of canning but pepper jelly & cream cheese is a favorite of ours!

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  12. Beautiful photos! The jelly looks delicious. I keep a small box of disposable rubber gloves in the drawer with plastic bags, etc. I use them for lots of kitchen tasks. Always with peppers, only took rubbing my eye once after chopping peppers and I had washed my hands!!

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  13. I learned the hard way to always wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers. I've seen this recipe but have never tried it. Love the addition of sliced apricots.

    Is there anyone who doesn't like pepper jelly, cream cheese and crackers? Beautiful photos, Susan

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  14. Oh me too the first time it ouched:) I got the recipe from Gardenweb:) Remember the days?

    LOvely collage!

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  15. Yay for you! Isn't canning fun?! The first time I handled hot peppers I made the HUGE mistake of rubbing my eye- hard lesson learned. Those jars look gorgeous! Congrats
    xoxo Pattie

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  16. What beautiful jars of jelly... I have had this before and we served it with cream cheese on crackers...a bit lame when I read how you served it. :D Glad that your fingers are feeling better...oh ouchie!

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  17. Wonderful photos, Mary! So colorful and it sounds delicious with the cheeses and bread.

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  18. Congrats on your first canning adventure. :D It sounds good, but if it is spicy hot, I would have to back off - I am a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. :-D

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  19. those jars of jelly are gorgeous! I share the same first-time experience working with hot peppers. my hands burned up to my elbows for a week, it was really bad. looking back on that experience many years later I can laugh, but it really burned! I was a mere teenager learning the ropes of canning salsa, and yes, I learned a lot.

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  20. Beautiful colors! And I like a bit of heat but have never worked with habanero peppers. Love the little jars which are perfect for gifting.

    We are just beginning to see a bit of fall color around here.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  21. Susan...SIMPLY GORGEOUS!! I just love the color of this beautiful jelly. I am also such a fan of those little squatty wide-mouth jars. Recipe looks great :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  22. Very creative and I am now thinking I should do this with all these peppers in the garden that I don't know what to do with~

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  23. Beautiful mosaic! I used to make hot pepper jelly, but a batch lasts forever in our house. Tossed a couple jars recently that were dated 2006. :(

    I have the thumbprint cookie recipe Carol mentioned. Always meant to try it, but never did.

    The jelly makes a nice vinaigrette with cane. rice, or white balsamic vinegar and oil. It's also good in a mushroom cream sauce over pork medallions.

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  24. Habanero jelly! I bet it would make a fantastic hostess gift!

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  25. This jelly looks amazing! I love hot and spicy, and this definitely fits the bill. And beautiful color, too! Yum!

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  26. Congratulations on your canning! The jelly looks beautiful- flecks of color everywhere. I love pepper jelly and it is great in so many things as well as on it's own. It makes me want to make some myself. Good Work!

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  27. Wouah, quelles incroyables couleurs oranges et si lumineuses ! J'adore ces petits pots de poivrons ! La couleur fait penser à la cornaline, ma pierre préférée...
    Superbes, superbes photographies !

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  28. I think the men in my family would love the heat in the jelly. I love the little squat jars. Wonderful.

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  29. Thanks for visiting my blog and following -- and I'm so glad as it led me to your wonderful blog! Your photos are so beautiful (one of my favorite things about blogging is the photos to see). Good for you on the canning ... something I also have shied away from. I will be back for sure!

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  30. Thank you all for your words of encouragement on my first canning adventure! I'm not sure what's next but at least there will be a 'next' ;) I sent one jar home with our daughter's boyfriend he loved it so much! This recipe is so good but I'm glad I didn't use the habanero seeds as I think it would have been too hot for me. As I made it, it is easy to handle - even friendly to the taste buds.

    I do remember those days, M! It's where I first met you ;)

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  31. Oooh, I love pepper jelly. And yours looks so beautiful. What an amazing color!

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  32. Speaking of Penzey's shallots, I just opened a jar and put them in an empty pepper mill to try to grind them, but they're too light weight to get caught in the grinding mechanism. I'll figure something out eventually. Anyway, I wish you could see my Penzey's stash. I tell you, the money I have spent there over the years!!

    :)
    ButterYum

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  33. Absolutely gorgeous, Susan.

    An EXCELLENT foray into canning. Kudos to you, and you've captured everything so beautifully. Very, very nice! xo~m.

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  34. I had a jelly similar to this at a friend's wedding this past June and ever since I've been DYING to recreate it! I'm SO GLAD you shared this...sounds perfect!

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  35. Fabulous, Susan! To begin with, the colors of fall are clearly in your gold jelly! Delicious.
    Kudos on your first canning adventure. Reading this, I could almost think I could do it!

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  36. Not only are those lovely, but I can think of so many uses! I'm happy to see another southeast WI food blogger. (Even though I'm currently living in the FL panhandle, soon moving back to Corpus Christi, TX.) Look forward to following my home state and your posts here!

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

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  37. This jelly looks very tempting. I will cut on the hot peppers and I will give it a try.

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  38. Your pics are beautiful! Congratulations on overcoming your fear of canning, or canningdiscadosis! :)

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  39. These photos are works of art - I just love the lighting of the jelly in the outdoor shots! The colors in all the photos just say autumn in all its glory.

    What do you use the jelly for - an appetizer with crackers? Looking forward to seeing what you can next.

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  40. This looks devine and I bet it tastes wonderful.

    Thanks so much for being a part of Seasonal Sundays. Sorry I'm so late getting around to everyone, but it was a VERY busy weekend.

    - The Tablescaper

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  41. What a beautiful post. I love hot pepper jelly with cheese. Your photos are gorgeous, and we can't get those canning jars locally. I have never seem that shape, so am completely charmed by them.
    I am thrilled to have discovered your site. I hope you have a subscribe by e-mail plug in as I would like to get your new posts in my mail box. I never keep up with feeds or readers!
    I will look now!
    :)
    Valerie

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  42. I have a fear of canning/jarring too! But these habanero jellies make me reallyyy want to try it :) AMAZINGLY beautiful photos :)

    Sues

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  43. you an amaizing job with this jelly it looks so beautiful in those jars. is it easy to find liquid pectin?

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  44. Thank you for the wonderful comments!

    Marsha, since I just recently made it we did use it with cheese and baguette slices - it was wonderful!

    Black Book, I think the liquid pectin is fairly easy to find...my grocer had it and I've also seen it at Walmart.

    The squatty jars came from Target!

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  45. Thanks Susan for this wonderful recipe! I love this kind of jelly with italian cheese...so tasty!

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  46. Beautiful! I've always wanted to try making spicy jelly.

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  47. Wow, excellent first time...I love Habanero but they are quite hot. Yikes, with your hands :(
    Gorgeous photos, and sounds delightful with brie :)

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  48. Not only does it sound good...it's pretty! I LOVE those little Mason jars! I may have to can something just to get to have some! lol Hope you are having a great week!...hugs..Debbie

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  49. splendide foto per una splendida ricetta!! *_^

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  50. wow! that is gorgeous- i would love to attempt to make this. I finally braved strawberry jam- maybe I will try this soon!

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  51. Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know my apricots are soaking, and all my veggies are diced into itty bitty 1/8-inch pieces. I should have a batch of this beautiful jelly in a few hours. I'll let you know how it turns out.

    :)
    ButterYum

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  52. It's beautiful - I can't wait to try it. I love your idea of serving it on brie. I'm going to have to pick up some of those cute jars from Target too.

    Thanks for sharing this great recipe!

    :)
    ButterYum

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  53. have a recipe simuliar to this my friend said it wasn't hot enough for his family they're from india so i added more habaneros thinking maybe 10-15 total plus jalapeno then i got it right for them.

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  54. Thanks so much for the comment. I guess they like it hot!

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  55. Yum! Pepper jellies are my favorite! I'd love to try this one and eat it spread thick on a slice of toast slathered with goat cheese... yum!

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  56. I have been making hot pepper jelly for years, now I have another one recipe to try. I like the apricots as an addition. Can't wait to make it.

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  57. I have been making hot pepper jelly for years, now I have another one recipe to try. I like the apricots as an addition. Can't wait to make it.

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  58. I have been making hot pepper jelly for years, now I have another one recipe to try. I like the apricots as an addition. Can't wait to make it.

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  59. I have been making hot pepper jelly for years, now I have another one recipe to try. I like the apricots as an addition. Can't wait to make it.

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  60. I have been making hot pepper jelly for years, now I have another one recipe to try. I like the apricots as an addition. Can't wait to make it.

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  61. I've been looking for this recipe for years. Thanks so much.

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  62. can you use powder pectin instead of liquid?

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  63. I would like to know if fresh apricots may be substituted.

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  64. I haven't tried fresh apricots as the recipe calls for dried. Wish I could offer more help.

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  65. I also would like to add powdered pectin in the recipe instead of the liquid. I heard they aren't interchangable. Can the powdered be used???

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    1. I'm sorry, I've never tried using powdered pectin in this recipe. I have found Certo liquid pectin at Walmart.

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  66. I doubled the recipe; 1 large jalapeno and 6 habanero peppers is about 1/2 cup - made 7 half-pints; just the right amount of spice; YUM

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  67. So... When you are boiling the jars are they supposed to rock or vibrate slightly inside of the pot? Or did I do somthi,g really wrong? It kind of just caught me off guard I wanted to double check

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    1. Yes, they do vibrate a little inside the pot because of the simmering water. I try to not have a hard boil going on but just a gentle simmer. Hope you enjoy the Habanero Gold, Benjamin!

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  68. I made this recipe last year and it was delicious. I'd like to make it again, but right now I really need to use up some pineapple. Do you think I could sub the apricot for pineapple? How would this affect the outcome?

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    1. It sounds like a great combination to me! As long as you're using dried pineapple (like the dried apricots) I think it should be fine used in the same amount. I hope you let me know how it turns out!

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  69. Do you have to refrigerate jelly after it's made?
    (I know once open you should but for storage purposes does it have to be int fridge when made?)

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    1. Good question. If you've done a proper water bath to get a good seal, you shouldn't have to refrigerate it right away. After I open a jar to start using it, then I put what's left in the refrigerator. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can refrigerate them if you have the space.

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