Habanero Garlic Jelly

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 5 habaneros
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1 1/4 cups vinegar
• 1/4 cup strained fresh lime juice
• 6 cups sugar
• 2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon butter
• 1 (3 ounce) envelope certo liquid pectin

Recipe

• 1 put habaneros, bell pepper, & garlic in a food processor and process until they are finely minced - be careful not to turn it into mush.
• 2 put the minced vegetables into a large pot and add the sugar, vinegar, and lime juice. mix well, and bring to a boil, stirring often.
• 3 cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, keeping any eye on the mixture to make sure it does not boil over the top of the pan.
• 4 remove from heat and stir in food coloring (if using) and butter.
• 5 add the pectin and stir briskly with a whisk for 3 minutes - this helps to evenly distribute the bits of pepper and garlic throughout the jelly.
• 6 ladle the jelly into sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any jelly which got on the rims or the threads. place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
• 7 process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. it is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. while the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. after 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. if you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. if the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. you can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 5 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.