JalapeÑo Spiked Cherry Preserves Recipes

JALAPENO SPIKED CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer about 50 minutes, skimming foam from surface occasionally (I find a 1/2 tsp margarine helps prevent too much foam).
• Cool; pour into an airtight container. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Cover and chill.
• I'm going to make a double batch, when cherries are in season and freeze a batch I will post later and let you know how it freezes!
• Times are estimated.

DOUBLE-BERRY JALAPENO JAM

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine jalapenos, strawberries and blackberries. Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into 8 hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

JALAPENO SPIKED CHERRY JAM, HONEY SWEETENED

Steps:

• Make calcium water, from box of Pamona's. Put ½ tsp white calcium powder and ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with lid. Store in refrigerator between uses. Lasts a number of months. Shake well before using.
• Wash and rinse jars; place canning rack and jars in canning pot with water just to the just barely cover jar rims. Bring water to a boil, turn down heat, and let jars stand in hot water to sterilize.
• Using a food processor, process the cherries in small (4 or so) batches so they are slightly chunky, not liquid. Process the jalapenos and the lime juice to very fine.
• Combine all ingredients except for honey and pectin ingredients in a medium saucepan with a lid.
• Put 4 ½ tsp of calcium water into the saucepan. (Prepared from the box of Pamona's.).
• In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine ½ cup honey and 3 ½ tsp pectin. (From the box of Pamona's.).
• Bring ingredients in saucepan to a boil, reduce heat, stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Using a rubber spatula, add honey/pectin to saucepan and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes. Return saucepan to a boil. Remove from heat, and use spatula to skim and remove excess foam.
• Bring one jar and a 2 piece lid out of the hot water. Insert funnel and fill jars to ¼" of top. Wipe any excess off the rim and screw on 2-piece lid. Place jar in water and repeat until the jam fills the last jar. Leftover jam can be put in a jar and into the fridge. Try to do this step swiftly.
• Bring water to a boil and process jars for 10-15 minutes. Remove from water carefully, and let cool.
• You may hear popping as the jars cool. Leave them be! Don't shake or jostle them for 24 hours. After that, check seals- lids should be sucked down. Any jars that didn't seal can be refrigerated.

PICKLED JALAPENOS

Steps:

• Prepare the jars and lids:
• Wash all jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well. Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Using a pair of canning tongs, lower the jars in gently, tilting them to fill with the hot water. In a small saucepan, keep some water warm but not boiling; place the lids in the water. Have an additional kettle of water on to boil.
• Prepare the brine.
• Add vinegar, water, salt and garlic and peppercorns or honey (if using), to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to keep at a simmer.
• Prepare the jalapenos.
• Wearing latex or plastic gloves, slice the jalapenos into 1/4-inch rings. Add the rings to the brine and bring back to the boil.
• Fill and close the jars.
• Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner, carefully pouring the water back into the canner. Set next to the jalapenos in the saucepan. Turn the heat under the canner to high. Use a ladle to pour the jalapenos into the jars through a canning funnel, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Run a clean chopstick around the inside of the jar to dislodge any trapped air. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids on, and screw on the rings until just finger-tight.
• Seal the jars.
• Using canning tongs, gently transfer the jars to the canner, taking care to keep them vertical. When all the jars are in the canner, there should be at least 1 inch of water covering them; if you need more, add water from the kettle until the jars are sufficiently covered. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 5 minutes.
• Remove and cool.
• Using canning tongs, gently remove the jars from the canner and transfer them to a kitchen towel or cooling rack, again keeping them vertical. Do not set hot jars directly onto cool counter surfaces. Leave to cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. If any of the jars do not seal when cool, reprocess using the method above, or refrigerate and use immediately.
• Label and store.
• Add a label to the lid or side of your jar, noting the date it was canned. Remove the rings and store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening. Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.