hot pepper jelly

my mother turned my sister on to hot pepper jelly a couple years ago at one of the major holidays. she decided to change things up and introduced us to a new appetizer - hot pepper jelly mixed with cream cheese on crackers. personally, i don't care much for it - i don't particularly care for peppers - but the two of them and other friends and family go crazy for this stuff. so last summer, in the height of pepper season, i made two batches for them for christmas.

and you know all those warnings about "wear gloves when cutting jalapenos"? yea, they're no joke. i thought it was a little overboard, so i decided to cut all the peppers with bare hands. my fingers were perfectly fine the entire time i was cutting, the entire time i cooked the jelly and canned the jelly. it wasn't until later that night, when i was making dinner that they started burning like crazy. and didn't go away until later the next day. next time, i'll know better.

hot pepper jelly
adapted from all recipes
makes 48 ounces

4 cups peppers, a mixture of red bell, green bell, and jalapeno (about 3c red & green bell and 1c jalapeno)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1.75 ounces powdered pectin
5 cups white sugar

1. place the chopped peppers in a colander and drain. discard the liquid.
2. place peppers in a large saucepan over high heat. mix in vinegar and pectin. bring to a full boil and boil 2 minutes. if you want a smoother jelly, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture to the consistency you desire.
3. mix in the sugar and bring to a boil. boil exactly two minutes, stirring constantly.
4. remove from heat and skim off any foam.
5. ladle jelly into sterile jars within 1/4" of the tops. cover with lids and bands.
6. process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes. remove from the canner and let cool. store jars that didn't seal in the refrigerator. store sealed jars in a cool, dry place away from sunlight for up to one year.