Red Pepper Jelly

RAD's Note:

I got this recipe from a fellow teacher many years ago after she brought it to one of our Christmas parties. I have been making it ever since...bringing it to parties (with cream cheese & crackers), and giving it for gifts. You can make it green by using sweet green peppers instead of red, and control the "fire" by adjusting the hot peppers to taste. Prep. time includes draining time.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 21 mins
• Prep Time: 4 hrs
• Cook Time: 21 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 5 half-pi ...

• 1 lb sweet red pepper
• 1 ½-2 cups white onions (1 large)
• 4 fresh red chili peppers (about 2 - 2 1/2 inches long) or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ¼ cups white vinegar
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 (3 ounce) envelopes liquid pectin

Directions:

1. Sterilize jars and caps in boiling water.
2. Quarter the sweet red peppers and remove the seeds and ribs.
3. Peel and chop the onion in quarters.
4. Using gloves, remove the seeds from the chili peppers.
5. Put both peppers and onion (in small batches) into a food processor (or meat grinder) and process until you have small, coarse pieces.
6. As they are ground, transfer them to a strainer and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt.
7. Put a plate and a heavy can on top of them and let them drain for 3 hours.
8. In a large cooking pot, mix the drained vegetables with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and cloves.
9. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
10. Add the liquid pectin, and continue to boil for 1 minute, skimming off any foam with a large spoon.
11. Pour immediately into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
12. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.