Sweet Heat Pepper Jelly

I had always wanted to make a pepper jelly with my homegrown beauties, especially since the Tabasco and Scotch Bonnets have a decent, fruity flavour to them in addition to searing heat. A simmer in apple juice draws out the acidic, slightly bitter notes and makes them disappear, and by using Pomona’s Pectin I was able to use just enough sugar to call the works a "jelly" while preventing the batch turning into hellfire candy.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 18
• Yields: 2 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 2  cups  unsweetened apple juice
• 1  scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced (or habanero)
• 1  tabasco  hot pepper, minced
• 2  tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  calcium water (in the Pomona's Pectin box)
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2  teaspoons  pomona's pectin

Directions

1. Combine apple juice and minced peppers in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Add the lemon juice and calcium water to the pot and bring to a boil.
3. Whisk together the sugar and pectin and add to the boiling mixture, stirring well.
4. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Process 10 minutes in a waterbath or store in the fridge up to 1 month.