Apricot Habanero Jelly

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Apricot Habanero Jelly

  • 2/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots (5 oz)
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (3 oz)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded red pepper (about 1/2 of a pepper about 2.5 oz)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped habanero peppers, seeded and deveined (approximately 16 peppers, or about 2.5 oz)
  • 6 cups granulated sugar (2 lbs 10 oz)
  • 2 pouches (3 oz/85 mL) liquid pectin

In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine apricots and vinegar.  Allow the apricots to soak in the vinegar while you prepare other ingredients.*  Prepare canner, jars and lids.**  Chop red onion and red pepper by hand or in a food processor.  If a food processor is used be sure to drain extra liquid from the red peppers.  Using plastic gloves or plastic bags protecting hands, carefully remove the stems, veins and seeds from the habanero peppers.  Chop finely by hand.  Be careful when handling the bits that are being removed.  Add the red onion, red pepper and habanero peppers to the apricots and vinegar.  Stir in sugar.  Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.  Stir in pectin.  Boil hard, stirring constantly, for one minute.  Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.

Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe rim.  Center lid on jar.  Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.  Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes*** (add more time for higher altitude) .  Remove jars, cool and store.  Makes six 8 ounce jars.

*The original recipe was found in the “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving” and recommended soaking the apricots for at least 4 hours.  I found this step to be unnessary.  **For information on canning information can be found on the Ball Canning website.  I do not claim to be a canning expert, so please seek information from speciality canning books and the USDA. ***Higher altitudes will require additional boiling to preserve the jelly.

For detailed photos and more info keep reading

Supplies needed to make this jelly.  I can’t remember where I purchased the dried apricots, maybe Costco?  I found the 4 oz package of habanero peppers at a Walmart Supercenter for just under $3.  Hot peppers are very easy to come by in Arizona.

Woops, I forgot to take a picture of the liquid pectin I used.

Place apricots in food processor, or finely chop by hand.  The food processor saves a lot of time.  Don’t worry about washing between steps.

Finely chopped dried apricots.

Soak apricots in vinegar while you prepare other ingredients.

Chop red onion in the food processor.  It would be prettier to do this by hand, in tiny 1/8 inch squares, but it takes a long long time.

Chop red pepper in food processor.  Be sure to drain liquid if you prepare the red pepper this way.  Again, it is prettier if you chop this by hand into 1/8 inch squares.  When they are hand-cut the jelly maintains a golden color.  Processing the red pepper leads to a more reddish jelly.

Con mucho cuidado… very very carefully remove the vein and the seeds from the habanero peppers.  Keep out of the reach of children, haha.  I used 16 habanero peppers for this batch.  I don’t dare put the habanero peppers in my food processor.  I worry my next batch of tortillas or bagels would have a kick.  This is the step where you really put the love into the jelly.  I am using inexpensive sandwich bags to protect my hands.  

Very carefully chop the habanero peppers.

I just thought this looked pretty.  See that juice in the red peppers?  Dump it out.

Add the onion and peppers to the apricots and vinegar.

Add the sugar.  At this point I realized my pot was too small.  Woops.

Bring to a rolling boil that can not be stirred down.

Add the two packets of Certo liquid pectin.

Hard boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and skim foam.  We usually still eat the foam just after it cooks – this jelly is that good.

Pour hot jelly into warm glass jars.  It was hard to do this and take a picture at the same time.

Clean the rims and sides of jars.  Place lid on and close.  Boil for ten minutes in a water bath.  Look here for more info on food preservation.  I am no expert.

Done!  This is one of my favorite condiments, ever!  It will save any blah chicken and rice weeknight dinner, liven up taquitos or even make a great appetizer with cream cheese and ritz crackers.

Variations – use jalapeno peppers for a less spicy jelly.  Use a mix of red, green or even yellow peppers for more color. If you hand cut all the peppers the jelly will have a lighter color and look prettier.

Next I want to try to make peach habanero jelly.