COMMENTS:

#1 - The jalapenos I used for these batches were fairly large - none were small. 

Note: Jalapeno jelly can be pretty "hot" if you have included a lot of the seeds in your cooking. The fat molecules in the cream cheese absorb the hot capsaicin of the jalapenos, reducing the heat, but leaving the flavor of the chiles.

#2 - IMPORTANT: Wear rubber disposable gloves when you clean the jalapeno chiles! It's amazing how HOT the oil from the jalapenos are.  The first batch I made, I felt that I did not need to wear gloves. After all, it's just jalapenos!  After doing the first batch, my finger and hands burned for nearly 4 hours (plus you can't touch ANY parts of your body or you will burn there too), and I could not wash the stuff off (and even the next day, my fingers were sensitive to hot water). I now always use gloves!

#3 - Bell peppers were medium to large. If you use TWO bell peppers, make sure they are medium sized. If you use TWO large bells, they will make the jelly not set up because of the amount of liquid produced. Unless you cook it longer… (I have no idea how much longer).  Green bell peppers seem to make the jelly taste to much like bell pepper and it drowns out the jalapeno taste almost completely. Yellow, red or orange bell peppers are ideal for this jelly because their flavor does not take away from the jalapenos. They add very nice color to the final product. 

#4 - WE tired another brand of pectin - (BALL), and it did not work well at all.  I had to open all the jars, as they did not set up, and REBOIL the liquid for an additional 12 minutes before it would set up.  USE ONLY LIQUID CERTO BRAND PECTIN. NOTE:  You can't substitute the powdered pectin for the liquid pectin, as the jelly will not work right).  THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME!"

DIRECTIONS:

Remove stems from all 13 jalapenos; discard.  Leave 4 jalapenos whole and remove seeds from the other 9 jalapenos. Chop the 4 WHOLE jalapenos very fine or puree in blender, then add remainder of the seeded jalapenos; chop medium to fine.

Remove stems and seeds from bell peppers; add to blender.

Add vinegar to blender to help chop and mix together. Puree until coarsely ground and small chunks remain.

In a large non-reactive pot over medium-high heat, add blended pepper mixture; bring to a hard boil.  BOIL FOR A FULL 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and sugar. Place back on medium-high heat and bring back to a hard boil.  Add liquid pectin (Certo Pectin only) and food coloring; again bring back to a HARD BOIL for ONE FULL MINUTE. Skim off any foam (scum) that develops with a spoon. Remove from heat.

COMMENT: We would generally add some of the strained peppers to the jelly after straining. This worked well because the jelly was nice and clean looking (clear red or clear green). The strained pepper added makes it have great color and appeal. Ten (10) drops of food coloring didn’t seem to be all that much, so we have added more at times, and just added it according to what it looked like. 

Have hot sterile 1/2-pint jars and lids ready.

Carefully and quickly strain hot jelly into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add some of the chopped peppers if desired for more color; mix in jars with spoon or fork. Wipe any spilled jelly from jar rims. Center lids on top of jars and tighten screw bands securely, but not as tightly as possible. Test seal, after cooling, with finger. If middle pops up when pressed, jar is not sealed.

COMMENT:  We usually strained the jelly after coming off the stove as we were putting it in the jars.  There were times when we didn’t have a chance to strain it because it was setting up so quickly. This was probably due to the fact that there was less liquid in the pot. 

Variations:

• Medium to hot jalapeno jelly - Use 5 1/2 peppers and do add any extra cooked chopped peppers to final mixture.

• Mild to medium jalapeno jelly - Use only 3 whole jalapeno peppers.

Yields approximately 6 each 1/2-pint jars.

Serving suggestion: 

• Include a block of cream cheese on a pretty plate (probably white), and then you pour the jelly over the top of it and use it like a dip. It's a little bit hotter if you leave it sit out for a while (like before a party) over the cream cheese it builds a little heat.

• Or use like any other jelly; it's great for a spicy peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

• Makes it great basting sauce for grilling meat and poultry.

• Delicious over ice cream. Try mixing some of the jalapeno jelly with cream cheese until smooth - pour over top of ice cream.

Storing canned jellies: 

It is essential that jellied products, especially jelly, be allowed to sit undisturbed for 12 hours after they are made. Moving them could break the gel. After the jellied products have cooled for 12 hours, check the seal, remove the screw band, label and store in a cool, dry, dark place (50 degrees F. to 70 degrees F. is ideal). The shorter the storage time, the better the product. Though most jellied products should keep for a least a year, their flavor and quality begin to decrease within a few months.