Sweet and Spicy: Everything You Want In a Woman!

Confession:  the hot pepper jelly is my favorite, but don’t tell any of my other jams that.  You can put it on crackers, sammiches, or use it as a dipping sauce—it’s so versatile (just like my best gay Toby J)!  As any of my friends and fellow social work students can tell you, I have spent a TON of time perfecting the hot pepper jelly recipe, and forcing half-pint jars into their hands every other week.  I decided I would turn up the challenge and make it a triple threat—triple the recipe, cut down on my cooking time, and increase my profit.  I am one savvy little business-woman, right?  Riiiight.  

Don't you ever wonder who actually
buys those bulk products?

In order to do so I had to bust into the giant 50 lb. bag a suga, and puree 6 red bell peppers, 12 habaneros, and 12 serranos.  I finally got a big-girl food processor so I didn’t have to puree the peppers in 1-cup batches (like I used to do in my single lady food processor—making relish is gonna rock nowwwww).  Anywho, that many hot peppers in one contraption was more than ever so slightly akin to breathing in pepper spray, and I had no less than 3 separate coughing fits, but hey, I suffer for my craft.  

I know I'm a Grinch and this won't
help sales, but doesn't this look like
Christmas threw up in a stock pot?  

Sooo…pureed peppers +18 cups sugar + 4 cups vinegar + 3 packets liquid pectin = 20 jars of hot pepper jelly!  The triple threat worked out fabulously in the end, but not without a tremendous amount of anxiety on my part as the jars took forever to gel.  I was all worried I was gonna be stuck with 20 jars of spicy, sugary vinegar that never turn into jelly.  Then I reminded myself of the profound and immortal words of Destiny's Child...I don't think you're ready for this jelly, I don't think you're ready for this jelly, I don't think you're ready for this...'cause my body's too bootylicious foooor yoooou baaaabe.  Whew, feels good to get that out.  I'm not sure that a jam blog would be complete without it?  I just don't wanna be too bootylicious for my own jelly.  Guess the anxiety was worth it in the end, but it was a looong 3 hours hoping that Destiny's Child was wrong, which I have NEVER thought before.  I don't just heart jam, I heart Beyonce too (random fact about me:  if I could look like any celebrity, it would be Beyonce).  

Hot Pepper Jelly    Sweet and Spicy:  Everything You Want In a Woman!