Jelly

Pepper Jelly with Agave and Stevia

This Pepper Jelly is a cooked jelly made with agave, stevia concentrate, and Pomona’s Universal Pectin. It was adapted by Jo-Ann Monconduit, creator of Jo’s Jellies, from the original Pomona’s Pepper Jelly recipe made with sugar or honey.

Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener.

Yield: 4 to 5 cups

Ingredients

2 cups seeded, finely chopped bell peppers
2/3 cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeno peppers
2 2/3 cups apple cider vinegar standardized to 5% acidity
4 teaspoons calcium water
2 cups agave, divided
3 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin powder
½ teaspoon stevia concentrate
green food coloring (optional – see Note below)

Before You Begin

Prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

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Directions

1) Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Wash lids and bands and set aside.

2) Measure prepared peppers and vinegar into sauce pan.

3) Cover and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer covered for 5 minutes.

4) Measure ½ cup agave into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into agave. Set aside.

5) After simmering for 5 minutes, remove pepper and vinegar mixture from the heat.

6) Add calcium water to pepper mixture, and mix well.

7) Return pepper mixture to the heat and bring to a full boil. Add pectin-agave mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.

8) Add remaining 1½ cups of agave and stevia concentrate once pectin is dissolved. Stir well and return to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

9) Add food coloring if using and stir to blend. (See Note below for additional details.)

10) Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with (marmalade/jam/jelly), leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).

11) Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, bring the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)

12)Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then, remove jars from canner. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Then, confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

Note about peppers: For a hotter jelly, you can increase the diced jalapenos, but be sure to decrease the bell peppers by the same amount. Do not exceed 2 2/3 cups chopped peppers.

Note about vinegar: It is okay to use any type of vinegar you like as long as it is standardized to 5% acidity. Jo-Ann has made this with both distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. She thinks the apple cider vinegar improves the taste. Please don’t use homemade vinegar as it is not standardized to 5% acidity, which is necessary for safe water bath canning.

Note about food coloring: Jo-Ann says, “If I were making this only for myself, I wouldn’t add any coloring, but for sale, it looks better green.” If using regular food coloring from the grocery store, add about 5 drops to a batch after the jelly is removed from the heat and stir well. You can vary the amount based on how “green” you want your jelly to look. Start with a few drops, put a tablespoon of jelly onto a white plate and see if you like the color. If using the concentrated food coloring used by professional cake decorators, dip a toothpick into the coloring, add it to the jelly, stir well, check the color on a white plate, and add more color until it’s what you like.

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