Adding a little spice to my life!

I'm not a fan of hot spicy foods, but those large green jalapenos looked so beautiful at the farm-stand, I had to buy some! Not one or two, "NO",I bought a basket of them... Eight large peppers to be exact! Now, since peppers are not on my list of faves, I had to use them in a creative way for my palate to approve. Strawberry jam is my favorite summertime canning process, so why not add a little kick to my already sweet and wonderful summertime treat.

​I love canning, but I don't want to stay in the kitchen all day making dozens of jars of jams and jellies like my mother did. And... I often don't have the quantity of fruit and peppers to make a big batch, so I have an easy yummy recipe for the gal on the go. This recipe will give you about 6 small jelly jars of sweet peppery jam.

Small batch canning is so rewarding and an easy way to not feel overwhelmed in the process.

Ingredients

2 cups crushed mashed strawberries

1/2 cup minced jalapeno peppers

1/8 cup lemon juice

1(2 oz.) box powdered fruit pectin

4 cups granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. butter (prevents foaming)

6 jelly jars

Directions

Place, crushed berries, minced peppers, lemon juice,butter, and pectin into a large saucepan. Bring to boil over a high heat. Once it boils, stir in sugar until it dissolves (keep stirring so it does not stick), return to a rapid boil and boil 1 minute.

Pack your jam into sterilized jars and lids ...Hint...I take my jars straight from the dishwasher and dip them into a pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes. I boil my lids in a small sauce pan for about 2 minutes. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top of your jars empty.

Fill your jars with the jam. Wipe off any spillage on the tops and seal with your lids and a canning ring. Make certain the rings are tight.

Place the jars in a boiling pot of water for 10 minutes to seal your jars. Hint...Water should cover the lids at least 1 inch.

After the jars are removed...Listen for the familiar pop or if you are using the new sure tight brand lids make certain the middle is pushed down. They often do this on their own.

Hint...Of coarse if you don't want to do the hot water bath, you can always seal your jars and sit them in the refrigerator.

My picture only shows four jars...My bible Study gals have already tried and tasted the other two jars on a block of cream cheese! Strawberry pepper jam will be good on goat cheese, biscuits, or scones too!

Can't wait to try it with other fruits...stay tuned...