Last night I made the small batch recipe and have a few questions. Since I have seen on other post not to double jam recipes I did two seperate batches to process at once. Chopped apricots soaked in vinegar overnight(Fri), next morning I had to leave so I put the apricots into 2 seperate plastic containers(Sat) Arrived home too late to do , so Sunday afternoon I continued, chopped and measured peppers and onions and cooked into 2 seperate bathces. I measured very carefully. The first 3 jars (1/2 pints) there was about 1 tbs. left, the second 3 jars, there was about 1/3 pints left. Why? All set up quiclky as I wasn't even able to move around to mix in the peppers and onions. Is the jam still okay considering the fact that the apricots were soaking for two days? Cuppboard or fridge? Next time I will try the big batch. Any difference in taste as I really liked the flavor of this one?

If the peppers (any variety) are just starting to turn color, pick them and put them in a paper bag at room temp for a few days and they will turn. If left on the plant to mature/color up, here in the humid South, they may get moldy inside. I've had requests for even hotter hab jelly, so I put in a 1/4 tsp of dried cayenne pepper flakes in the batch. That stays in your throat longer than just habs. (I have to have my DH taste it because even without the cayenne, it is way too hot for wimpy me.) He loves it and puts it on leftover chicken slice sandwiches. I've used the less hot version as a glaze on chicken and it really livens up the party. I also put it on goat cheese and on feta, which I find bland by themselves, to spark up the cheeses. I buy bulk quantities of hot peppers at the farmers market (unless I successfully grow them), chop them up, lay them on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer, then when frozen, into a gallon plastic bag (they don't make a glob freezing them that way). Anytime I want to make pepper jelly I can pull a bag out and measure what I need. I also do that with onions when they are on sale for this and other "chopped onion" recipe additions, and with sweet peppers in season and cheap. I've even been known to chop up apricots and put them in little plastic bags with the recipe's pre-measured amount, and they go into the freezer too. Of course, most of you don't make as many as I do since I sell jams year 'round, but it might be something to consider - buying ingredients when they are in season/local and freezing them for later, already to go into the preserving pan. Nancy

Thanks for the feedback Carol :) As for the recipe above, it follows the hot version of yours except the apple swapped for the bell pepper, so If anyone wants to use the weight measurements for apricot, onion, habanero, you can use the gram measurement found in the other thread about habanero gold. As for the jelly I made, I added a a little bit more habanero, but had already swapped 1/2 cup bell pepper for 1/2 cup apple, so I think the end result would be slightly more acidic than the Habanero Gold recipe. (I added far less than an additional 1/2 cup habs) Of course, you're the pro, so let me know what you think! Thanks.

In reading this thread, I've found myself re-thinking this issue. Going back to what's been said already and thinking of my DH's costing for his stained glass, you should charge as ksrogers recommended cost of ingredients+cost of materials+cost of utilities+a reasonable wage for your time. It's true you're not in business (right now anyway) so you don't have the carrying costs of a commercial enterprise, but your labor is still just as valuable. I disagree on charging your boss less (offering a discount) because the likelihood is she'll tell others about the jelly or serve it not just to her DH but to company and you may well find others approach you to buy their own jars. They will expect to pay no more than your boss paid. Of course, if you're basically doing this as a favor and don't ever plan to sell it to anyone else, then it's a moot issue and you can charge whatever seems fair to you and in the best interests of your relationship with your employer. Carol