Ok, so I made the confetti jelly this weekend... I used Carol's larger batch recipe. I brought four dried habaneros (8 halves or various sizes from very small to large) just to a boil in half the vinegar and then steeped it for an hour or so. I used the other half of the vinegar to soak the apricots, which I microwaved for a few seconds to warm them up. When it was time to make the jelly, I used tongs to remove the peppers and squeeze them slightly. I used one jalapeno in place of the 1/4 cup of fresh habanero. It worked fine and is plenty hot enough for me. When I made a second batch, I used a long red pepper (since I was out of jalapenos). This time it was part of the 1 1/4 cups total of peppers and onions. (I was using up the very last of the peppers I had bought.) The sugar was not dissolving well and it seemed quite thick, so I ended up adding another 1/4 cup of vinegar to the mixture. It seemed thin when the jars were still hot. I ended up having to twirl it several times, but it set up fine as it cooled. It doesn't move when you turn the jar. I made the inferno wine jelly. I probably should have steeped the dried peppers ahead of time. It will need a different name as it is more like mild pepper wine jelly. This one foamed quite a bit. It didn't have as many peppers as a percentage so it was frustrating trying to skim the foam without taking the peppers too. In recipes that have more peppers, I don't worry if I skim out a few. I probably won't bother to make this one again. I'm taking a break from pepper jellies for a few weeks. I have over 40 jars for the craft fair now.

Yes, as others have suggested, it works fine to freeze them chopped or in halves or other pieces (in which case you can chop them when you defrost them if you like; they will be soft but the flavour will be well preserved). But I wouldn't freeze in jars---plastic bags (with extra air squished out) or heavy-duty plastic wrap is what you want. Most things preserve their flavour and avoid freezer burn best if not surrounded by air. (Though Dave's trick of freezing them unwrapped briefly first is a clever one & I've used it for berries---that way they are hard and don't mush into a clump when you pack several into a bag, so you can easily remove however much or little you want.) good luck! Zabby, also having a good harvest of habs this year & planning to freeze most

Thanks everyone. I did wonder whether the sun could be causing those purple marks. Now I know. This is my first year growing a garden and its been fun to learn all this kind of stuff. Also, I was actually bummed because the Habanero peppers I did plant never really took off, eventually I just pulled them. Now I have one plant by happy accident I guess. Actually I'm starting to think another of the supposed ghost pepper plants is also something else. The peppers have the right shape but they are smooth skinned and yellow. The one plant (out of three) that DOES look like a ghost pepper plant has wrinkly peppers like they're supposed to look. Looks like there is some mix and match going on at Pepper Joe's. Its all good though.

Scorpion_John's puts up the best most logical opinion concerning Orange vs Red habanero pepper debate. I fall into the uniformed category because I have never tasted the Congo. But, I do not understand his unfavorable opinion of the standard yellow habanero because I do really like them along both the Caribbean Red and the Regular Scotch Bonnet habs. So I am going to get some Congos and try them so that I can experience a wider spectrum of peppers odors and tastes. What variety does Scorpion_John recommend to get started (any one else who grows Congo's recommend). Has anyone had the pleasure to taste the Florida Orange Pepper that grows wild in the Lake County, FL area? What do think about Datil peppers? I will not grow them because they attract white flies like eggplants do and they get all over all the other plants. Do you think the Congo peppers originated in East Africa (trick question). I think we all must have something in common because we all love peppers. I have been growing peppers for about 60 years and do not worry about the heat because you can vary the amount of any pepper used in cooking. I also enjoy jalapeño peppers for their great flavor. I am a new member and this is my first post. I am looking forward reading the posts of all other members. Thank you. Drchilie1