half pint jars are great for this. If you want to use a stockpot instead of a canning pot you may want the wide mouth half pint jars as they are shorter. Yes you need something on the bottom of the stockpot, a cake cooling rack, rings from canning jars wired together... I tried it once with a dish towel and it was really annoying. I think a jar lifter and canning funnel are also very important to minimize cursing in the kitchen.

Leaving in the seeds and membranes is a good way to up the spice. You can also add some dried chiles. Do not add any more fresh hot peppers to the recipe though as that will alter the acidity and make it unsafe to can.

-Robin

This was my first (and only) canning venture, too! Here's input from a fellow newbie's experience:

I just happened to have a cast iron trivet that fit nicely in my stock pot so I wrapped it with a dish towel and thereby avoided the annoyingness of the towel floating about.

As someone who enjoys a good amount of heat, I'd describe the recipe as written as having a pleasant, non-lingering bite. I wouldn't hesitate to make it considerably stronger with some seeds (ribs might be ugly, I don't know) but then I'd probably eat less of it for breakfast!

I found jar size to be an issue because the recipe doesn't yield much. Not knowing better I quadrupled it but that made it hard to work with and gave it a slightly weird texture. I was told after the fact that this was a no-no. I think double is probably the most I'll go next time. But, my quadrupled recipe only filled six half-pints! Therefore a single recipe would only give you 1.5 half-pints, which doesn't really make sense. So it's probably better to use smaller jars; if you do use half-pints I'd definitely double the recipe so you can at least fill three.

I agree with Robin about the jar lifter. I figured I'd rough it with silicon baking mitts and yes, I cursed. Get creative ahead of time, not while the jars are in boiling water! I'd agree with the funnel as well, but since I didn't want to invest in time and equipment before my first attempt I used a ladle which worked ok, too.

Last thought - I don't know if there's a heat difference between red and orange habaneros, but the jelly itself is orange so the red stand out prettier. Being as it is a pretty jelly I'll use all red next time.

Have fun and enjoy!

I used a silicon trivet in my stockpot. I did the jelly soon after I purchased an induction range, so finding a pot that would work on induction was my primary criteria. Oh, double the recipe. Not much more work, and then you get 6 half-pints. I was careful to eliminate the seeds and ribs to make sure the jelly wasn't too hot. It came out very, very tasty!

I like brutally hot so I left some seeds in. I asked DH to try some. He immediately grabbed his throat went to his knees, and his eyes bulged as he tried to scream for water. I took that a sign the I need to make an adjustment. So I got out the long kitchen tweezers and began plucking out seeds.

I don't mean to hijack but Robin, if I am using just red sweet pepper and how of of the dry would I add to make it hot? I want a red and peach jelly and the only peppers here are jalapeno. I want to make a batch of pretty hot stuff. I second doubling the batch and these jellies are a great way to step into canning. I used a small 1/4 cup measuring cup. I need to super close to the container I am pouring it in. I am very, very uncoordinated.

Oops I misspoke, sorry - I used PINTS which wouldn't make sense for a single batch. Half pints would be fine.

(Peanut butter and HGJ sandwich in mouth as I type!)

I don't know how much of the dried I would use to make it hot. You can add some cook it and taste before canning to make sure it is to your liking. Personally I think it would be better to use fresh hot peppers and only to use the dried to boost the heat. I was going to offer to send you some hot peppers but I see you are in Canada. Not really something they want mailed to a different country. Are their any Asian markets where you live that might have other hot peppers?

-Robin

Thanks so much for all the advice, y'all! This looks like it could be some fun.

I think I'll invest in a box of latex gloves for this. And a jar lifter since someone already tried the silicone mitts. And a wide-mouth funnel because I could use one of those anyway. I think I have a large enough stockpot, but I saw that there are cheap Graniteware canning pots on Amazon I might pick up if mine isn't big enough (I have induction too so I know it can take some planning to find some cookware).

I'll see if it'll be spicy enough as written. If it's not spicy enough for my dad, then my mom will get to have some.

Thanks again!

Definitely get the latex gloves! As for that small batch, here's the recipe that Readinglady adapted to make a larger batch, basically a double batch. I wouldn't try to go any bigger, you compromise your jell...

Hot 'N Sweet Confetti Jelly
1 cup minced dried apricots (1/8" dice)
Note: Could use dried peaches or pears instead.
1 1/4 total cups minced red sweet pepper and minced red onion (1/8" dice), approximately half-and-half.
1/4 cup Habanero peppers
Note: For extra-hot, increase Habaneros to 1/2 cup and reduce red sweet pepper/red onion combination to 1 cup total.
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
6 cups sugar
1 3-oz. pouch liquid pectin (I used Ball, which I've decided I like better than Certo.)
Prep apricots, peppers and onion. Place in a large, stainless or other non-reactive pot. Add sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook 5 minutes. Pull off the burner; allow to cool, cover and let sit overnight. Stir occasionally if convenient.
Note: 4-6 hours would be plenty, so the time doesn't need to be any greater than the soaking time for apricots in the original recipe.
Next day, bring the mixture back to the boil. Stir in liquid pectin. Boil hard 1 minute.

Pull off the heat. If necessary, skim foam. (I did need to skim a bit.) Let cool 2 minutes, stirring to distribute solids. Pour into jars. Stir to distribute and remove air bubbles. Do the usual with the jars and lids, BWB 10 minutes.
When jars are sealed, "agitate" to distribute solids throughout the jelly.

Yield: 6 8-oz. jars.

If you read the recipe, there's also an option to add more habaneros and less sweet peppers or onions, if you want more heat than then seeds and membranes give you.

Happy Canning!

Annie

OOOhhhhh thank you!

Thanks for the idea Robin.
Don't forget the glasses if they are juicy peppers. My eyes are watering just typing this. Yeah, let's just say there was a little spraying when I cut mine! Glasses from now on for me and no question of gloves also.

The tiny 4oz. jars are nice for this too. Makes a nice size for gift giving.

Good things to know--thank you all!

Now, if it weren't clear enough that I've never done anything remotely like this, I have to ask, is this like candy where you have to look out for sugar crystals forming?

If you were talking about a traditional preserve, this would be a more likely possibility.

Excessive sugar in the preserve, undissolved sugar, over-evaporation can all cause crystals.

However, with this recipe you have a tested balance of sugar to acid and product and the resting time as well as the speedy addition of commercial pectin once the jelly's brought back to temp make crystallization very very unlikely. It would be awfully difficult for crystals to form with all that vinegar in the mixture.

I really wouldn't worry about it in this jelly.

Carol

Thanks Carol!

Now I'm all excited waiting for my funnel and stuff to arrive. Maybe I should have checked to see if peppers are even in season. They must be.

I make a hot pepper jelly using sweet bell peppers and habaneros. One year I couldn't find fresh habaneros, so I used jarred pickled ones....
Worked just like fresh....hotter'n blazes!
And something else I do, because I don't like getting a piece of really hot pepper in my mouth is I put the habaneros and about 1/2 cup or so of the vinegar in the blender and whirr until there are no visable pieces. That insures that all bites are the same degree of hot.
I have also made habanero raspberry jam, and habanero cran raz jam....all is good!
Linda C

Thanks for the tips, Linda. I did find peppers in the store so I'm good there. I think I should leave the chunks visible as a warning to those who may receive it as a gift shouldn't I? Or not! hehehehehe

I do have a few questions about the doubled recipe. The original recipe soaks the apricots (but not the peppers and onions) while the doubled version briefly cooks apricots as well as peppers and onions and then lets them soak. Does this difference impact things much? (I won't have my gloves until later today so I'm wondering if I can get away with not soaking the peppers since they won't be ready yet.)

Thanks for all the handholding, y'all!

Is it the same amount of pectin for a single or double batch?

fori, that's the beauty of the double batch, it uses the same amount of pectin as the single batch. It's expensive stuff, too, so that's a double bonus.

I always soak the fruit and the peppers in the vinegar, just to acidify the peppers. I don't think you will have any problems if you don't soak the peppers, though. Be sure to soak the apricots well, both for the re-hydration and for the jelling action of the natural pectin in the fruit.

Annie

Thanks, Annie!

I'm feeling brave!

I always soak the fruit and the peppers in the vinegar, just to acidify the peppers Thanks, I'll add this tip to my notes.

Add it if you like, I don't know that there's any scientific basis for that at all, I just thought it was a good idea, so I do it, LOL.

Annie

If I might just toss out another silly question about general canning procedure, is the BWB the only stage where the jars are actually sterilized? You just heat them up before adding the food so they don't have thermal shock and break, right? So I can heat them in the sink with really hot water if...let's say...I'm running out of pots? I have an instant hot tank at about 200F--that oughta be adequate, right?

I made the stuff and it seems to have worked. I wanted to thank you all for all the help!

I hope you all won't think less of me if I say it is icky. :) I didn't expect to like it--just not my thing. But I think my dad will love it.

Another success attributable to the CF gang. Thanks!

If something's being processed 10 minutes or more, jars don't need to be sterile, just hot and clean.

If I run out of space I sometimes set a plastic tub in the sink, stick in the jars and fill with hot water from the faucet. Our hot water is set for a pretty high temperature. I still usually add a teakettle of boiling water to boost it.

Carol

Fori...you can send it to me if your dad doesn't like it! Ha ha!

I am LONG overdue in making more Habanero Gold! I can never find really good peppers. I guess I missed the season again? :(

Alrighty! good info, Carol. I ended up using my processing pots of water since they were right THERE...but once I get a better idea of what I'm actually doing I can see how that might be pretty handy.

Can I just send you my extra peppers, Mom? I didn't know how bulky they'd be so I overbought. I love stupidly spicy foods but the spouse can only handle medium spicy (and I haven't even tested the baby's threshold yet). Even so, I didn't taste these. But they are pretty.