Ok, I have found my cryptic handwritten notes on my own famous (well, at least at my local farmer's market) onion-garlic-pepper jelly. I used to sell at least a case (12 half-pints) of this stuff a week....and I have never shared the secret recipe, UNTIL NOW! (This is starting to sound like an informercial...tee hee.) Gina's Locally-Famous Onion-Garlic-Pepper Jelly 1 1/2 cups mixed peppers (both sweet and hot*), seeded and finely chopped 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 5 cups sugar 1 pouch Certo liquid pectin Combine everything except the pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil for at least a minute. Stir in the pectin, bring back to a rolling boil for five minutes. Fill jars (this usually yields 3 pints/6 half-pints) and process in a boiling water bath, 10 minutes for half-pints and 15 minutes for pints. *I like about half red bell pepper and half whatever hot peppers are good to go from the garden. Choose according to your desired heat level, from mild Anaheims all the way up to habaneros, if you dare! I usually use something mild like Anaheim or Nardello, some jalapenos and/or serranos, and maybe some cherry peppers or (red) super chilis for a little more color. And I use the food processor to make easy work of chopping all the veggies. Serving Suggestions: The traditional preparation is to serve this spooned over a brick of cream cheese with crackers But our FAVORITE thing to do is to roast a chicken halfway, take it out, glaze it liberally with the pepper jelly, and finish roasting it. The chicken comes out shiny and crispy and sweet and spicy and succulent. SO GOOD! Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious

Here is one. Recipes that call for a # of peppers would be same # thawed or fresh. Since yours are already chopped (not sure why you would chop before freezing?) all I can think of is to get a fresh one, chop it, and measure it for comparison. is there a formula for x pounds of low acid ingredients need x cups of vinegar to acidify safely for jam? No. Each has to be tested individually. I used 1 1/3 pounds of peppers would 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar and 5 cups of Sugar be safe? Can't say. It would just be a guess. Finally, I do not blend my peppers such that there is a variance in how many peppers are in each jar, I try and even it out but sometimes jars get more peppers and sometimes less when I pour in the jam. Could this pose a safety risk? Not if it is properly acidified when made. The pH level would be uniform. If I make jam and refrigerate (not process in BWB) is there a general rule for safe refrigerated shelf life (6 weeks? 2 weeks?) If using a tested and approved recipe then in theory it should be safe from anything but molds. The general guideline is 3-6 weeks but that is open to all sorts of variables. Processing eliminates any concerns. Dave

I don't blister the peppers, I blanch them, then slit them. I figure the boiling water will kill most of the bacteria on the outside of the peppers and the vinegar will do a great job for the rest. I have tons of very small jalapenos and this method is perfect for them. If I were to slice them into rings then I'd get loads of seeds and they would be harder to eat if you are like me who wants them whole for bites with cheese. If you use them for salads then making rings is better. I haven't used this recipe for other peppers because the jal's are the only ones I grow. For the cayenne or other small peppers my other farmer friends give me, they go into the dehydrator. Nancy

Diane, as mentioned before, everything is a dollar. With your sense of humor I thought you'd appreciate the fact that I can no longer let me husband accompany me into a DT. As he places each item on the belt he asks, "how much is this?" The first time the clerk responds, "everything's a dollar." With subsequent items, the clerk gets annoyed, and seedpapa thinks he's being very funny. It is just soooo annoying. Diane, included in the junk part of Dollar Tree is a lot of stuff aimed at kiddos. Brace yourself. I generally steer clear of the food aisle, so thanks SGM for the heads up. I'll have to stop in and look for red peppers. I have also purchased wonderful red peppers, imported from Italy, in Big Lots, on a catch as catch can basis. They aren't a dollar, but they are cheaper than Wal Mart. Often, they are the kind packed in oil, a method not available to us home canners. Tasty nonetheless. Dawn, we drove by the DT distribution center last night on our way back from Houston. Once again I had seedpapa honk at you. I told him I knew you must be getting tired of all this late night and early morning honking. Hopefully, this will be the last trip to Houston for a long while, but I will be going to Dallas next week. Keep your ears out! Seedmama