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| homemade cranberry pepper jelly (for the holidays) |
It's officially holiday season, y'all! I anxiously wait every year for Halloween to pass, so I can focus on two of my favorite days of the year... Thanksgiving (and a Friendsgiving thrown in there too) + Christmas. These two holidays are for foodie junkies, which I proudly am. I'm that person that ends up making almost every component, and way too much, so everyone should invite me over. I'll start taking bids now. But I have a hidden agenda, well it's not so hidden anymore, because the only reason I love these holidays are because of the leftover sandwiches the next day. I went crazy last year with this
triple decker turducken club sandwich... then I made this
thanksgiving panini on homemade pumpkin bread... and before that, I whipped up this
thanksgiving leftovers tartine with french toasted dressing cake... finally, I put together my first-ever edition of the
"moist maker" sandwich. So you see, we are veteran leftover-using people around this joint. And with every sandwich we've ever made, what's going on them is
very,
very, VERY important. Today we're talking about the condiment portion of the famous dish. We usually go two routes when making a Thanksgiving sandwich... one homemade aioli and one cranberry sauce. Most of the time you just spread whatever cranberry thing you made that year on to a slice of bread, but I have started preparing earlier on in the season by making a cranberry condiment. I want something that tart yet sweet, chunky + spreadable, and with the slightest hint of heat. This recipe for homemade cranberry pepper jelly has become that go-to condiment for us. Obviously, as Southerners, we love us some sweet + spicy pepper jelly, so why not make a version of this for holidays? It's quite brilliant actually.
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| reduced-down peppers + pectin with fresh cranberries about to be added in.... |
You start with some red bell peppers, red jalapenos (or habaneros), sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, liquid pectin, and lemon juice and simmer that down for a little bit until the juices thicken. After a little while you add in some fresh cranberries and cook them until they burst.
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| Mmm fresh cranberries + spicy peppers |
After that has cooked down and pretty much finished, I like to add in some dried cherries or cranberries at the last minute, so they reconstitute a little bit and plump up some to give the pepper jelly some texture. It's allllllll about the texture, people.
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| Now for the dried cherries (or dried cranberries) for TEXTURE |
Once it's all finished up and thickened up real nice, just put them into jars and they'll keep for nearly a month! I think it's a super cute holiday gift for family, friends, or neighbors. So why not pass some out, so everyone can enjoy Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches with you? You'll save them a step and give them something that they'll love... it's a win-win!! Enjoy :)
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| the finished product!! |
For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly:
3 Red Bell Peppers, Finely Chopped
3 Red Jalapeno Peppers, Finely Chopped
1C Sugar
1 ½t Red Pepper Flakes
½t Salt
¼C Liquid Pectin
1T Fresh Lemon Juice
3C Fresh Cranberries
5oz Dried Cherries or Cranberries (one small
package)
Directions:
1. Put the bell peppers and jalapenos in a food processor and pulse to
finely chop.
2. Combine
peppers, chiles, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt in a heavy wide pot over
medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in pectin
and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Stir
in cranberries and simmer gently until they burst and juices thicken, about 10
minutes longer.
4. Lastly,
stir in the dried cherries/cranberries and let them simmer for about 2-3
minutes until they slightly reconstitute and plump up again.
5. Transfer
jelly to a jar, let cool, and cover. Will keep for up to 3 weeks in the
refrigerator.
