Meyer Lemon Habanero Pepper Jelly...Quite possibly the best jelly I've ever had!! Super spicy, and sweet with a crisp lemon finish; a simply exquisite jelly! Let me know how you like it!! Serve with creamy sheep and goat milk, La Tur cheese, and crisp thin crackers.
Canning with Lemon Juice 101:
Even when canning high acid foods like Meyer lemons, it's essential to use bottled lemon juice. The reason for this is that bottled lemon (lime) juice has been uniformly acidified. Uniform acidity is crucial when canning in a water bath.
Canning vegetables and meats require pressure canning to ensure food safety. You'll find that most of my canning recipes are processed in a water bath as opposed to pressure canning because I am a seasonal canner. For the most part, I preserve recipes that are made with high acid foods such as jams, jellies, marmalade, and salsa containing fruits naturally high in citric acid, as well as pickles, that utilize uniformly acidified vinegar for preservation.
I aim to bring you recipes that are not only tasty, but safe for consumption, so I follow USDA guidelines to the letter. The use of uniformly acidified lemon juice is also recommended by the National Center for Home Preservation.
Ensuring safe canned foods Growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum in canned food may cause botulism—a deadly form of food poisoning. These bacteria exist either as spores or as vegetative cells. The spores, which are comparable to plant seeds, can survive harmlessly in soil and water for many years. When ideal conditions exist for growth, the spores produce vegetative cells which multiply rapidly and may produce a deadly toxin within 3 to 4 days of growth in an environment consisting of: • a moist, low-acid food • a temperature between 40° and 120°F • less than 2 percent oxygen. Botulinum spores are on most fresh food surfaces. Because they grow only in the absence of air, they are harmless on fresh foods. Most bacteria, yeasts, and molds are difficult to remove from food surfaces. Washing fresh food reduces their numbers only slightly. Peeling root crops, underground stem crops, and tomatoes reduces their numbers greatly. Blanching also helps, but the vital controls are the method of canning and making sure the recommended research-based process times, found in these guides, are used. The processing times in these guides ensure destruction of the largest expected number of heat-resistant microorganisms in home-canned foods. Properly sterilized canned food will be free of spoilage if lids seal and jars are stored below 95°F. Storing jars at 50° to 70°F enhances retention of quality. SOURCE: USDA.
Enjoy this Meyer lemon habanero pepper jelly recipe!
Meyer Lemon Habanero Pepper Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 1 cup bottled lemon juice
- 2 cups water
- 3-4 packages liquid pectin
- 7 cups sugar
- 3 large habanero peppers
- 10-12 whole Thai chilies
Instructions
- Wash lemons, habanero and Thai peppers, pat dry
- Juice lemons and strain through a fine sieve to remove pips
- Refrigerate peels in a large plastic zip bag to make Meyer Lemon Marmalade and reserve any extra lemon juice for later use. (http://wp.me/p2MUuI-1FS)
- In a large heavy bottom stock pot heat 2 cups fresh lemon juice, water, and sugar over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Cut habanero peppers in half and add to hot liquid
- Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes
- Remove habanero peppers and discard
- Add 1 cup bottled lemon juice and stir, bring to a boil, add 3-4 packages liquid pectin, stir and bring back to a boil
- Boil for 2 minutes, take a gel test by placing a small amount of jelly into a iced tablespoon
- If jelly does not set boil for additional 2 minutes and test again
- Pour hot jelly into sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace
- add 1-2 whole Thai chilies in each jar. Wipe rims with clean towel and cover with lids and rims
- Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes
Notes
Chalk Board canning jar labels source: handcraftyourlife
Canning Jar Labels: Etsy Shop CanningCrafts
Mike Gosselin
I made the jelly tonight and it was awsome but I have to ask if 3 pectin would be good. I found it set to a very stiff jell
athomewithrebecka
Mike, I'm so happy you liked my Meyer Lemon Habanero Jelly recipe. It's my favorite recipe for entertaining friends and gifting.
I try my best to offer a formula that is tested in my home that works up to 95%-100% of the time however, pectin can be tricky as it can vary in final consistency based on the fruit's liquid content and moisture in the air. Similar to making bread, barometric pressure can skew results.
I've used this exact recipe many times with very good results however, some occasions have resulted in a soft jell as well as, a stiff jell based on the issues stated above.
I'd suggest trying the recipe again using just 3 packets of pectin and then doing a jell test to reach your desired consistency. You can add more pectin if necessary just be sure to cook the liquid for 3-5 minutes after each addition of pectin, remove the foam, and test again before processing in your sterilized jars. Another option: Try using Pomona's Universal Pectin instead of Certo Brand but be warned, the jelly won't have that beautiful clear look, it will be slightly cloudy.
Thanks so much for your feedback. I'm always eager to hear how my recipe work for my readers so, please keep me posted on your progress with the revisions.
Happy Canning, Rebecka
Tara
I have oranges and jalapeños. Would like to use only those two citrus and spice items. How do
I modify this recipe to do so? Thanks so much!
athomewithrebecka
Hello Tara,
Thanks for visiting At Home with Rebecka and inquiring about my recipe.
The recipe will work just fine with the juice from your Oranges. However, you won’t get the super tart flavor from the Meyer lemon.
To substitute orange juice, just follow the recipe and where is calls for Meyer lemon juice, substitute orange juice.
The same goes for the peppers.
One thing to note: Your jelly will not look clear when using minced jalapeños. You can try slicing them instead, this will give the jelly a very pretty visual appeal. When using minced jalapeños the jelly will look more like pepper jelly.
I look forward to hearing how it turns out so please let me know. Happy Canning, Rebecka
Kathleen
I used your “base” jelly but added Sarit Gat peppers. Oh, my goodness! It is so lemony and delicious. I like the absence of vinegar in the recipe. Most of the recpies I found used apple cider vinegar.
Thank you.
athomewithrebecka
Hi Kathleen, I'm so happy you found me and the recipe.
During the recipe creation process, I was determined to make the jelly without the use of vinegar in order to preserve the beautiful flavor of the Meyer lemons. I'm pleased to hear the recipe was a success for you.
I've always wanted to try Sarit Gat Peppers but not able to find them in local markets. Now that you've piqued my interest, I will order some seeds and grow them in my garden this year!
The bet the bright yellow color of the chili made for a stunning jam? Thank you so much for visiting At Home with Rebecka and trying my recipe!
Best Regards, Rebecka
Bob McCabe
This recipe looks awesome! Before I try a batch, i wanted to know how spicy will 3 Habanero peppers be as i tend to like spicy stuff. I dont want to burn anyone's mouth in the process 🙂
Thanks
Bob
athomewithrebecka
Hello Bob, Thank you for visiting At Home with Rebecka today! I like spicy stuff too but not so hot that it blows your taste buds away! The perfect sweet-heat is what I aim for when creating this recipe.
In my opinion, three habanero peppers are comparable to the Medium level of heat you would expect from salsa. If you have reservations about the recipe being too hot for your friends and family then try adding just two peppers to your first batch.
Please let me know how the recipe turns out and if you like the flavor! I hope you like it as much as I do.
Rebecka