I made jalapeno pepper jelly this morning. For the first time, I had to buy jalapeno peppers; my garden is a failure this year.
My hands are on fire, both from steam burns and the heat of the peppers. No, I didn't wear gloves. They hinder me more than they help - the capsaicin always seems to get inside them. I've tried rubbing olive oil on my hands before I start cutting the peppers, and that did seem to lower the heat, but I forgot to do that this time.
Canning is a miserable and potentially dangerous job. Slippery floors. Heavy pans full of hot water. Steam. Knives.
Boiling hot sugary syrup....
This morning, I turned my back on the stove for an instant, and the pot boiled over.
Every dishrag and kitchen towel I own is wet.
But there's not much that's more satisfying than hearing those jar lids pop.
The peppers in my jelly are always floating on top when I take them out of the canner. Once the jars seal, I let them cool a bit, then invert the jars. I'll turn them upright again before they're completely cool.
Sometimes the jelly doesn't set and comes out of the jar like thick syrup. And that's ok with me, because we usually use it melted, anyway.
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