Charlie at our Pleasant Hill location is well known for his Ghost Pepper Jelly recipe. Each spring he plants Ghost and Scorpion hot peppers and then after they’re harvested, it’s jelly making time!
His recipe is adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. https://www.freshpreserving.com/jalapeno-jelly-recipe-%7C-jalapeno-recipe—ball-fresh-preserving-br1247.html
The Recipe
- 12 oz hot peppers (about 12 medium peppers)
- 2 cups cider vinegar, divided
- 6 cups sugar
- 2 3-oz pouches of Liquid Pectin
- 5 half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Charlie’s tips:
- Wear disposable or rubber gloves while cutting and seeding hot peppers.
- Be sure you’re familiar with hot water bath canning procedures.
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Charlie doubles up on peppers in his recipe.
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Some recipes call for food coloring. Charlie doesn’t use it.
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Charlies makes his jelly even hotter by leaving the seeds inside the pepper. If you de-seed the pepper, the jelly is not quite as hot!
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When growing ghost peppers, include at least one habanero pepper next to your pepper plants. Because these peppers cross pollinate you’ll achieve better pollination with a habanero planted nearby.
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Charlie likes to warn gardeners that this jelly recipe is HOT! Taste just a tiny bit to make sure the heat is what you can handle.
