I'm on a Jelly Roll !

It seems that I am on a Jelly roll... no, not the fabric type- the eatin' type! It's jelly-making week! When I was in Halifax I got 2 baskets of very special apples from the Annapolis Valley - don't ask  me what the variety is called - I don't know! All I can tell you is that they have the most beautiful red flesh and they are perfect for making the most beautiful crimson apple jelly! The farmer I get them from only has one tree, so it's always a stroke of luck if I manage to get them when they are ready- they sell out fast (no wonder!) This year I emailed a friend in the Valley to ask her to check and see when they might be

ready - her brother-in-law is the farmer/producer. Lady Luck was with me as they had started picking them that very day and Shelley was coming into  Halifax that week and would bring them! How lucky was that!! Thanks so much Shelley!! So, you know what I had to do as soon as I got home from N.S. I have cooked those apples and frozen the juice. This week I will be picking crabapples, adding that juice and then cooking and bottling the jelly. This Spiced Apple Jelly is an old family recipe of my paternal grandmother's and we eat it with roast chicken or turkey- no cranberry sauce for us - the Kellys like their jelly! You can find the recipe and directions here. I'll post a photo later in the week when it's done, but you can see last years batch here, and that batch didn't even have these "special red apples" in it...

Ok, one batch of apple jelly, half done, does not a "Jelly Roll" make... But there's more.. Yesterday after a visit to our wonderful Saturday morning Farmer's Market, I came home with  a big bag of red peppers, and did a batch of Red Pepper Jelly, and did a second batch  today... Did you know that one red pepper has three times the amount of Vitamin C in one orange?! They are also a rich source of  lycopene and beta-carotene, and contain folic acid, potassium, and iron. It's all good!! (Sorry- just had to put on my Home Economist hat there for a minute!!) And red pepper jelly is sooo good on a cracker or melba toast with a bit of cream cheese. Mmmmmm. And it's SOO easy to make.
Here's my recipe. If you want to make it a bit "hot" you can add a dash or two of Tabasco, or a little cayenne pepper once it is cooked, just before bottling.

Sweet Red Pepper Jelly

2 cups pureéd red pepper ( 2 - 3 large peppers)
1.5 cups white vinegar
5 cups white sugar
one box (170 ml.) liquid Certo (2 pouches)

Wash peppers, remove seeds and inside membrane, and cut peppers in chunks. (Some people leave the seeds in for some "heat", but I don't) Place chunks in blender and pureé. Add pureé to stockpot with vinegar and sugar. Stir well. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently and skimming off  any foam that forms. Remove from heat and add Certo. Stir for 2 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars, and cap. Yummmm.. bring on the crackers and cream cheese...

Just a reminder...If you haven't entered my Giveaway yet, you only have a few more days.. check it out here. 

Peace,
Linda

"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~ Charlie Chaplin