Folks in Napa Valley love to garden… Maybe it’s the abundant sunshine, maybe it’s the deep dark soil teeming with nutrients that beg us, maybe it’s the memory of the sweet tomato we ate off the vine last summer…or maybe, we are all just really glorified farmers who love the land.
More often than not a huge garden will be planted and all summer long friends are generously dropping off baskets of tomatoes by the variety, jalapeños, padrone peppers (not as spicy as Kung Pao chicken), habaneros, red and green bell peppers, corn, zucchini and squash, swiss chard and kale, carrots and more, which are offered over a neighbors’ balcony with a smile. The abundant crop yields also make us creative as we strive to make use of every piece of produce provided…
As a child, summer vacation meant at least 1-2 weeks commitment in the production line of my mother’s kitchen helping with canning and freezing. When the tomatoes were in, they would get blanched, peeled and then frozen in quart containers to use all year long (My favorite part was the BLT lunch around mid-day)…The blackberries and raspberries meant jam and jellies(although we tried to eat as many berries as possible)… and then there was the Red Pepper Jelly…
The plethora of jalapeños, red bells and green bells would be sliced, seeded and finely chopped… For us kids that was the extent… The picking, seeding, and then thorough hand washing in an attempt to make sure my brother didn’t burn his face…. Again… from there Mom would take over…
The Red Pepper Jelly was sweet, a little spicy and delicious on cream cheese and crackers, roast meat sandwiches and more… The best was the last jar of the season we saved for Easter. So simple, delicious as it basted our Easter Ham and perfect with pinot noir….
Red Pepper Jelly
My mother followed the science of canning and still uses the SURE.JELL® Hot Pepper Jelly recipe…it’s a keeper.
Ingredients
2 medium red peppers, seeded, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 medium green peppers, seeded, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
10 large jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
½ tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
5 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (See tip below.)
Directions
1. BRING boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
2. PLACE peppers in 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Add vinegar. Stir in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
3. LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
Roasted Red Pepper Jelly Easter Ham
Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham
1 jar of Red Pepper Jelly (recipe above)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Score ham in not pre-sliced and place ham in foil lined pan.
3. After 40 minutes, pull the ham out and spread/brush the ¾ of the Red Pepper Jelly generously all over the ham and bake for an additional 35 minutes.
4. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with a little more jelly. If it doesn’t have a nice glaze and a little crisp, turn on broiler to caramelize the jelly for the last 4 minutes. The ham should read an internal temperature of 140 at this point. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.
So simple for a large crowd or fabulous for the family and leftovers the rest of the week. We love it paired with the 2008 hope & grace Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir…
The ham and cheese sandwiches the next day will be a treat for the family… no complaints!