Margarita Preserves, v.1.0

As promised. But since I was too lazy to remove the rind last night, I decided this would be far too bitter as a marmalade. So I end up removing the rind and peel during cooking, and adding pectin to compensate, kind of like a jelly. Since it was still bitter, I added some salt to cut the bitterness. The resulting jelly reminds me a lot of margaritas, and I think you'll really enjoy it.

The yield may vary; this time I netted four pint-sized jars and a half-pint.


Jason's Margarita Preserves 1.0

10 large limes
4 C water
5 C sugar
2 3-ounce packages liquid pectin
1/2 C lime juice
1 T salt
4 drops blue food coloring
15 drops yellow food coloring
1/2 shot tequilla (optional)

Instructions:

Slice limes into thin slices. I use the food processor for this. Put into large plastic bowl with lid and cover with water. Refrigerate overnight.

Transfer lime mixture to stockpot. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in sugar and salt.

Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lime mixture is very soft and most pulp has fallen off the rind, about 1 hour. With strainer, remove remaining lime pieces. If desired, add the tequilla. Bring mixture to boil and stir in liquid pectin, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add food coloring, if desired.

Meanwhile, prepare five 1-pint canning jars with their lids and bands for processing. This can be done in a water bath, but I prefer to use the pressure cooker.

Using jar funnel, pour resulting marmalade into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and cap with lids, leaving rings 1/8 turn from closed. Gently place into pressure cooker, two or three at a time, and close lid to cooker. Once cooker reaches pressure, reduce heat to maintain pressure and process for 15 minutes. Depressurize cooker using vent method and carefully remove jars. Let stand upright on a wire rack undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

If a jar doesn't seal after two attempts in the cooker, then let it cool and put it in the refrigerator. This one's yours to try first.
Yield: 3 1/2 pints

Green Pepper Jelly v.1.0

[Reposted from my other blog's post, dated yesterday]

Today, I've been a little distracted as I am dealing with a sick one here at the house. Still, I like having projects to do--even though the house needed to be relatively quiet for the sick one.

My solution today was canning. I have a six-quart pressure cooker in my kitchen and a ton of jars and new lids and rings sitting in the garage. So, while I went to get medicine at the grocery store, I stopped and bought a few extra things: Two boxes of liquid pectin, two bell peppers, and about 12 limes. I sliced up the limes thin with the food processor; they'll be used for making marmalade tomorrow and are soaking in the fridge in water overnight.

Tonight was time for pepper jelly. Here's my recipe:



Jason's Pepper Jelly v 1.0
(Yes. I number my recipes because it allows me to keep up with changes.)

2 Bell Peppers
3-4 T crushed red pepper flakes
3 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C white vinegar
2 3-oz pkgs of liquid pectin
3 drops green food coloring

Seed the bell peppers and drop into food processor with vinegar. Grind well. Pour into saucepan (I used my 4-quart casserole pan for this; the high sides make it harder to splash out and the narrow base reduces chances of scorching). Add sugar and bring the mixture to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, prep 6 half-pint jars in the pressure cooker, along with lids and rings.

Once the ten minutes have finished, take out the jars and invert them onto a wire rack. As jars dry, stir pectin and food coloring into pepper-sugar-vinegar mixture. Raise heat to boil, then simmer 1 more minute. Pour into jars, leaving just under 1/4" headway from the top. Wipe rims and top with lids, loosely capping with rings. (I tighten them, then go back 1/4 turn).

Put these (gently) back into the pressure cooker. Add hot water to just cover lids and put the lid on the pressure cooker. Raise to pressure (mine is I assume 10 PSI, but 5 should do fine) and reduce heat to maintain pressure for 15 minutes. Let it cool of its own accord, then once it has depressurized open the lid, carefully moving the jars to the wire rack.

You should hear those popping noises in no time, indicating that you have a sealed jar. Any that don't seal overnight should be refrigerated.


I'll put up a picture when I get time; tomorrow I'll be putting up my first attempt at lime marmalade.