Edible Monterey Bay

STEPHEN CRAM’S RED PEPPER JAM

Courtesy Jordan Champagne, Happy Girl Kitchen Co., Pacific Grove

Yields about 6 pints

For this sweet relish you can use whichever varieties of pepper that you like. I prefer a sweet pepper that has a little kick to it, like a corno di toro, an Italian heirloom variety. It can also be fun to mix some red and green for color variety. Stephen used just red peppers, and it was gorgeous, too! You can add a little jalapeño if you would like some spice in your life. It is unequaled as a spread for sandwiches and with cream cheese.

10 cups peppers, chopped into large pieces and seeds removed 8 cups sugar
7 cups vinegar (apple cider is my favorite)
6 tablespoons salt

Blend peppers in a food processor until they are still chunky. Mix with the salt and let stand overnight. The next day, drain well and combine with the vinegar and sugar. Stir over heat until the mix- ture boils. Reduce heat and simmer until thick and continue stir- ring frequently. Do a gel test by cooling it to room temperature to see how thick it is. It may take up to 30 minutes to achieve the correct thickness. When jam has reached the desired thickness, seal in a hot water bath canner.

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At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.