Pepper Jelly Update

Despite adding 5 cayenne peppers to increase the heat index from my first batch of pepper jelly, this batch still does not have the kick I want. Here's the recipe I used. Pepper Jelly

Next time, I will add some habenero peppers. Here's an interesting heat index chart for peppers. Habeneros are definitely the hottest pepper. Scoville Pepper Scale

I have been pondering why the jelly didn't have a "kick" when I increased the hot peppers. But thinking back, when I was about 9 month pregnant with our first baby, we went to a Chinese restaurant. There was something on my plate that looked like a shriveled up mushroom. I anxiously put it in my mouth ready to savor it when all of a sudden I thought my head would explode. My mom looked at me and saw my eyes watering and my face completely red. She later told me she thought I'd go into labor. That mushroom was a hot pepper of some kind. I tried water, rice, soy sauce, anything, but nothing was taking away the heat. Finally, the waitress suggested a teaspoon of white sugar. The sugar instantly cut the heat.

Now it makes sense why my pepper jelly isn't producing the strong heat effect I have wanted - the sugar is diminising its impact. Interestingly, when I use even 1/4 of the peppers for my salsa recipe, it's quite hot (there's hardly any sugar in the recipe) - in fact, much hotter than the pepper jelly.

Learn something new everyday.