Peppered Citrus Jam

For our annual Christmas raffle I was selected to buy for my husband's cousin. This was a bit challenging since this cousin isn't the easiest to buy for. I didn't want to take any chances so instead of asking around, I went straight to the source. After asking him what he would like, I found out that he would enjoy some peppered citrus jam (he is a foodie).

I have recently started making jams and jellys, so this was a good fit. The process portion wasn't too difficult. I have already successfully made mint jelly, pomegranate jelly, and quince jam/jelly. The challenge for this gift was a recipe for the peppered citrus jam. I wanted to use locally grown mandarins as the primary citrus source, so I started from there.

After doing a quick google search, I found a reference recipe that I could use for general ingredient guidelines. In the end here is the recipe I created:

Ingredients
8-10 Satsuma mandarins (seedless with very thin skins)
1 lemon (from my backyard)
1 jalepeno
2 cups sugar (100% pure cane)
1.5 packages Ball No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin

Directions

1. Prepare the jars, lids, rings, and boiling water canner
2. Peel the mandarins, reserving the skin. Separate each mandarin into two halves so they lay flat. Slice across each half so you get 1/2 inch chunks. Toss into the saucepan.
3. Add enough water to barely cover the mandarins
4. Using a potato peeler, peel the outside layer of the lemon (leave the white behind). Slice and chop the skin from the lemon and 3 mandarins into small pieces. Add the peels to the pot.
5. Remove the remaining white from the lemon. Slice the lemon into chunks like the mandarin and add to the pot.
6. Remove the stem and inner membrane/seeds of the jalepeno. Chop into small pieces and add to the citrus mixture. Note: Be careful when touching the pepper, I used a disposable glove so I wouldn't get any oil on my fingers.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about and hour. There should be about 4 cups of the citrus pepper mixture in the pot.
8. Following the directions for Cooked Jam from the insert in the pectin, bring the mixture back to a boil and add the pectin.
9. Once the mixture is at a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, add the sugar. Boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
10. Fill and process hot jars in a boiling water bath. Set on a towel and cover until cool. Don't be surprised if you hear a popping sound coming from your kitchen, it's just the jars sealing.

I haven't opened one of the jars yet to taste the final product. I did sample a bit off the spoon when I was cleaning up. It had a nice citrus flavor, not too sweet, with a solid pepper finish. The jam set well and has a good color.