Oh Hot Jam!
Over buying produce and under utilizing the leftovers are old habits that can be hard to break.
When my Whole Foods Prime order came in last week and I realized I had select way too many Jalapeño peppers for my Phở “garnish” I knew I had to figure out another alternative for them. In the age of Covid-19 online food shopping has been a fun but somewhat uncontrollable experience. I love getting to browse the items from the comfort of my living room but leaving my beloved food shopping in the hands of a stranger can be a little frustrating. Especially when you don’t always pay attention to exactly what you are selecting.
Generally I end up leaving the store with about four peppers for whatever I may need them for: tacos, Bánh mì, Phở, etc… but for this case I ended up with almost double that and only need one for the recipe I was making. So after a few days of sitting in my produce basket I decided I needed to move the product. The easiest way to transform these beauties and to preserve them even longer and make sure they would be used was to make a jam with them.
Recipe
1 lb Jalapeño Peppers (or any peppers that need to go)
1/2 Onion, small diced (whatever kind you have)
3 Cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 Cup of granulated sugar
1/2 Cup Red wine vinegar (or whatever you have on hand)
Start by slicing all of the peppers, I even found two older peppers buried in there that were on their last leg. I then started to adding whatever else need to go. I threw in some aging onions and garlic and got everything sauteing in some olive oil. After about 2 minutes of sweating out the ingredients I added sugar and covered the peppers half way with red wine vinegar, but you can certainly use what you have. Let that simmer and adjust as needed, maybe a little more sugar or vinegar if needed. After about 15-20 on a low simmer, remove from heat and let cool. The jam will thicken as it cools and can be stored in the fridge up to ten days. I love putting this on sandwiches or using it as a spread for a cheese board.