I’m on a roll with berries and fruits lately including cherries which have reappeared at our markets. If I can keep enough of them on hand before Hubby eats them as is, I make this Cherry Habanero Jelly.  Our supply that I made last fall using our garden-fresh habaneros is all gone.  I gave away a bunch of it at Arkansas Women Bloggers University in August and some more at Christmas as little presents for friends and neighbors.  So when I went to the downstairs pantry to get a jar to use as a glaze for a baked ham, well..Mother Hubbard’s cupboard was bare.

cherry hab jam jar

Being the spontaneous creative soul that I am (ahem!), I made up a fresh batch  then when I had to scrap around for cherries since it was February. How does that happen that National Cherry Month occurs when cherries are gone from the markets? Go figure. While scouring the pantry for a wayward jar I remembered I had never posted that recipe.

I know I tell you all of the time, “Ya’ll, this is so good, ” but honestly Ya’ll this stuff is so good.  I don’t expect that batch to have the habanero heat as my most recent batch.  The habaneros didn’t give off as much “smelly” heat while I was preparing them.  Or, at least, they didn’t seem to.  The batch I made this week, in contrast, was screaming heat!

My pepper crop is booming!

peppers

On a side note:  When you make this, always wear gloves!  That’s the voice of experience.  Trust me.

We like to use this on grilled meats, purple hull peas, pinto beans — just about anything we put on our plates actually.  Well, except dessert that is.  It’s also very good as a quick appetizer with cream cheese and crackers — you’ve had that I’m sure.  I’ve even used it as a grilling glaze by melting it in the microwave and brushing it on the meat as it is grilling.  Oh, wow!

cherry hab jam w crack

Be patient with this as you are waiting on it to jell.  It may take a few days for it to do so.  Also, I like to leave some chunks of pepper and cherries in the mix, but you can grind them to smithereens if that’s your preference.  I never quite know whether to call this a jelly or a jam since it has those chunks hanging out in there.  Jammy? What do you think?

I put most of this up in 4-ounce jars since I like to have it on hand that way to use as little gifts.  This batch made 26 of those 4 ounce jars.

Enjoy!