Spicy Weizenbier Jelly

This unique recipe started in the Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving, but we made it spicy! A personal favorite of Uncle Napalm! For an extra twist, try a wheat beer that is fruit-flavored.

Makes about 5 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

  • 24oz FLAT wheat beer
  • 3-5 hot peppers, sliced or minced. Orange habaneros pair well.
  • 1 cup store-bought orange or grapefruit juice*
  • 6 tbsp pectin
  • 4 cups sugar

Directions:

  1. Make sure your beer is flat. Otherwise it will crazy foam while boiling. To do this, open your cans or bottles and pour into a glass bowl, and set in the fridge uncovered overnight. (don't try to use leftover beer that sat out after a party....)
  2. Measure the sugar into a separate bowl to have it ready.
  3. Add the flat beer, peppers, juice and pectin to a pot and mix well while heating to boiling. 
  4. While stirring constantly with a flat-bottomed wooden or bamboo spatula, bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down).
  5. Add the sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil while stirring. Once this is attained, continue to boil exactly one minute. 
  6. Remove from heat and ladle into clean jars. Place straight into fridge, or follow directions for boiling water bath canning in the original recipe. Jelly can also be placed in the freezer (once jars have cooled off) until ready to use.

 *use store-bought juice for best results. While it may be tempting to press your own juice, store bought has a more consistent acid content that is important to the recipe and safety of the jelly. For a clearer jelly, use pulp-free juices; for a more marmalade consistency, use juices with pulp.