Not sure it came out right though. The procedure seemed to go as it was supposed to.. all of the jars made a "pop" sound as they cooled ..after sealing the jars. The only problem though, it looks like the consistency of thick syrup or honey rather than jelly even after a week. It tastes good on a cracker over cream cheese though.. Not sure if I should try to re-process or if that could make it worse.

Dried apricots run through a meat grinder with chiles seem to need less pectin.
I don't know if it is because they suck up more moisture or the natural pectin in them does it;s thing.
Were you using the recipe on a certo pack?

As a side note.You can get some really great desert type syrups and BBQ/cooking glazes by playing with using different fruits and adding spices to a jelly mix.
Chocolate and Mexican cinnamon pepper mixes are good for cake or ice cream toppings.
Lots of ways to play with pepper jellies and sauces.

LOL.. so, I have JARS & JARS of pepper jelly (cubanelle and jalapeno.. no fruit) that are thick syrups, but YUMMY over cream cheese.. a little too sweet though!!! I think everything sealed ok and they are safe.. just not what I expected. I will be on the lookout for Certo.. I see that one mentioned a lot. I think I will also try one with fruit included next time.

http://pinterest.com/hillseeker/hot-hot-hot-recipes/

1 green bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
6 jalape�o peppers, seeded finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1-1/2cups cider vinegar
1/2tsp. butter or margarine
6-1/2cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin
make it

BRING boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

PLACE peppers in 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Add vinegar and butter. Stir in sugar. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

STIR in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Prior to putting the jelly into the jars, you can place a spoonful of jelly onto a plate and test it. Put the plate on some ice so that it chills quickly and you will know for sure if you have the proper set.

Tightly securing the bands (rings) is not a good idea. You want a vacuum to form in the headspace - the vacuum is what creates the seal rather than the ring - so the lid must be loose enough to let steam escape in the canner. (You should see little bubbles.) Tighten enough to hold the lid on but not tight so as to seal.

In fact, the ring is largely redundant, save to hold the lid on in the canner. Many canners, including my aunt who was into it big time, store without the ring and reuse them from year to year, buying only lids.

Heed DMForcier's advice regarding tightly screwing the screw bands on, just tighten them enough to hold the snap lid in place and prevent seepage of water in.

Pectin can be a fickle thing. How old was your pectin? For best results you should always use fresh (the current years) pectin. It should be listed on the box.

Bill

I remember reading that about the lids.. only tighten slightly. When I submerged them, I did see a few bubbles escaping but nothing major, and they "popped" to complete the seal when I took them out to cool. Wish I knew the technique to test it on a chilled plate.. That will come in handy next time.

The pectin is brand new, a month old maybe. It was the only one I could find. Not sure where to look though.. I think I got it in the canning section where I bought the jars and other supplies in Walmart. I've never seen liquid pectin (again though, maybe not looking in the right places).