Audrey's homemade jalapeno jelly is always a huge hit at parties. The fact that Jon grows the hot peppers that go into the jelly impresses people even more. The secret is that this is actually one of the easiest canning recipes I have. Even though this is made with hot peppers (and trust me, the ones coming out of our garden are very spicy), its actually very mild when finished. To kick it up a notch, substitute a few habaneros or other spicy chilis. Three to four habaneros will make a medium heat jelly.

To make 3 half-pints, use:

• 15-20 medium-size jalapenos
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 pouch liquid pectin (available at hardware stores, like Frager's, and sometimes Safeway)

Wash peppers. Remove seeds and stems.

Puree peppers and half of vinegar in food processor or blender. Combine pepper puree, rest of vinegar, and all of sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in liquid pectin. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Ladle hot jelly into jars. If you're not going to preserve (or "can") these, allow the jars to cool, then store in the fridge. They should keep for a few months. If you are going to preserve these, process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. (I'm not going to go through all the step-by-step canning instructions. If you want to learn more about how to can, read about it.)

Serving suggestion: Spread cream cheese into a shallow bowl. Top with jalapeno jelly. Serve with crackers (wheat thins are good).