Twenty minutes to cook, but all summer to enjoy...on the grill, in tea or cocktails, on corn muffins and biscuits! And this is a product you can make from your own honey and veggies, and give to friends and family for a change from the same-old-sweetness!
This recipe calls for fresh peppers from the garden, which should soon be available in Maryland. You can use dried or crushed peppers, as well/instead. It is possible to use even hotter peppers than the ones below, but be sure to taste along the way!
There is also room to experiment. Some folks add salt or lime, some use additional dried seasonings. Remember, honey with anything added is a processed food, and cannot be sold without all sorts of health certifications and licenses. So this is just for those you love!
Prep: 20 minutes then cooldown
Ingredients:
1 cup of honey
1-10 fresh chili peppers, sliced, depending on size and heat tolerance (eg. 1 jalapeño or 3 Serranos or 10 tiny Thai bird peppers)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
Put the honey and your peppers of choice in a medium sauté pan or saucepan. If you include seeds (for either fresh or dried peppers), the result will be spicier.
Heat over medium heat until the honey very lightly begins to simmer. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine, then remove pan from the heat.
Let the mixture rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Take a little taste of the mixture: this the time when flavors are infusing the honey, and you have a chance to adjust heat levels by reducing or extending the time that you let the chilis steep.
Once you like the taste/heat level, strain out the chilis with a fine mesh strainer and put honey into a clean serving container or storage jar. Stir in the apple cider vinegar thoroughly.
If you don't want to use the hot honey right away, let it cool to room temperature, then seal the container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you use dried peppers (less water content) you can store at room temperature for up to 3 months.
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