Jalapeno Apple Spread

Sweet and Spicy sitting in a tree…

Apple jalapeno jam spread on toast.

When setting out for something new and fun (while still being relatively inexpensive) I stumbled upon an Aldi recipe for Jalapeno Onion Apple Jam. Being a huge fan of pepper jellies and exotic jams I decided to give it a go.

I did take some creative liberties, and tweaked this recipe so as to make it my own. For starters, I wanted to focus on the sweet and spicy interplay of solely the apples and jalapeno, so I nixed onion.

My recipe also uses vinegar, so it’s more in line with being somewhat of a chutney than a jam, giving it some acidity and savoriness, and also adding some more red pepper and other spices for flavor.

The two things I love about this recipe are:

1) It’s fast. Overall, you can have it finished within about 40 minutes.
2) It makes the perfect quantity, so you don’t have to worry about the sanitizing and canning associated with regular jellies.

Oh and it’s delicious.

Time You’ll Need

  • ~10 minutes prep
  • ~15 cooking
  • Yields about 2 cups

What You’ll Need

  • 2 apples of your choice (Granny Smith are a safe bet) peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 jalapeno, seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped (a food processor works well here)
  • 1/3 cup of apple cider or apple juice
  • ¼ cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ cup of brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • Seasonings: cinnamon, salt, pepper, red pepper

What You’ll Do

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add the diced apples, jalapeno, a dash of salt, pepper, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until apples are soft and mushy. Come back to stir occasionally.
  • Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add brown sugar and honey. Let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes, and then stir in the apple cider and apple cider vinegar. Cook for about another 3-5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a glass container with a lid and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes (or serve warm).
  • Serve with toast and cream cheese.
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