AMAZING JAMAICAN JERK SAUCE (WITH CANNING INSTRUCTIONS)

I found this recipe a few years back.  I fell totally in love with it as did all my friends. I actually found it after we started growing Scotch Bonnet peppers.  You see the pepper plants we grew were very prolific and we had what appeared to us tons of these peppers.  Which means I had to do something with all those hot and spicy peppers.  This recipe is simply awesome.  

I started canning the jerk sauce so I would have some in the winter time.  This is the best jerk sauce you will ever eat.  It is a marinade, not a dry rub.  It is amazing on chicken, pork, fish or beef.  My favorite though is chicken.  

As I said my friends love this recipe.  They beg and barter for jars of this delightful hot and spicy sauce.  The flavors that you taste is amazing.  Scotch bonnet peppers are just perfect with the spices that are added to this sauce.  Of course, these peppers are a Caribbean pepper and Jamaica is in the Caribbean.  The good thing about this recipe is you can make it as hot as you would like or as mild as a mouse.   

We froze peppers this past year.  Which allows me to make this at any time throughout the seasons.  It is really nice to be able to make this up when needed versus spending hours canning it but you are welcome to can this recipe.  The vinegar gives it the acidity it needs.  

We are getting ready to go on vacation and our friend Lawrence asked me to bring some.  I told him I did not have any canned but I could make some to take with us.  He told me last night that he has never had a better jerk sauce, which is a valued compliment coming from him.  

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can not.  I do sometimes add more brown sugar and ginger but this recipe is not mine.  I got it from here.  Caribbeanpot.com is a wonderful website.  Please check it out.  He has some wonderful recipes.

Normally I like quiet, easy, and simple recipes.  I can not really say it is simple or quick.  However, it is easy.  I also normally do not like recipes with a ton of ingredients but I found this recipe I realized that I had all the ingredients on hand so it was not like I had to buy tons of stuff to make it.  

I hope you decided to make this recipe because I know if you like a bit of heat and some spice you will love this recipe.  

As usual, I start by gathering my ingredients.  I am able to go out to my herb garden and pick my thyme.  I got ingredients that I need to roughly chop together first.  Once I chopped them I put them in the blender.

Next came the rest of the ingredients.  I put them all in the blender as well. 

I have made this recipe in the food processor but the blender is better to liquify which makes it better.  No, it is not a very pretty marinade but where it lacks in looks it makes up for in flavor.  

JAMAICAN JERK SAUCE

Ingredients

• 5 green onions
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ginger

Directions

• Rough chop green onions, onions, garlic, and ginger. 
• Strip leaves off of thyme sprigs.
• Add all ingredients to a blender and puree. 

I highly suggest that you do not skimp on the fresh thyme, fresh ground pepper, fresh garlic, and fresh ginger.  All of these are very important to ensure the best flavor.  I have made the choice to use dried thyme but I can not say how much different this recipe does taste with dried thyme. Same as fresh ground pepper.  Using garlic cloves and fresh gingerroot is well worth the time to take the skin off.  I really can not emphasize the difference in using fresh.  

Here is a trick to peeling fresh ginger.  Use a spoon.  Yep, you heard me, use a spoon and scrape off the skin.  It works wonders.  Since I learned this trick I no longer dread using fresh ginger.  

This recipe makes roughly 3 cups but I double or triple the recipe.  It will keep in the fridge for a month or more.  

I hope you will give this a try.  If you live local and you want to try it and can not find the peppers, hit me up and I will give you some.  It only takes 2.  Ha, that makes it spicy but if you want it milder use 1 and take out the seeds.  

ENJOY!!

UPDATE:  If you wish to can the instructions see below.  Use above recipe for the Jerk Sauce.

Canning Instructions

• Sterilize your jars.  You can do this by the dishwasher or by boiling them in your canner.
• Note I use pint jars because I feel this is a good size when marinating something.
• Fill your jars with the jerk sauce, add lids and rings to finger tight. 
• Place into boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes.  
• Turn off heat and allow to sit another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Take out and allow to cool for 24 hours.  All jars should seal within this time period.