A Kansas Country Garden: Bad Plant Momma!

Ah, autumn! Who doesn't love this season? The cooler days, the colorful leaves and dusky skies along with the musty scent of fallen leaves make it very pleasant. But autumn is a season of endings as well. In the back of every gardener's mind is a poignant question. When will the killing frost arrive? You know its coming, but you don't when. 

Jamming: Red Pepper Honey Jam

This year many of the peppers have already turned a brilliant red.

Peppers do very well in our Kansas garden. Unfazed by summer's heat, they soldier on week after week while other garden plants bite the dust and finish their shorter seasons. As fall arrives, peppers are in their prime. Branches bend under the weight of ripening peppers and sometimes break. The culmination of an optimistic spring when a few too many small plants were tucked into the ground is fulfilled with a bountiful and beautiful harvest. What to do with them all? I roast a few (click here for more information on that). I make salsa, both fresh and canned (more about another time). And this year, I am making Red Pepper Honey Jam.

The combination of Anaheim, Poblano and Jalapeño peppers makes a tasty jam.

Sparkling jars of brilliant red are lovely to behold, but it's the taste--sweet and tangy while packing a bit of heat--that make this jam simply outstanding.