Southern Jezebel Sauce

If you hail from the American South, you've likely heard of jezebel sauce, also known as Dixie relish. Sweet and spicy by turns, this condiment tastes heavenly slathered on a burger under a mess of caramelized onions, or served over a block of cream cheese with crackers on the side at your next get-together.

The origins of jezebel sauce are murky as more than one party takes credit for its invention. Most agree that the sauce came from the Gulf Coast, which spans East Texas to the Florida Panhandle. Cookbooks started including jezebel sauce around the middle of the last century. Beyond those two very basic biographical details, things get hazy. As the years went by, the sauce gained prominence at church potlucks and the dinner parties of Southern belles, primarily as a ham glaze, and everyone's mama had the "best" recipe.

Given the ties between religion and Southern culture, it's probable that jezebel sauce got its name from the biblical character. Jezebel was a killer queen known to be seductive and dangerous: Her greatest hits include slaying prophets, dissuading the nation of Israel from worshipping God, and sparking a civil war. In modern usage, a "Jezebel" is a woman with a bad reputation. It makes sense, then, that jezebel sauce was named as a tongue-in-cheek reference to a woman who was intense, just like the spiciness of the condiment.

Jezebel Sauce can be used as a condiment, dipping sauce, marinade, or appetizer. One favorite way that Southerners like to enjoy it is spooned over cream cheese and served with crackers, much like the classic pepper jelly snack. It's often used to coat the outside of meat, such as ham or pork, as it cooks, and it's also enjoyed as a spread for biscuits and along with any meat-and-cheese board. It can even offer a delicious alternative to grape jelly for making cocktail meatballs during the holidays, giving more multi-dimensional flavor beyond just sweetness. Basically, anywhere you could pull out the preserves, Jezebel Sauce makes for a zingy addition.

1 (10 oz.) jar pineapple preserves (1 cup)
1 (10 oz.) jar apple jelly (1 cup)
1/4 cup dry mustard [or less according to some recipes]
1/3 cup prepared horseradish
1 1/2 tsp. finely-ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process all ingredients until blended or mix all ingredients well by hand. Spoon into jars. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep in refrigerator for years. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

This is especially good with ham, or serve over a block of cream cheese to be spread on crackers.