Jalapeno Jelly {a.k.a. Hot Pepper Jelly} Plus a Step-by-Step Canning Tutorial
Get this delicious and simple recipe for jalapeno jelly (a.k.a. hot pepper jelly) plus a helpful step-by-step tutorial on water bath canning.
I’ll admit that the idea of jalapeno jelly was a little, well, interesting, when my Aunt Marilyn gave me one of her precious jars (she’s famous for this stuff).
And if you are skeptical, too, I get it. I totally get it.
But I’m telling you, you need to give this a chance. I am officially a skeptic no longer and I kind of want to convert the world to jalapeno jelly.
It is incredible. Sweet and spicy (the heat level is totally in your control), it is heavenly on crackers with a little dab of cream cheese.
Heavenly, meaning: it’s kind of the best thing ever. (Or try softening a whole brick of cream cheese, spooning on the jalapeno jelly and going to town with crackers.)
And if you think that’s good (I do, I do!), try it on a panini sandwich.
The best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life (and trust me, I’ve eaten a lot of sandwiches; they are one of my favorite food options ever) is a turkey, swiss, bacon, avocado, tomato, jalapeno jelly sandwich.
Made even yummier panini-style (pressed and heated until melty and delish). I’m making myself very, very hungry.
More? Try it as a dipping sauce with grilled chicken or steak or just dabbed on a crusty roll. The options really are endless.
Jalapeno jelly is in the running for the yummiest stuff on earth.
Plus, because it’s packed with intense flavors, a little dab’ll do ya.
I’m not going to say a jar of it will last forever (we blazed through my Aunt’s jar in no time flat because I was anxious to try it on everything) but just know that a little goes a long way to get that sweet and spicy flavor.
Last summer, I promised you more canning recipes/tutorials.
Consider this one in the lineup of hopefully many more to come! Tis the season for canning, after all.
Below is a helpful step-by-step guide on water bath canning. If you are new to the whole canning thing, the same basic process can be used with any bottled recipe that can be canned in a water bath instead of in a pressure canner (low-acid foods need to be pressure canned but high-acid foods are safely processed in a water bath).
Canning can seem intimidating but I promise, it’s not hard.
Check out this post on Water Bath Canning 101.
It gives a great overview for the equipment you need to get started..
I know I’m kind of a nerd and all but when I was making this jalapeno jelly last weekend, I think the words “Canning is my life” actually came out of my mouth (and I even said it all alone out on my porch with no one to hear me…issues: I’ve got them).
Hearing the little jars pop after they have sealed is like music to my ears and there’s just something really satisfying (like, pioneer satisfying) about canning your own food.
So let’s get started!
A few tips on this jalapeno jelly:
1) You can make it as spicy or mild as you want.
Keep in mind: jalapenos that are starting to turn red or have brown spotty stripes down the sides are going to be hotter than others.
For this batch, I kept the seeds in just less than half (I doubled the batch so out of 20 jalapenos, I left the seeds in about 8 of them; my jalapenos were pure green without any stripes or signs of red and after tasting the jelly, I’m wishing I would have left the seeds in at least half – the jelly is still delicious but I want a bit more heat so my recommendation would be to start with seeding half the jalapenos if they have no signs of stripes or redness).
2) The original recipe calls for six cups of sugar (it is jelly after all) but I think you could play around with the sugar and suggest 5-6 cups in the recipe.
Taste as you go and add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
3) I talk about it in this post, but 99% of the time, I use Pomona’s pectin when canning fruit jams, jellies and syrups because you can get away with adding way, way, way less sugar than traditional pectins.
But because this jalapeno jelly recipe relies on the sugar to give you that perfect blend of sweet and spicy, I stuck with the liquid pectin in my Aunt’s recipe. If you decide to experiment with Pomona’s or any other pectin, be sure and report back!
4) You’ll see from the step-by-step pictures below that I take no chances when working with this many spicy peppers and don rubber gloves to avoid the accidentally-rub-my-eye-hours-later-and-pay-the-price scenario. I encourage you to do the same so no one ends up howling in spicy pain.
Okie doke. Let’s get started. Oooh, boy, I’m excited. Aren’t you?
Jalapeno Jelly
Ingredients:
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 10 jalapenos (see note)
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5-6 cups granulated sugar (see note)
- 3-ounce pouch liquid fruit pectin (like Certo)
Directions:
- Finely chop the bell peppers and jalapenos in a food processor fitted with a fine shredding blade (if you don’t have a food processor, no worries, grab a knife and get started chopping up those peppers into little tiny pieces). Update: to minimize jelly potentially not setting up, drain any extra liquid from the peppers before step #2.
- Add the peppers to a large pot (the jelly will foam when it first comes to a boil so use a pot at least 5-6 quarts for a single batch and larger if doubling the batch).
- Stir in the vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the liquid pectin and boil for 1 more minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Pour the jelly to within 1/4-inch of the top of clean, warm canning jars. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp rag. Place a lid and ring on each jar and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (you may need to add additional time if you live above sea level; the pectin box/info should give details).
- Once removed from the water bath canner, let the jelly rest for 1-2 days to let it fully set up.
Notes:
Update August 2017: After years of making this jelly and reading your comments (thanks for leaving your feedback!), I’ve come to suspect that if jelly isn’t setting up, it’s due to the size/type/variety of peppers used in the recipe. Mostly, it boils down to the extra water content if using large or different varieties of peppers (even homegrown vs. storebought may make a difference). So for a better chance at having jelly that sets every time, after the peppers are shredded in step #1, drain off any extra liquid before adding the peppers to the pot.
Follow @melskitchencafe on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I love seeing all the goodness you are whipping up in your kitchens!
Recipe Source: from my Aunt Marilyn
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Great recipe! First time making jalapeno jelly. Made 2 double batches. The gears started turning in my head. I made peach jalapeno jelly. Tasty.
Yes, I used the recipe. It’s not necessary to process jam. It can thicken it and alter the taste. Good recipe. It’s the same one in Southern Living Cookbook from 1950’s. (I did add hot dried peppers from the summer for more heat.)
Just finishing up a batch right now. Waiting for the big pot to boil. I was reading through the comments and had a thought on the not-setting problem. Partly it’s the extra water content, but it’s also possibly using the pectin in the wrong order. I use dry pectin, which has to be boiled BEFORE the sugar is added or it won’t set up. If you are having this issue, check your pectin and see if it is pre-sugar boil or mixed with the sugar. Liquid pectin is usually mixed with sugar, dry is boiled before.
You measure everything except the peppers! How large is “large”? How small is “small”? Most accurate measurement is weight after you chop, but at least give us cups.
I haven’t made it, so discount my rating.
I used 12 3 inch peppers witch gives u after seeding them 14 ounces or around 3/4 pound
Hi, I have been making this jelly for years and have NEVER canned it and it has always been delicious. Even if it doesn’t set, I have reboiled and it usually sets. Will try taking the juice away from the peppers. Thanks for this!
First off, thank you for your great recipes and example of motherhood! Sadly — after making this and following the recipe to the letter, mine did not set up either. I hate wasting the ingredients and time — have you ever tried adding more pectin at this stage and processing it again?! Just curious. Thanks so much!
Hey Michelle – did you see the extra note to drain water/liquid from the peppers? If it still didn’t set up then yes, you can reprocess at this point with more pectin and can again. Sorry it didn’t set up!
Sorry, too many comments to scan and see if this is already answered. Do they really need to be water bathed? After boiling jellies, I usually secure the lids and just turn the jars upside down. They seal fine, and I’m thinking the boil time would eliminate pathogen concerns? Thanks
Yes, to insure proper food safety they should be processed in a water bath.
Thank you so much! My pepper plants were out of control this year–maybe because I planted four of each. Anyway, I made 4 double batches of pepper jelly yesterday (I thought it would make cute Christmas gifts for teachers/neighbors and it’s very festiv with it’s red and green peppers). I thought I would post my adaptions because I used dry pectin (worked like a charm and required less boiling time). This is my feeble attempt to pay it forward because I enjoy your recipes and benefit from the comments section.
Ingredients:
10-12 jalapenos (I liked using half red and half green for better flavor and color with half seeded),
2 poblano peppers (I had these in my garden I liked the flavor with them), 1/2 cups white vinegar,
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons of Pectin
Directions:
Finely chop the bell peppers and jalapenos in a food processor fitted with a fine shredding blade.
Add the peppers to a large pot.
Stir in the vinegar and Pectin. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring often.
Add the sugar (may need to whisk to get it all worked in) and bring back to rolling boil and boil for 1 more minute.
Remove the pot from the heat. Pour the jelly to within 1/4-inch of the top of clean, warm canning jars. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp rag. Place a lid and ring on each jar and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
Once removed from the water bath canner, let the jelly rest for 1-2 days to let it fully set up.
Thanks, Britney!
Well unfortunately I join the many whose jelly didn’t set up. I even drained nearly 2 cups of liquid out of my peppers before starting. I should have realized it was not set before I canned them, but I didn’t. I’m not sure if it’s worth it to redo it but I think I might. I did little quarter pint jars for gifts and a double batch so I have a lot of jars and lids (to reuse or not is the question?). We all love the flavor though! As it is right now it will make a great dipping sauce for spring rolls. 🙂
Any idea how many cups of chopped peppers go in to one batch? My jalapeños are really small this year and I’m afraid 10 won’t be enough. Is it critical if the ratio to other ingredients is off a bit? I’m somewhat new to jellies.
I probably should have paid more attention and taken notes when I made this last year.
Thanks!
No, there’s wiggle room for actual amount of peppers to vary a little. I’m not exactly sure on cups – but if your jalapenos are small, maybe judge the “10 jalapenos” in the recipe based on 10 average sized jalapenos. If yours are super shrimpy, maybe calculate you’ll need 15-17 jalapenos instead of 10?
I haven’t done an exhaustive search but from what I’ve been reading, the ratio of peppers to vinegar does matter: http://www.pomonapectin.com/allison/canningcraft-creates-pepper-jam/
Thanks for your input, Nancy! I agree that the overall ratio is really important…most recipes, thank goodness, have a little bit of wiggle room for differences. So using 12 jalapenos instead of 10 should be ok. But I’ll take a look at that link for sure!
I don’t know if this helps, but the sure jell pectin instructions say 10 jalapenos chopped to make 1 cup. Their instructions also say 1 1/2 cups EACH chopped green and red pepper. I hope it helps!
I just made a batch of pepper jelly using Pomonas Pectin and it turned out fabulous! I had no idea canning could be addictive. I also used the same pectin to make plum jelly and blubarb jelly. Thanks for your helpful canning instructions…definitely nudged me to start learning something new!
That’s great to hear!
Hi Mel, I was wondering if you ever used apple cider vinegar instead of the white vinegar. I have a large 4L container of the cider vinegar (I bought for my beets), so I’d like to use that instead.
Btw, I made your salsa recipe last night and it turned out amazing!
Hi Susan, I’m glad you loved the salsa! I haven’t used apple cider vinegar in this recipe…I wonder if the flavor might be too strong? I’m not sure! Sorry I’m not more help.
Hi, I always use apple cider vinegar in making pepper jelly. Also, I make it hot because the ones I give it to like it that way. So I only use hot peppers (no bell peppers) and I leave all the seeds in! I also add a few cayenne peppers too. Like I said the ones I make it for like it hot!
Beyond delicious. I added some sweet wine to a batch and lemon thyme t0 another. My 4 children love it as do all my relatives. I used jalapeños and time bomb peppers, the latter being hotter. Thanks for sharing!
Beyond delicious. I added some sweet wine to a batch – great with triple cream Brie and baguette pieces.
I made alot of hot pepper jam from your recipe last year from ghost, scorpions, habeneros all turned out great. One suggestion is add just a little more certo when doing jalapeños. The hotter peppers I only used 3 or 4 peppers and did not need extra certo! I live in Southern Ontario it’s been a very very wet and no heat summer all my hot peppers have not matured and probably won’t I put in 60 plants this year cuz I was so successful last year anyway just doing my jalapenos today hopefully they turn out as good as they did last year thanks for your recipe I really appreciate it. A little off topic I also did some ever bearing strawberries yesterday meant to tell u in spring! To remove green top and core simply use a straw (like the size from McDonalds). Simply start from pointed end of Berry pushing towards green end core and top comes out very quickly! Try it u will luv this method.
Great tip, Reece – thank you!
Thank you so much for the tip to drain the peppers before making the jelly!
With all the rain this summer the peppers were huge yet full of water. My red pepper jelly that I have been making for years didn’t set and I am sure it would have if I had drained the fruit like you suggested.Wonderful tip! All of the Jalapeno Jelly set up extremely well after draining before cooking. Wife loves the jelly and it sure is a change from the red Pepper Jelly I usually make.
Glad it worked to drain the peppers, Tim – thanks for checking in!
My jelly did not set either. Can I dump it all back in a pot and add more Certo to see if it will set? Is that “safe?”
Yes, you can definitely do that. I also added a note to the recipe (that was in the comment thread but not in the recipe notes) – most people who have had success with jelly setting perfectly have drained extra liquid from the peppers before adding them to the pot since peppers probably vary in water content. That may help if you make future batches.
I made it again, draining the juice from the peppers, and it set up beautifully. Thanks!
Glad to know the draining tip is helping!
Just found this recipe this year. I made two single batches, one with a red and green pepper and 12 jalapeños, one with an orange and green pepper and 10 jalapeños that were a bit more ripe. The color difference between the red/green and orange/green combination is significant but the taste isn’t.
Both batches worked great but I did deviate a bit. Before I put the pectin in I skimmed off a full cup of pepper mash from each batch; I just wanted to make the jelly a but more clear. Instead of pitching the mash, I canned it and it is probably even more amazing than the jelly; it will either be labeled as a ‘sweet hot pepper compote’ or as ‘candied hot peppers’.
That sounds amazing, Lorne!
I have made this recipe so many times and like some of you the batch set up great and others I had to put back in the pot the next day and recook…this is what I have learned-the boiling time is the actual time that it is boiling not the cooking time to get it to the boil and after the pectin is added wait til it returns to the boiling point and then time the boil for one minute….I learned the hard way on this trick…good luck everyone!
I just made my second batch of this in less than a week and am so proud of those little jars! I read some of the comments about the jelly not setting, so I strained all the extra liquid from the peppers (especially the bell peppers), like some readers suggested, and both batches have turned out great!
Now I just need to convince my jalapeño loving husband that jalapeños also taste amazing in jelly form.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Is that 13 oz of liquid pectin or one 3oz
One 3-ounce package. I’ve edited the recipe ingredient list to avoid confusion.
Has anyone ever tried this as a Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly? A local company makes a version with cranberries that is fabulous. They call it Cranpeno. I’d love to tweak this recipe to copy their version.
Yes! I did last year and it was great. I subbed cranberries for the red and green pepper. I believe I used a small bag of cranberries.
A friend of mine has been making this for over 20 years for our yearly deer camp every fall. I watched him make it last weekend and he uses Jel Ease Fruit Pectin packets and the recipe is inside the box. He also used cidar vinegar. Tasted great as usual. You can also use Sure Jell.
Did not read through all of the comments, cause there are so many! But I used Pomona’s pectin and followed recipe on their web site. Yum, yum, and I successfully sextupled the recipe. Bring on the peppers!
Yay, Angela! I’d love to convert this recipe to a Pomona’s Pectin one (that’s the pectin I use most). Thanks for the heads up!
My son made ghost pepper jelly, but it tastes like vinegar? What happened? He used the correct amount.
Will there be any difference in the finished product by using Cider Vinegar over White Vinegar?
I want mine to be hot so I will be using Cayenne, Thai, Serrano and other hot peppers and fewer Jalapeno’s.
I am not a cream cheese eater so I use this on white toast and toasted english muffins where it is delicious.
The flavor will differ slightly with different types of vinegars but should be delicious either way.
Just made this! Yum! Mine seems to be setting up already (the small amount that didn’t fit in a jar). I did drain the peppers I shreded. Thanks for the recipe and the beautiful picture tutorial!
This is lovely, especially the photos. The jelly/jam ended
up runny. It did not set et all. I make jams all the time and never had this problem, maybe the CERTO is the problem.
I’m not sure, Jeanette. Many others have said their jalapeño jelly didn’t set up either. I hadn’t had this problem until I made it a couple weeks ago, and sure enough, mind didn’t set up either (however, I had added peaches which might have been the problem).
I made this last year and it was a huge hit! I was passing out jars to everyone because they loved it so much. Just made two double batches this weekend. Neither one set up! The first batch, I used 2 packets of certo and in the second batch, I added an extra certo packet. They both look exactly the same- completely runny. Any idea what I can do to fix it?? I hate to waste all of it and my friend was so excited to do it with me so she would have her own stash and not have to keep asking me for it. It’s super disappointing.
Hey Christine, I can’t be completely sure what happened, but because I’ve also had some batches set perfectly and others not, I’ve come to suspect it’s the size/type/variety of peppers used in the recipe. My guess is that if a pepper is extra large or has more water content (this can definitely differ if using garden peppers vs storebought peppers) that the jelly doesn’t set as well or as quickly. There may be other factors, but that’s what I can determine from my experience. I’m making more of this jelly in the next few weeks which will give me a chance to finally add specific weight measures to the recipe for more exact amounts. In the meantime, you can reprocess your jelly and boil it longer (usually don’t need to add more pectin but you can if you want) – and boil it until it jells (if you drop a teaspoon amount on a chilled dinner plate, it should firm up to the desired consistency).
i must say that your site is one of the best i have seen. it makes prepping things very easy totally informative with pictures and all. i used site for jalapeno jam. i have a little garden in back grew peppers the jam turned out so well that started selling them made 50 jars of jalapeno going sell them in fall fair in Niagara peninsula this fall. only thing that i would suggest is to add another half of packet of pectin in single batch as this will make jam set better. my question to you is i also grew habanero , ghost and Trinidad scorpion peppers, any suggestions on recipe’s for them ?
I don’t use those types of peppers very often (so spicy!) so I’m not much help; sorry!
Mel i used your recipe for all my peppers everyone thinks they are great! like you mentioned you can control the heat by the amount of peppers and veins you put in. Thank’s again.
I don’t see what size jars to use – pint or half pint and how many of pint or half pints does 1 batch make?
Hello Penni. It makes 4 pint jars.
Try it in the mini crockpot with a brick of cream cheese….melt them together and dip you crackers in it….yummy!!!
I’d love to try this. I’ve been buying a local product but can’t always find it. We love it over vanilla or bittersweet chocolate ice cream. Better than a sundae.
Jalapeno jelly is awesome with rack of lamb!! (lamb lollipops!) I’m making this recipe today. Not sure about how “jam” is going to be v. clear “jelly”. Hopefully better!!
Hi Mel,
I was running low on my Pepper Jelly that was gifted to me a few years ago so I went looking for a recipe. So glad I found yours. I used a combination of Green, Red, Yellow and Orange Peppers…. give it a lot of color.
Your recipe and canning instruction were GREAT! I have never canned before and was able to get every jar to seal. I seem to be having a non-set that others have expressed. I am going to give it another day, but may have to reprocess with more pectin (I used powdered).
I will definitely be planting jalapenos and bell peppers in the garden this year.
Can u use strawberries in this recipe? If so how meney would u suggest
You could definitely experiment; I haven’t tried it with strawberries.
I ran out of jars when I was filling them. I put the left over jelly in freezer containers. Do you think it is safe to eat it after it sets and I refrigerate it? Is the canning process necessary?
You might have to do some online searching to see, Joy, as I’m not really sure. Other jams/jellies are fine from the freezer so I’m guessing it will be too but I’m not 100%.
With powdered pectin you bring everything EXCEPT sugar to a boil you can’t stir down. Then add sugar and bring back to the same boil. Boil for exactly one minute, remove from heat, ladle into jars and proceed.
This is my new go to favorite recipe. I love the flavor and how it turned out. Mine set up just fine (of what was not canned and left over after cooling was a perfect soft set. I have not opened any jars to check them yet because I am letting them set for 2 days) but I did let the mix boil for 15 minutes rather than 10 before adding my pectin and timed it perfectly boiling for a full minute after stirring in the pectin completely. I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. I did make one tweek to the recipe. I had like 5-6 fresh strawberries in my fridge so I tossed those in the processor with the peppers and only used 5 cups of sugar and it was perfection. Next time I will most likely leave out the berries and still only use 5 cups of sugar and I will let you know how it turns out.
I too had issues with this recipe setting up…half my jars did…the other half did not. Very odd and remained fully liquid days later.
I’d like to try and make this next week. How do you use this jelly? It seems it’s only good with cheese and crackers.
I use it on paninis (a lot) with turkey and cheese or a lot of different combos. We also eat it with cream cheese and crackers.
OMG, it turned out wonderful! I had no problem getting it to set. I added a red bell pepper to add a little color with all the fresh jalapeno’s from my garden harvest and the recipe is spot on. Thank you!!
Absolutely love this, today is my second time making this recipe. Guess I got lucky
because mine set perfect first time. The taste is one of a kind, when I tell people what I have made their lips curl…..but hen they try it, WoW you should see their faces. Again LOVE this recipe. Thank you so much
We made another batch of jelly from this wonderful recipe again this year. Last year, on a whim I added in some orange zest and it’s been a hit with everyone who’s tried it. So this year I thought I’d try something different again and added pureed peaches and also a can of crushed pineapple. I also left in more of the seeds and this years batch definitely has more heat! Thanks again for this great recipe! Our family thanks you!
Yum! What a delicious combo!
Did you drain the pineapple?
Yes, I did drain the pineapple (8 oz Crushed). For the peaches, I used two cans of low sugar sliced peaches. I whizzed them in the food processor just a few times to dice them up. I wasn’t sure the peach flavor would come through, but it really does. Ours didn’t set up perfectly either. I attributed it to the fact that I made a double batch, but maybe it wasn’t. In any case, we don’t mind that it’s a bit on the runny side, and as another poster said, it does firm up a bit when refrigerated.
I make this stuff all the time. And yes I found that you almost have to double the amount of certo to have it set nicely, sort of like grape jelly. I’m am interested in the lime jalapeño recipe. Sounds really different and good.
Hi I just made some yesterday and it’s not setting yet. I read it can take a long time to set but I didn’t have problems last year. I think the issue is size of the sweet peppers because they give a lot of liquid. Anyways I’m waiting to see and if I feel it’s too runny, I’ll reprocess and add more Certo. I plan on doing another batch with jalapeños because I ised another type of hot pepper and it wasn’t hot enough for me. This stuff is addictive!
Just thought I’d come back to let you know what I ran into while making two batches of this. I had (and have successfully used before) liquid certo, but realized while cooking that i only had one packet, so I sent my husband out to grab another. The store was out, and he came back with a Sure Jell powdered pectin. The batch with the Sure Jell did not set and is still very liquidy.
Can I open them, re-heat it, and try again with the Certo, then re-can?
As long as it’s reprocessed correctly for food safety reasons, you should be able to do add more pectin and can it again.
This is a fantastic recipe! Easy to follow & delish! I canned a bunch to put away for Christmas gifts, and opened one for my husband to try…. I’ll need to make some more, as he’s gone through that jar & then got into the Christmas jar stash! Luckily my jalapenos have had a productive year!!
I did something terribly wrong… Jalapeno toffee anyone?
For what it’s worth, when I make pepper jelly from a similar recipe I use both packs (6oz total) of certs liquid pectin and it sets quite well.
I have made several batches of this jelly, this summer. It is seriously wonderful. I have made it with all types of mixed peppers, hot banana, sweet banana, bell peppers, jalapeños, habanero, all straight out of my garden. I just use whatever I have available. Always turns out great! My friends can’t get enough of it. Some are even returning jars, asking for refills!
As far as the set, mine is typically a softer set that becomes more firm when refrigerated. Perfect for spreading. I, also, have had to use powdered pectin, as that is all that has been available in my small town. No issues. None at all.
Hi there…I just made a batch of this jelly. It has been sitting in a quiet place for 48 hours & still no set up, it’s still very thin & runny. Any suggestions on what could have gone wrong? I followed your directions to a “T”. It tastes amazing, I think I’m going to leave it as is & just have “honey” consistency for my jam. Thanks, Diane
Hi Diane – it seems like others are experiencing the same thing. I’ll add a note to the recipe and test a batch out this week to see what might be happening.
I am making jalapeno jelly to sell at our church bazzar for the 2nd year. I tried a different recipe for the first two batches and they 2 days later have not set up. those recipes called for 1 3oz envelope of liquid pectin. Today I made another recipe that called for 2- 3oz packages of liquid pectin and they have already setup. So tomorrow I will finis the 1/2 bushel of peppers using second recipe. and redo the others with more certo. Question I have several boxes of surejell powder could I use that for my redo?
Good question, Mary – but I’m not sure. I’ve had the best luck with this recipe using the liquid pectin.
I think I am doing something wrong. My jelly doesn’t set. Is anyone else having this issue? Any ideas on what I could be doing differently would be great!
Hi Michelle – a few others in the comment thread have had that issue – the jelly is pretty soft set (not really firm). You can always reprocess with more pectin if you want it to set up to be more firm. Did you use certo pectin?
I am making it now! Love Harry and David’s Jalepeno relish with cream cheese and hope this is similar!
I did as the recipe states and only ended up with 5 and a half little half pint jars. Not sure if maybe my Jalepenos were smaller or what? I used 5.5 cups sugar.
Anxious to see how it turns out!
Love so many of your recipes!
Thank you for the very detailed post! I made this today and am looking forward to tasting it soon. This was my first time making jam or canning anything, and your instructions were invaluable! I’ll be subscribing to see what else I can learn from you. Thanks again!
I went ahead and made this. It was a very pale color so I added five tablespoons of blackberry juice left from another jelly project. Oh!!! This is sooooo delicious. Will make more. I did have to add a bit more pectin.
Why is the jelly in the pictures red? I would prefer red over the green.
I think it’s red from the red peppers in the recipe. I am glad it turned out for you!
I made this on Saturday evening, following the directions, it is now Monday morning and my jelly still has not set. It is still liquid is my jars. Is this normal? The taste was divine going into the jars and they sealed well, I suppose I expected them to have a jelly consistency. Is this where I’m mistaken? Should I make another batch and use a different type of pectin? More pectin? Can I re-can this batch with more pectin? Thanks!
Hi Billie Jo – the jelly I make with this recipe definitely has a jelly-like consistency but much softer than say a super firm jelly (like grape jelly). Not liquidy and runny, though. It sounds like it may have not set up fully for you and I’m not sure why. It’s a lot of work but you can recan this batch with more pectin if you’d like it to be more firm. Did you use the certo brand of pectin? Not sure that it matters but it’s a starting place to figure out what may have gone wrong.
I am lazy, live in an apartment, and have a 1 year old and twin 7 week old girls. So..I decided to try making this freezer jelly – and it worked great! Just put the lid on the jar and stick it in the freezer. Take it out and let it thaw and it’s perfect! My father-in-law requested another batch for Christmas! Thank you for the great tutorial.
Can you make this with cayenne peppers also? I am not the “cooker” but I’m going to give this a shot. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve only ever made it as the recipe states but I think you could definitely experiment with different kinds of peppers. Good luck!
I love pepper jelly and have never attempted to make it – until now. Your recipe and instructions were fantastic! I had oodles of peppers from my garden, plus I have experience canning. It tasted delicious going into the jars… However, it is SO runny! It has been 2 weeks now and it never set up 🙁 Any ideas? I followed your instructions, but I did double the recipe and used Certo liquid pectin.
Shoot, Letti – I’m sorry your jelly hasn’t set up! Doubling the recipe, did you double the pectin also? My jelly is definitely soft but not runny. I’m not sure what would have happened! It’s a bit of work but you can always reprocess it (dumping out the jelly into a pot and adding more pectin and then canning it again).
Can I do a double or triple batch of this?
Melanie – Yep!
Made it! Love it!!!!
Thanks,
K
Hi,
Just wanted to say thanks for this great recipe. I made it and I added the zest of two oranges. Wow, it turned out so great. Thanks for the inspiration though, never would have tried it if it wasn’t for your site!
What a brilliant variation, Jared. Love it!
Yum! It turned out perfectly and I can’t stop eating it!
Is there a reason for your choice of one red bell pepper and one green? I have a purple one in my garden and will soon have a green one that I want to use for this recipe, so I wasn’t sure if it was a taste preference or just what you happen to have.
Erin – It’s just what I prefer to use but you could definitely vary based on what you have.
I made this earlier this week. I followed the recipe exactly except left the seeds/membranes in six peppers. Absolutely delicious. Happily my garden has a lot of jalapeños still growing. I will definately be making this again!
So, it is NOT strained so to be a clear jelly????????????
Cheryl – I don’t strain it so technically it is probably more like a jam but I still like to call it jalapeno jelly. 🙂
So, it is NOT strained so it is a clear jelly?????????
Hi Mel, I was thinking of buying a food processor–this recipe may be the last one in a long line of recipes that have made me want one (finely chopping 20 jalepenos by hand has very little appeal–pepper jelly, however, I desire). My question for you–which size bowl would you recommend? I saw your My Favorites Things processor is quite large. But your Bosch attachment processor is quite small. I do have a Bosch but not the processor attachment. If I can only have one food processor, what’s the magic size, magical Mel?
Jillene – Hmmm, good question, Jilene. I actually hardly ever use my small Bosch food processor now that I have the 12-cup Cuisinart one. It does everything I need it to. The only reason I didn’t use it or this jalapeno jelly is because I misplaced my small shredder attachment and didn’t really desire huge chunks of jalapeno in the jelly, know what I mean? So if I had a vote, I’d say go big. A large food processor can do anything a small one can but also handle those big batches of your favorite hummus or pie crust or whatever. Have fun shopping!
This post made me think of a recipe I have called “Easy Elegant Salmon” I found on Pinterest. I made it once with some Jalapeno jelly and it’s fantastic! If you want to try something new with the Jalapeno jelly… http://onlineri.com/articles/ri_cooks/easy-elegant-salmon-0
Made this Jelly a couple of days ago. I used Certo and cooked the pepper/sugar mixture until the instant read thermometer read 220 degrees. Then I added Certo and brought back to a boil and timed it for one minute.The set up is perfect.
It is divine! Next time I am making a double batch.
I planted jalapenos this season for salsa making, but will have more than I need, so this is an excellent way to use them! I just need to find someone with canning supplies I can borrow :0) Thanks Mel, you are amazing!
Any idea on if you could use a powdered pectin?
I caught my four year old son making a jalapeno jelly and peanut butter sandwich last fall, then he ate it. I don’t think i would ever be that brave 🙂
So delicious! We loved it!!
Your used to be neighbor (me) loves this I’m so happy you posted this
I made this today and I have nine little jars of jelly waiting to be eaten. I have always been wary of canning because it seemed so complicated but your instructions were so detailed that it made it easy to do.
We are fans of pepper jelly in our house. We put it on cream cheese and crackers, over baked brie, and it’s great as a sauce on chicken wings. I’m looking forward to tasting this in a couple of days. Thanks for the recipe!
My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me from her mom’s cookbook, “Just Ask June” It is delicious!!!
PEACH JALAPENO JELLY
Combine in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil:
Simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally
8 C. diced fresh peaches
6-8 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 1/2 C. cider vinegar
6 1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. lemon juice
Allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes
Stir in and boil for 10 minutes, until jelled:
6 oz liquid pectin
Fill half-pint sterilized jars, wipe jar rim and top with lid and ring
Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
CjR – That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I’m looking for a peach pepper jelly, but I LOVE pepper jelly. Will this give me the same results as a pepper jelly with a peach zing or is this more of a sweet peach jam with a little hint of jalapeno?
My favorite way to use jalapeño jelly is to pour a good amount over a Brie and pop it in the oven until the cheese is melty. Bliss! Thanks for the recipe!
that sounds HEAVENLY!!!
Do you think that you could freeze this instead of canning it? It looks delicious!!
Kim – Certainly worth a try although I haven’t done it myself yet so I can’t say for sure how it would work. Might try googling a recipe for freezer jalapeno jelly to see how it compares.
Such a great and informative post! It’s always great to catch myself laughing out loud to a food blog! Doesn’t happen too often on other sites I read, but you crack me up! I wonder if using low sugar pectin would allow you to cut the sugar back even more?
By taking half of the seeds out of the jalapeño is your jelly mild or medium or somewhere between?
My husband and I both love jalapeño jelly, and our grands love it too now. They were all a bit skeptical to try it the first time but it only takes one bite to win you over. Even just a plain old peanut butter and jelly sandwich tastes amazing when made with this sweet and spicy treat. I believe you have talked me into my first canning experience. Wish me luck!
I love Jalapeno Jelly and have made it before. I’m anxious to make your recipe as you haven’t let me down yet. And I’ve got a greenhouse full of jalapeno pepper.
We like making our own spices. Instead of discarding the scrapings I dehydrate them and pulse in a coffee grinder I use for spices. It’s a great way to add heat to guacamole, taco meat, etc.
My Mom has always been big on canning. She canned fresh fruits when I was little, when we had a pear and apricot tree in our backyard. When we moved she became a master at making and canning jams and jellies. Recently I decided to learn the ropes and spent a whole day making jam with her. As she was teaching me she said your exact words… “Hearing the little jars pop after they have sealed is like music to my ears… and you know you’ve done a good job!” : ) Since then I have been obsessed with canning and have tried different things. Jalapeno Jelly was next on the list (it is VERY popular here in the south) and I am so excited to try this recipe! I haven’t tried the liquid pectin yet, so I might try a batch with the powdered pectin to see how it goes. Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
OOOH! I hope I have an opportunity to try this soon at some point! I don’t live near a Costco, but I’m staying a my parents right now and they introduced me to this raspberry chipotle jelly stuff sold at costco. sure enough i looked at the ingredients and it’s so close to yours but no green/red peppers but instead raspberries. so excited to make my own! you rock lovely!
this is a seriously good idea.. never thought to make a jalapeno jelly before, definitely need to try this in my kitchen – perfect with a good cheese and a glass of wine!
Jalapeno jelly is our favorite. We put it on turkey burgers all the time. Thanks for another recipe!
Oh my goodness! You tell your aunt Marilyn thank you for sharing that yummy recipe. I think we’re in heaven!!! I do have a question about the consistency though. My jelly is still a bit runny (but delicious) maybe the consistency of a thin hot dog relish… (I cannot for the life if me what it’s the consistency of!!! Lol) is that what yours is like?? Also all the peppers and seeds seemed to have floated all to the top.
Hi Jenny – glad you loved this and happy you tried it so quickly! This jelly tends to do best if left to sit for 1-2 days. Mine looks fairly runny right out of the canner and even a few hours later but by the 2nd day it’s set up. It’s not quite as firm as a normal jelly but it shouldn’t be completely liquid either. My peppers and seeds settle towards the top, too (that actually happens a lot when I can anything that has solids in it). Whenever I open a jar of this, I give it a good stir with a long handled spoon and it combines perfectly. Also, when I’m ladling it into the jars to can it, I try to stir the mixture with the ladle before scooping (kind of swirl it around) to get a good mixture of peppers and jelly. Hope that helps!
Is it necessary to process the jars in boiling water if it the lid seals without doing that? In the past when I’ve canned, once I’ve filled the jars with hot liquid, the lid seals as it cools to room temperature. Therefore, does the processing make have another purpose besides just sealing, is there some other safety reason to do so?
Thanks!
JG – good question. I know a lot of people can the way you mentioned but it isn’t recommended by most of the extension services and/or in Ball’s blue book of canning (which is kind of my canning bible). I play it safe and process it even if the hot jelly seals the jars that way I know it is officially shelf stable.
It will often unseal very shortly and can spoil, which means a lot of your hard work is wasted.
The boiling process kills spores which can lurk behind after cooking or on jar surfaces. Use the amount of boil time recommended in the recipe, and store your jars with the rings OFF so it will be easy to see any expansion (bad) or color changes on the surface of your canned goods. If the appearance of the canned treat changes or the jar lid bulges, THROW IT OUT. My grandma taught me to preserve, and many of her recipes hail back to the days of wax and gluing writing paper over the juice glasses. Heat sealing was a huge improvement!
Can you tell me about how many cups of the pepper mixture you’d end up with after shredding it? I think I’m finally ready to make the leap into canning and I have at least a quart sized freezer bag from last summer’s garden of sliced jalapenos I’d like to use up.
Thanks!
Kate – Hmmm, I didn’t measure but I’m guessing about 2-3 cups (the liquid and the jalapenos).
I LOOOOOOVE Jalapeño jelly! Of course we love it with cream cheese and crackers, but my favorite is to eat it with Coconut Shrimp. Mmmmmm, now I’m hungry.
Eating it with coconut shrimp sound divine!!! thanks for sharing!!!
I have been seeing a lot of recipes for chia seeds rather than pectin in jellies. Have you ever tried it? I’ve been meaning to experiment. Love your site. I use your recipes several times every week. Thanks. I’m sure it is a lot of work 🙂
Oh, Ilene, chia seeds instead of pectin — very interesting! What a novel idea! We love chia seed. Thank you for sharing this concept. I’m going to try to discover more information on this.
I have been excited to see what other canning recipes you were planning on posting! I can’t wait to try this one, my husband loves that stuff, and maybe I will too if it’s homemade. I’ve never really cared for the store-bought stuff but homemade is always better!
Oh my gosh, I can not wait to convince my husband to make this! I’ve never really been inspired to try canning anything until this post. I want some right now!
blushandbacon.com
I have trouble finding canning supplies in my area, and I was just wondering what kind of pot you are using and where you got it. I will probably be buying all my canning supplies online, and hope that I can find one like that. It looks like it holds a lot of jars. Can’t wait to get started!! This is the perfect recipe to use up all the jalepenos from my garden. Thank you for all your inspiration!! 🙂
Erica H. – THIS is the pot I got from outdoorcooking.com. Good luck!
This jelly is especially delicious on Triscuit crackers w/ cream cheese! I think the Triscuits are best because of the texture, very wheat-y flavor and the salt balancing the sweet-hot jelly. :-))
Perfect timing for me! I planted jalapenos in my garden this year, and I am now going to try making this jelly with them. Thank you for the great post!
I appreciate how much work you must have put into this post! I’ve never tried canning, but it’s on my list to conquer at some point. This jelly sounds so good. I was just cooking with my husband’s homemade jalapeño wine yesterday and love a sweet + heat combination.
Yay!! Jalapeño Jelly is on my list of things to learn how to make this fall! My husband looked skeptical but I LOVE it!! Thank you so much!! Going back to read your canning tutorials! I grew up canning with my mom but have never done it as an adult on my own kitchen. Can’t wait!!
We make a jalapeño – lime version that is DIVINE, especially on salmon! I agree with you, I’m obsessed with this stuff.
Laurel, I’d love to see that recipe!
Your tip last year about using a camp stove outside to can items was a great one. So far I’ve only done pressure canning, but this looks like it’s up next on the list of things to do. Once it is no longer 116 degrees outside (thank you, AZ summers!).
With every new post of yours explaining canning, I keep thinking I’m nearly ready to go for it. This one finally did it, though, Mel. I know we’re going to go from nearly no tomatoes to a garden full of them late in August, and I’m going to be making sauce. This finally does it. I’m going to can that sauce, with your step by step instructions, if it’s the very last thing I do! And maybe make some jalapeño jelly, too. 🙂
I’d love to give it a try. We grow jalapenos every year and I’m sure we’d enjoy this if I took the time to make it. I’ve really learned to enjoy canning.
Maybe this will be next on the list.
Looks DeLish!
I’m just hoping to have enough jalapenos from the garden to make this!
It’s an interesting concept for me as well. I like organising a nice collection of jar’s yummies for winter, but never thought about jalapenios 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
This is great! I’ve always wanted to make my own!
This recipe is so tempting . . . after all, it is a famous Aunt Marilyn’s recipe. 🙂 We really like hot pepper jelly and often have it over cream cheese with crackers. Never thought of using this jelly as a dipping sauce for meat. Your site is always so interesting pouring forth unique, fun recipes. This tutorial and the instructions are so well done. Unlike Kim, I know I won’t have time to squeeze this into my hectic summer schedule but there is always the joy of having an exciting recipe awaiting next summer.
Mel- it’s like you are reading my mind! My mother-in-law’s garden is exploding with gorgeous vegetables, and I was thinking just yesterday that I need to can some. Especially abundant are the tomatoes and jalapeños! My family loves jalapeño jelly, but I have never made it myself. I am so excited to try this recipe! My MIL will be very impressed, thanks to you! 🙂
LOL! I’ve been wanting to make jalapeno jelly for awhile, too. Yes, Mel {and “Kim in MD”}, you read my mind, too. Thanks for the post!
From your whole foody!
Janie Lynn