Jalapeño Jelly {a.k.a. Hot Pepper Jelly}
Get this delicious and simple recipe for jalapeño jelly (a.k.a. hot pepper jelly) plus a helpful step-by-step tutorial on canning the jelly.
This jalapeño jelly is is incredible. Sweet and spicy (the heat level is totally in your control), it is heavenly over cream cheese and served on crackers.
How to Make Jalapeño Jelly
The process for making hot pepper or jalapeño jelly at home is simple!
First, start with peppers.
For this recipe, you can use any combination of bell peppers and jalapeños to equal 3 cups (about 18-20 ounces) of finely chopped peppers.
My preferred combination of peppers is:
- 1 to 2 medium or 1 very large red bell pepper (weighing about 9 to 10 ounces before coring and seeding)
- 1 to 2 medium or 1 very large green bell pepper (weighting about 9 to 10 ounces before coring and seeding)
- 10 medium jalapeños (weighing about 12 to 13 ounces before coring and seeding)
How to Adjust the Spiciness of Jalapeño Jelly
The number of jalapeños and whether the seeds/membranes are removed will affect the spiciness of the jelly.
I leave the seeds/membranes in 3 to 4 of the jalapeño peppers for medium heat. Adjust as needed for spicy/less spicy jelly.
Finely chop all the peppers and then measure. I use a food processor fitted with the blade or fine shredder attachment. It makes the chopping super quick and easy!
Using Liquid Pectin vs. Powdered Pectin
The original recipe for this jalapeño jelly called for liquid pectin (those instructions are still included below!).
However, after a decade of making this jelly and reading hundreds of your comments, I have also included directions for using powdered pectin in place of the liquid pectin.
Many reports, including my own experience, conclude that the jelly sets up better and more consistently using powdered pectin.
In my experience, using two full boxes of powdered pectin results in a firm set jelly. For a softer set jelly, experiment with using less powdered pectin (1 1/2 boxes or less). Do NOT use low sugar or sugar free pectin.
The cooking method varies slightly for liquid pectin vs powdered pectin, so make sure to read through the recipe thoroughly to understand which method you should use.
How to Process and Can Jalapeño Jelly
After the jelly has cooked, fill each jar within 1/4-inch of the top. Wipe around the rim of the jar to clean off any jelly and then top with a canning lid and ring.
Jalapeño jelly can be processed and canned with a water bath canner or a steam bath canner.
Below the recipe, you’ll see a full tutorial for water bath canning.
These days I always use a steam bath canner (approved by the NCHFP).
Process the jelly for 10 minutes, adding additional time for elevation, if needed (it is recommended to add an additional 5 minutes for every 3,000 feet elevation).
Once the jelly has processed, carefully remove to the counter to cool completely and allow the lids to pop/seal.
How to Serve Jalapeño Jelly
This jalapeño jelly (or hot pepper jelly, whatever you want to call it) is sweet, spicy and tangy, and is delicious served over cream cheese and spread on crackers.
It also makes a tasty topping for panini or other sandwiches, and is delicious on a charcuterie board.
We always serve it on New Year’s Eve for our traditional appetizer spread, and it is often the first thing devoured.
Commonly Asked Questions About Jalapeno Jelly
You can alter the ingredients of the jelly if you are planning to refrigerate or freeze the jelly. However, if you want to can the jelly so it is shelf stable, it is recommended not to alter the ingredients as it can affect the acidity levels and possibly make it unsafe for canning.
Yes, other types of peppers can be subbed in for the bell peppers and jalapeños, such as anaheim, habanero and serrano peppers.
It is not recommended to pressure can jalapeño jelly – the texture and taste can be affected because of the longer heating time/higher pressure.
Home Canning Resources and Tips
I almost always can this jalapeno jelly in small batches using a steam canner (which is approved by the NCHFP). It’s so easy and the cleanup is a breeze!
Other Helpful Comments
Diana: I make this every year and gift it for Christmas. My entire family loves it. ❤️ Thank you for taking the guess work out of holiday shopping! Every year I have to add more jalapeño plants. If you like it a little hotter, try adding a couple of Serrano peppers, but not too many, they bring the heat.
Dave: I have made this recipe about 5 times. On a scale of one to ten I would give it a 15. I went with the chop the peppers pretty small with a knife and did not use a blender. The only problem I have with making this recipe is the jars of Jam (not Jelly) go very fast. Everybody who has tried it wants more. I have about 35 pepper plants in my garden, so I use a variety of peppers along with the Jalapenos. I am very happy with the results and plan on making more in the future. Thanks Mel!
Deb: I used 1/2 pint jars and each batch made about 5-6 jars. I also used red and yellow/orange peppers, as either the store didn’t have green or I had a brain malfunction!! I made this last year and gave away many jars. People loved it and so do I! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Leslie: Delicious and super easy to make! I have been making this recipe for the last four years and friends and family rave about it. It is delicious and soooo addicting! I’ve shared this recipe over and over. I like more texture to the jelly, so I chop up 4.5 red and orange bell peppers (rather than the two peppers in the recipe). Because we grow habanero and jalapeño peppers, I’ve used this recipe to make both both versions and combined the peppers to make jalapeño-habanero pepper jelly too. This recipe is the best, thank you so much for your work on this and sharing it!
Jalapeño Jelly {a.k.a. Hot Pepper Jelly}
Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper (see note)
- 1 large green bell pepper (see note)
- 10 jalapeños (see note)
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5-6 cups granulated sugar
- 3-ounce pouch liquid fruit pectin or two boxes (1.75 ounces each) powdered pectin – NOT low sugar or sugar free pectin
Instructions
- Clean and sterilize canning jars according to manufacturer's directions.
- Finely chop the bell peppers and jalapeños in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or using the fine shredder attachment, or finely chop the peppers by hand. Drain excess liquid from the peppers before proceeding (this helps ensure the jelly will set up).
- For liquid pectin: to a 5- or 6-quart pot, add the peppers, vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the liquid pectin and boil at a rolling boil (that can't be stirred down) for 1 more minute. Remove the pot from the heat.
- For powdered pectin: to a 5- or 6-quart pot, add the peppers, vinegar, salt and powdered pectin. Bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute.
- Add the sugar and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Boil at a rolling boil (that can't be stirred down) for 1 full minute. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour jelly to within 1/4-inch of the top of prepared canning jars. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean rag. Place a lid and ring on each jar.
- Process in a water bath or steam bath canner for 10 minutes adding additional time for elevation, if needed (see note).
- Remove from the canner and let sit on the counter until fully cooled and lids have popped/sealed.
Notes
-1 to 2 medium or 1 very large red bell pepper (weighing about 9 to 10 ounces before coring and seeding)
-1 to 2 medium or 1 very large green bell pepper (weighting about 9 to 10 ounces before coring and seeding)
-10 medium jalapeños (weighing about 12 to 13 ounces before coring and seeding) I leave the seeds/membranes in 3 to 4 of the jalapeño peppers for medium heat. Adjust as needed for spicy/less spicy jelly. Finely chop the peppers and then measure 3 medium-packed cups (weighing 18 to 20 ounces). Setting Up: if jelly isn’t setting up, it could be due to several issues including pectin (type or not enough) and water content in the peppers. Liquid: After the peppers are shredded in step #1, drain off any extra liquid before adding the peppers to the pot. Pectin: the original recipe called for liquid pectin (and the recipe still includes details to use liquid pectin). However, I’ve also included instructions for using powdered pectin – many reports, including my own experience, conclude that the jelly sets up better and more consistently using powdered pectin. In my experience, using two full boxes of powdered pectin results in a firm set jelly. For a softer set jelly, experiment with using less powdered pectin (1 1/2 boxes or less).
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Recipe Source: from my Aunt Marilyn
Recipe originally posted July 2014; updated August 2023 with new recipe notes/photos/tutorial, etc.
How to Make Jalapeno Jelly
Make sure to check out the notes in the recipe about draining excess liquid from the peppers before using in order to help the jelly set up properly!
Canning Jalapeno Jelly
Below is a step-by-step guide for water bath canning this jalapeno jelly. More recently, I use a steam bath canner, but the basic principles are the same for the jars and timing.
Today I mad this recipe , sort of . I had canned a number of quarts of banana peppers some years ago , and a year or so ago noticed they were very limp . In all likelihood this was due to the fact that I failed to use ‘Fruit Fresh’ or some similar product to keep the goods crisp . Not being one to toss things that might be recycled , I decided to try this recipe and use the results for my soon-to-be-famous Spicy Ribs and Beans .
I noticed right away that the peppers had been canned in an Extreme Brine . So after I minced them , and some accompanying garlic , in the food processor I added Certo and cooked them a goodly period . Then I added several cups of sugar and minimal vinegar to further thicken .
Alas , thickening did not occur , and the taste was shall I say off-putting . I debated using my last package of Certo , but didn’t want to put good product into bad results . At that point I came across an ancient box (1980s , I imagine) of ‘Sparkling Mandarin Orange Jello ‘. I had been softly singing ‘On the Wings of a Dove’ as I cooked , so I imagined this to be Divine intervention . I added the package continued to stir and ended up with the best-tasting Hot Pepper Jelly I have ever tasted !
I would have given this recipe 5 stars , but as you have read , I modified it a bit .
Love your humor!
I’ve always wanted to learn to make my own jelly, hopefully I’ll be able to learn from you. Thank you
Have you ever used a steam canner for this rather then a water bath? If so, do you make any changes to processing time?
Yes, I use a steam bath canner for this and it works great! Processing times should be the same (make sure to account for elevation).
Can you make this with just the jalapeño peppers and without the bell peppers?
Do you mean subbing all the bell peppers for jalapenos?
Yes , I would like to know that also ? Can you just make the jelly with jalapeños?
Thanks
Laura, I haven’t tried this recipe ( just discovered this recipe today) but I have tried other recipes similar using just jalapenos and it turned out great. In fact I’ve never made the jelly using bell peppers. I’ve made it several times using jalapeno and habanero peppers. Be sure to wear gloves though!!
I reduced the sugar make the jelly hot.
But it has not set.
Will adding more sugar and reprocessing again mae the jelly set
Jalapeño jelly The favor was great!
Too runny. What can I do?
Empty the jars and cook and add more pectin?
Yes, you can reprocess the jelly with more pectin.
Going to try this..had someone’s during a Christmas party and fell in love..can u cook some of the juice out instead of squeezing it out..seems like losing flavor
I’m one of the people whose jelly didn’t set up! (I’m new to jelly making, so it wasn’t a complete surprise.) Th recipe in the Certo box calls for one pouch for 4 CUPS of jelly, rather than 4 pints, so I may try re-processing with another pouch. It also says that hot pepper jelly may take a week to set up!
Hey John, curious to hear how your jelly turned out. Did you end up re-processing with another pouch of pectin, or did yours eventually set within the week following?
I love this recipe! it was a huge hit the first time I made it – literally the best jalapeno jelly I’ve ever had. However, I just made a double batch, drained the juice, and had to use three 3 oz. packages of Sure-Jell, and it’s still super loose. What should I do?
You can reprocess with more pectin and see if that helps.
In our experience, no matter how fast you want to do this , you can NOT double . Some will disagree but I have tried to fool the recipe and can’t . It will be beautiful and set properly if you use one recipe portion at a time .
Tambra Childres
I’m so excited to try this. I bought the peppers but I only have Sure-jell powdered pectin. Will that work? I’m brand new to canning.
Thanks
Hi Marilyn, you may need to google a recipe for jalapeno jelly with dry pectin – I haven’t converted this one to a different kind of pectin.
This recipe was so good! I have been looking for a red pepper jelly recipe for a while. And, this one looked the best out of all the ones I found. I deveined and deseeded all of the peppers. I didn’t want it to be too hot. And, I hand cut all the peppers. I wanted those pretty little perfectly diced pieces throughout my jelly. It turned out perfectly! It was a little on the sweet side (I did all 6 cups of sugar), but, it was the perfect amount of heat for me. Next time I am doubling it! Thank you for another great recipe!
So good! I am new to jelly making…it my third batch. This came out great…actually started thickening as soon as I took it off the heat. I used 5.5 cups of sugar and the Certo liquid pectin. I don’t have a food processor, so I pulsed the peppers in my Vitamix and drained as suggested. This is a keeper!
My jelly did not set, I doubled everything in the recipe. Is there a way to salvage all of it?
You can try reprocessing with more pectin.
I pressure canned my half pints for 10 minutes, should I redo and put in water bath for 10 minutes?
I’m not sure if this jelly is able to be pressure canned – so the safest bet would be to water bath can it.
After reading loads of comments, I’m left with a question. I have not heard my lids pop. If I have to reprocess, can I reuse the lids?
I’m thinking…. Hmmmm
When I make salsa, many times I’ve scorched my , and peeled off most of the char. It is so flavor packed. I live a couple hours north of Mexicaly MX and we love our Tex Mex. I’m going to make a batch that way. Even if it isn’t company ready, I know we will eat that sweet heat.
I’ll post here with my results. My only concern is in sharing and peeling, the chili’s are a bit soft.
You may not hear the lids audibly pop but the lids are sealed if you press lightly on the top (after several hours) and they don’t bubble or pop up.
What do you do with the leftover jalapeno juice? Toss it out or is there something to repurpose it with?
I just toss it (haven’t found a great way for using it, but maybe someone else has?)
I will use it to make salsa notch up on the heat index! I make it all the time and I usually have a hard time finding peppers that make it hot enough to my taste.
Hi Vera. I think I screwed up by adding the sugar, vinegar and pectin at the beginning of boiling. I had enough liquid at the end, enough to fill 2 pint jars! I didn’t have time to sterilize the bottles, so I just washed in hot soapy water and forced well. I’ll keep that jelly in my fridge. I LOVE this jelly. The Resses brand in the stores is pricey and only a small 1/2 pint jar.
I’m thinking with the fruitless jelly, I can add it as a marinade over baked chicken. Sweet heat.
Oh booboo. I just finished making the jelly a couple of hours ago. I used the recipe on the Sure Jell box. I added the sugar and the pectin, along with the cider vinegar at the beginning of the game! I had so much liquid at the end, that I made 2 pint jars of JUST juice. I haven’t heard any popping yet. The lids are flat, so I’m hopeful I did this ok. If the jelly doesn’t set up and I do some back steps, do I add more pectin?
Yes, you can reprocess with more pectin for a thicker jelly (and as long as the lids are flat without bubbling or popping up when you press, they should be sealed just fine).
I would like to make jelly from all the juice that I drained off of jalapenos, medium hot block an d bell peppers. It is so pretty. Have you ever made jelly from the drained juice?
I haven’t – sorry!
Hi Vera. I think I screwed up by adding the sugar, vinegar and pectin at the beginning of boiling. I had enough liquid at the end, enough to fill 2 pint jars! I didn’t have time to sterilize the bottles, so I just washed in hot soapy water and forced well. I’ll keep that jelly in my fridge. I LOVE this jelly. The Resses brand in the stores is pricey and only a small 1/2 pint jar.
I’m thinking with the fruitless jelly, I can add it as a marinade over baked chicken. Sweet heat.
Suggestion if your jelly doesn’t set. Make it into relish. Excellent flavor for chili.
Made the jelly. Works great. Will try it out in a couple of weeks. I have found waiting a bit on using hot peppers makes the flavor better.
Don’t like it hot don’t use the seeds and boil the peppers for a couple of minutes. Go figure. It works.
How do you turn it into relish?
It was good but it tasted more like a bell pepper jelly. I think next time I’m going to try and use maybe 4 cups of sugar, a few more jalapenos and not remove any seeds. The recipe “as is” is good, but not as hot as I would like. After I chopped up the peppers, I gave it a gentle squeeze to remove a bit of the liquid, and it set up perfectly.
This recipe looks awesome! Is it possible to make this without the bell peppers and only using jalapenos? Just want to maximize the great jalapeno flavour.
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure – sorry!
When the jelly is ready to put in the jar, a trick I learned that really simplifies things is to pour it into a heavy duty plastic pitcher and fill the jars from the pitcher. So much faster with no mess compared to the ladle and funnel method.
Easy delicious and great as a gift. I love the cream cheese and crackers but also on pork chops
I doubled the recipe, but forgot to double the vinegar amount. Will my jelly be spoilt/unsafe?
You can reprocess and add the correct amount of vinegar – I’d suggest doing that from a food safety perspective.
Fantastic recipe!! Best hot pepper jelly I’ve made. I used one package of powder pectin and added it at the beginning. I also used 5 cups of sugar. Nice and spicy!! I love it!
I made this and to me it tasted toooo much like bell pepper jelly with a little heat.
I used this recipe and my jelly did not set up. What am I doing wrong. I’ve made before years ago but only thing different is my stove. And I used food processor and didn’t drain. I also used pectin. Help. And is there any way I can use my batches to redo or do I have to start over?
Kim Stubblefield
I think the key is draining – it makes a difference to the jelly setting up so that might have been the issue. You can reprocess the batches with more pectin and see if that helps it set up.
What brand of pot is that in the photos when you are placing the jars into the water bath outside on your camp stove? I have a glass top stove and am searching for a good flat bottomed water bath canning pot. Thanks!
I honestly can’t remember and I just checked and it isn’t printed on the pot. I got it so long ago at a hardware store. I’m sorry I’m not more help!
Thank you for checking, and no worries! I’ll find something eventually.
Suggestion if your jelly doesn’t set. Make it into relish. Excellent flavor for chili.
Made the jelly. Works great. Will try it out in a couple of weeks. I have found waiting a bit on using hot peppers makes the flavor better.
Don’t like it hot don’t use the seeds and boil the peppers for a couple of minutes. Go figure. It works.
Looks delicious!
Would it be possible to freeze this instead or canning it?
Also could you half or 1/4 this recipe?
Yes, you can definitely cut down the recipe – I have’t tried freezing but usually jams and jellies freeze pretty well.
This recipe is the best!!! So versatile if you want to tweak it. Today I made a double batch with about 24 red Fresno peppers (half seeded), 2 serranos, 2 red bell and 2 orange bell peppers, the zest of 6 limes and the juice of 2 and whatever was left of a bag of frozen cranberries (2 cups if I guess right). I used the sugar, vinegar and salt measurements from the original recipe, doubled, and 2 packs of liquid Certo. The result is a gorgeous jewel red jelly. It’s punchy, pepper forward with a lime aftertaste. Will be making more asap.
My husband and I just made these last night just waiting for them to set.
I made it per recipe, except I added a dash of lime juice, as well, using 5.5 cups sugar. Turned out good, and I left the pith and seeds in six halves of the jalapenos. I’ll probably add a touch more heat on the next batch.
I adapted your recipe for Anahiem peppers – it was very tasty and mild.
I have been making this jelly for years and also had some batches that failed to set. Here’s what I have learned. First, shred the peppers don’t process them, I got lazy and used my ninja bad idea. Second, Mel is totally on track drain well after shredding. I drained for several hours. Third and probably most important boil at a fairly high temp. I suspect my fails had something to do with my being overly cautious on the heat. I have an electric stove and I boiled on 7 to 8 it foamed the entire time and set up perfectly. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the notes, Kim!
Couldn’t find any recipes for aji lemon (lemon drop) pepper jelly or sugar rush peach pepper jelly so just tried substituting those peppers in for the jalapenos in your recipe. Worked great. Subbed 1 for 1 for lemon drop peppers. Subbed 1 peach pepper to 2 jalapenos for 2nd batch. Kept seeds in half the peppers for each batch. Will definitely keep this recipe on hand for future years.
Wonderful recipe and all of the edits really helped! This was my first time making any type of jelly and i do believe it turned out! I put the chopped peppers in a thin dish towel and squeezed the extra water out that way. Thanks for the great recipe and tutorial!
I made two batches last fall and they were delicious. The first batch ended up a little thick, the second a little thin, I just reprocessed it with a low sugar pectin and it turned out perfectly. I just spend a half hour trying to find your recipe again, I am hopelessly horrible and organizing recipes. I’m so relieved I found it, I have another bumper crop of jalapenos. Thank you for this great post. FYI, this was my first time canning jelly so the inconsistencies in texture was probably my own inexperience.
Love this recipe!
Used jalapeño, scotch bonnet, red and green but all hot. Measured out at about two cups after cleaned and chopped.
Used six cups sugar and Allen’s pickling vinegar and two drops red food colouring.
Figured out why some people not jelling – canadian certo pouches are 85 ml – converts to 2.8 ounces! So added a titch from second pouch – an excuse to make another batch!
Yield – five 8 oz jars plus one taster bowl!
Delicious!
I followed the recipe to the “T” and after waiting 48 hours my jelly did not set. Can I recook the jelly or do I have to throw away and start all over? The jelly tasted amazing and your set by set helped so much. Thank you
Yes, you can recook the jelly and add more pectin if needed.
I did not drain the access off of the peppers so it is runny. Is there anything I can do or add to thicken it up. This was my first time making the jelly. Unfortunately, I followed another person’s recipe and it was not mentioned to drain the liquid. HELP!! So excited I found your site . Just subscribed.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Claire – you can try reprocessing the jelly with more pectin and see if that helps!
Hello,!! Just done making your delicious recipe. first time canner lol
The lids are popping as we speak, Thank you,
I used your recipe for my 1st ever canning experience & survived. Thank you for the great detail & extra tips. It came out delicious.
Your recipe doesn’t say how much this recipe makes? I counted your hard but you said you were adding more hard to the pot.
It makes 4 pint jars.
can you use banana peppers in place of red bell and also can i use jar jalopeno peppers instead of fresh to make the jelly and if i want it green do i add a drop or 2 of food coloring
Hi Louise – I haven’t made any of those adaptations, but you can definitely experiment! Good luck!
What kind and where to buy a canning rack like yours? I have been searching for one that will hold this many jars, and accommodates the taller jelly jars fairly well.
It came with my canning pot, but you might try searching online??
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.