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.
I have been making hot pepper jelly for years but the last 2 years(maybe I got too confident!) they were epic fails. Thank you for bringing me back to the basics with a step by step plan. The hot pepper jelly is awesome! I did use liquid pectin but followed your directions completely. Thank you for bringing me back to the joy of deliciousness of a perfect jar of jelly.
Thank you…thank you…THANK YOU!!!
After trying (and FAILING!), with many pepper jelly recipes…this one worked like a charm!
I wanted a more solid jelly so I used two 1.75 packets of the powered Sure Jell pectin and my jelly turned out beautifully!
Absolutely FABULOUS! I will eat it for breakfast, and straight out of the jar! Plus, it is beautiful, and who doesn’t love pretty food??? Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
This is the most successful recipe I’ve ever used! The measurement of 3 cups of peppers is the key. Any combo works as long as you drain them. The kids are gonna love this!
How much sugar? Says 5-6 cups and see note. but i don’t see sugar in notes
Hi Sue, sorry about that. There isn’t an additional note for sugar (you can use anywhere from 5 to 6 cups for the recipe).
I just made this jelly with your original recipe with liquid pectin. I added one tablespoon of powdered pectin and ended up with a soft set that is almost perfect, definitely no softer. It’s interesting that you updated the recipe so recently that it is after I made my jelly. Now I’m not sure which method I will use next time, but I know this: I am making this again!!!!!! This stuff is outstanding!!!!! Thank you!!!
I mix this with bbq sauce and use as a glaze over chicken and salmon. So delicious!
Delicious idea, Cathy!
I used red & green jalapeños from my own plants; I felt they were a bit on the small side so I used about 20. I went with the full 6 cups of sugar. The finished product was a bit firmer than I expected, but worked really well with crackers & cream cheese. The color was very nice and the flavor was spectacular. This barely made a dent in my pepper crop, so I’ll probably make another double batch and then focus on zanahorias en escebeche & plain ol’ pickled jalapeños with the rest. Then again, maybe I’ll make a couple more double batches of this amazing jelly. Maybe three. I love this stuff…
Hi there – I am so frustrated with myself! I’ve made this before, but this year, I cannot get it to set – I am on my third batch. I’ve been reading out the reprocess thing – I don’t understand how to do that and it seems there are different ways. Can you explain that at all? I’m ready to give up canning all together! Pectin has not been my friend this summer – my strawberry jam failed and now this! Thank you in advance!
Hi Abbie – sorry to hear about your frustration! Did you change brands of pectin this year or is your pectin expired? If you want to reprocess, usually you can scoop the jam out of the jars into a pan and add additional pectin (according to the package instructions) and then put the jam back in clean jars and can it like you normally would. Does that help?
Can this be doubled? Looking for a larger batch recipe!
Yep!
Hello, I have some cowboy candy a friend wants turned into jam. Can I just reboil…add liquid pectin then go through the canning process?
I’m not familiar with cowboy candy so I’m honestly not sure – sorry!
I think it will work fine! It’s just sugar and sugar and peppers and sugar anyway, right?
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.
Can you substitute honey for the sugar? If so, how much?
I don’t know if honey subs well for the sugar (or if the jelly still sets up) – sorry!
Turned out real good, used 1/2 pack of orange jello as was out of pectin
My jelly didn’t turn out as hot as I would have liked even after leaving all seeds in. Will it get hotter after being canned and sitting for awhile?
Hi Mel. Just made a batch this morning and I had a little extra that I didn’t put in the canner and it isn’t very spicy. Do you think it will get hotter after it sits? I used almost all of the seeds, my peppers must not have been very hot I guess. Loved that I could just throw a small batch together and steam can it in no time on a Sunday morning!
The flavor does develop over time and the spiciness can intensify, but it probably won’t get exponentially more spicy.
BEST recipe! Comes out perfect EVERY time! I’m really careful about discarding all excess liquid from the pepper mash (excellent tip!). I cut the red and green bell pepper qty in 1/2…otherwise, no changes! We had sooooo many hot peppers in the garden this year!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
First time making this and it came out perfect! Thank you. So happy!
Is there supposed to lemon juice in the recipe? I see it mentioned on comments but don’t see it in the ingredients.
No, there isn’t lemon juice in this recipe (the one comment referring to accidentally leaving the lemon juice out was meant for a different recipe post – the canned spaghetti sauce on my site).
I am just curious how many little jars this makes?
What size jars? 8 ounce or smaller?
Do you have to use liquid pectin? Will the powdered type work just as well?
I’m sure it will…I just haven’t used it so I don’t know how much to use in place of the liquid pectin.
I’ve been given a batch of jalapenos, green & red, some are starting to soften & the skins slightly starting to wrinkle. Would they still be ok to use in this recipe?
As long as they aren’t moldy, I think they should be fine!
What lemon juice I dont see that in the recipe or ingredients?
I have made this recipe about 5 times. On a scale of one to ten I would give it a 15. I mostly followed the instructions however the first time was a little confusing with the part that says bring to a boil before it says to add the vinegar. Once past that I was off and running. I went with the chop the peppers pretty small with a knife and did not use a blender. When you have the sugar and peppers on heat coming to a boil, DO NOT find something else to do. Be prepared to turn down the heat immediately to stop it from boiling over. Quite the Mess. 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!
I forgot the lemon juice before processing the cans. They’ve been in the water bath half the time they need. Can I reopen and add lemon juice then finish?
Yep!
Hi Mel! Thank you so much for this! You’re extra tips and thoughts are a great help! You answered some of my questions that I wasn’t sure about and even some questions I didn’t know I had! I have made this before, yeeeeears ago, and it was great. Don’t remember any issue at all! But I just recently made it again, and it didn’t jell up like I thought it would (home grown stuff this time!), but after a few days (not sure if this is my imagination) it seemed to be more jelled. The issue I had this time though, was that the little pieces of peppers (I cut them with at dicer thingy) seemed to rise up to the top, and there seemed to be so few. So what I ended up with was some clear yellow-orange-ish jelly with a few bits of pepper on the top. Is there some way that you know of to get them to be throughout the jar? My sil suggested to tip the jars over half way through processing. I also wondered if I could just add more peppers, but think it might offset the makeup of the jelly. Any thoughts? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, it’s tough to know how to troubleshoot that…mostly because this jelly turns out a bit different every year I make it. I think there are a lot of factors – type and variety of peppers, size of peppers, water content in the peppers, and probably a variety of other things. My jelly has turned out like you described. And then I feel like I make it the exact same way, and the peppers disperse throughout the jelly. How finely were your peppers chopped?
As bell peppers vary in size, could you please provide me the measure in cups. Thank you!
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! Deb
I’ve been making this recipe since 2020 and it’s so good.
Thanks!!!
I am not rating yet as a finished product yet, but had some questions. First, you say to use 5 to 6 cups sugar (see note). I read through the recipe and directions numerous times and never saw a note on the amounts of sugar variation.
I made this three years ago and it came out lighter in color, as you show in your picture, but we didn’t think it was spicy enough, so I left the piths in the Jalapeño’s this time. However, my jelly is very dark green. I did not burn the sugar as I stirred constantly. Can you explain the color variation? I followed pepper amounts exactly.
For the sugar, you can add less sugar for a less sweet jelly, but it may set up differently (possibly thinner). I’m afraid I don’t know why there would be color variances. It could be related to a lot of different factors! If you left different parts of the jalapeno for this batch, it might be related to that.
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!
Love this recipe. I add a few scotch bonnets and it is my absolute favorite!
Hi, everyone. I did not make this particular recipe, but my usual one from 40 years ago (very similar) which used to work our wonderfully. I started making this jelly again during COVID, but things haven’t always worked out as they did years ago – jelly was runny. So, I dumped it all back into a pot, added more pectin and sugar (according to some re-do recipies) and it came out very tight.. After reading all these comments, I think my runny jelly is due to me freezing jalepaneos, which can be wetter. Will drain them next time. I hope it works better. Thanks for all the comments.,
First time making this. One batch made 4 Pint jars. The jelly seems to be too hard. I used 5 cups of sugar, home grown jalapenos, 2 green bell peppers and liquid pectin. I did drain the chopped peppers. Not sure if I need to not drain as much, use more jalapenos, or more sugar. Tastes great but not very spreadable
If you use powdered pectin. Add before cooking.
I have leftover jarred jalapeños (a lot of them). Do you think if I used a cup and a half, let them drain and pat dry with a paper towel, this recipe would work? Trying to figure out how many jalapeños in a cup for the conversion. This recipe looks amazing, as most of your recipes do. <3
I think that’s definitely worth a try! I’d say between 1 and 1 1/2 cups should be a good starting place.
My jelly didn’t set, still runny. What can I do to fix it?
Hi Cindy, you can reprocess it if you want to try for a thicker jelly. You can look through the comments from people who have reprocessed their batches for some good advice.
One more observation to those using powdered pectin: I don’t know why, but pepper jellies seem to need liquid pectin. Don’t use powdered pectin in this recipe.
I am getting ready to make this recipe, but I noticed it doesn’t have lemon juice in it. I have never made jelly or jam without lemon juice. It works with the pectin to help the jam set up. My roasted red pepper recipe uses 1/3 c. lemon juice. Combine all ingredients except pectin and Leon juice, boil like crazy. When you have boiled it for several minutes while stirring, and you can’t stir the boil down, remove from heat and let rest 15 minutes. Prepare your jars. Add lemon juice and return to boil. Add pectin when it’s at a full boil. Boil 5 minutes. It should be set and ready for the bath.
This made a nice batch of hot pepper jelly. We like hot so I left in all the seeds and it came out nice and spicey. I only used green peppers so the jelly is a nice green colour (rather than kind of brown when I have it made a similar recipe using red bell peppers). I drained off the extra liquid as reccommended after I had chopped the peppers in a food processer using the regular blade. The drained jelly set to a nice consistency. Unfortunately this made only 2 1/2 pint jars so will be making it again sooner than I thought as everyone likes it so it won’t last long.
I absolutely loved the outcome from this recipe. I followed directions, made a double batch, drained my peppers (added some tribal scorpion peppers-seeded) and I have one jar left. I had better luck with the liquid pectin setting up in to a solid jelly, which was much better than the Certo powder. I have had several requests for more of the hot pepper jelly and I can’t wait to make another batch. It’s the best recipe I have found for pepper jelly- and I have been making this jelly for years. It’s a definite keeper !!
I had a bountiful crop of Jalapenos this past year. I just froze them straight away in freezer bags. When they thaw, they are kind of soft. Otherwise, they are good. Think this will make a difference in any way?
The frozen peppers will probably have more water content than fresh – I’d suggest thawing completely and draining really well before using.
I added 3 scotch Bonnet peppers, 10 green jalapeños, 4 yellow jalapeños, 2 red bell peppers and I threw a whole large lemon with the skin in the Ninja Machine, then followed the recipe. YUM
Also. Used a package and 1/2 of liquid pectin. Delish
Johanne
Johanne, did you follow the rest of the recipe?
I did not make this recipe yet but in reading the reviews it appears the most common problem that people are experiencing is having too little or too much liquid in the batch they make. I think it would be helpful if the recipe provided a volume measurement (in cups) for the shreaded peppers. I find that the sizes of the peppers vary so much that giving a volume measurement instead of a pepper count would be more helpful if the success of the jelly is so sensitive to the amount of liquid in it.
Love this recipe…oh, my goodness…read all the notes & decided not to remove any seeds from the jalapeños…talk about hot…yea, buddy…the best batch I’ve made so far!!
I’ve made your recipe twice in a six week. I shared my first batch with friends and family, and they love it! Even one of my finicky friends loved it. I followed your recipe, drained my peppers, use liquid Pectin, and hot bathed them for 10 minutes at high altitude (Denver Co). This recipe is a keeper!!
Wonderful, PERFECT Jalapeno Jelly today. Followed the recipe, and drained my chopped peppers. Added 6 cups of sugar as everyone has suggested. The taste is so addicting with the heat and sweet … its truly amazing how you can enjoy the taste of both flavors as the same time. I loved using the Certo Liquid Pectin … it’s so easy and I like adding this product at the end of your boil. Much better than the dry powder, in my humble opinion.
My jam set except for a thin layer of jam at the top! If you tip it is set, but a thin layer on top is runny, like 1/4 tsp. Do I have to reprocess??
You don’t have to reprocess – it is still safe to keep on the shelf, but if you want it to be thicker, you can reprocess with more pectin.
I made this recipe the year before last. During setup, I placed a small ceramic plate in the freezer. Before transferring to jars, I smeared a bit of jelly onto the plate and waited 20-30 seconds to see how things set up. It was still too runny so I let it boil in 1 minute increments and retested until it was the thickness I was after. Canned it and it was perfect!
This is the 2nd year I am using your recipe to make jalapeno jelly. SOOOO good! I grow my own jalapeno & bell peppers and last year after canning all the salsa I needed, I wasn’t sure how to use the peppers up. I found your recipe and it’s great. Found out my neighbor also uses this recipe. Thanks for sharing it with us!
When I made this jelly, I measured the chopped jalapeños. I had a full six cups for a double batch. I could only find powdered pectin, so I used 4 boxes (1.75 ounces each). The jelly is runny!! I followed the directions completely and I have made many kinds of jelly. I am disappointed that this did not set up, as I wanted to give it away for Christmas!! I suppose it will be delicious over meat. It tasted yummy on crackers with cream cheese just messy!! Any suggestions??
The recipe is written (and tested) with liquid pectin. I don’t know how to convert the recipe to powdered pectin. Sorry!
I went exactly by this recipe and my jelly didn’t set up
I followed this recipe to a tee, and every jar is runny. So dissapointed