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This jalapeño jelly recipe is a deliciously sweet and spicy spread for toast or crackers and can even be used as a glaze or sauce on meats.
It is made up of jalapeño peppers, bell peppers, lots of sugar, vinegar, and pectin. While you may be tempted to reduce the sugar, don’t. This is meant to have lots of sugar – it’s a jelly after all! It also helps to balance out the heat from the jalapeños perfectly. Our favorite way is to serve it as a topping with cream cheese and crackers.
If you love jams and jellies, you are sure to love this Jalapeño Jelly, aka hot pepper jelly! Yes, the flavor is a little different than your typical Strawberry Jam, but it is so good! The sweet with the heat is addictive!
If you love jalapeños, you’ll love our Jalapeno Poppers and dip.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Sweet and spicy. It delivers that perfect balance of sweet fruitiness with a kick of jalapeño – a delicious combination!
- Use it as a dip or glaze! Beyond toast, it’s amazing on cream cheese with crackers, glazed over meats, or even mixed into dressings.
- Prepped in 15 minutes. Making jalapeno jelly yourself is simpler than you think and incredibly satisfying, plus it makes fantastic gifts!
Jalapeño Jelly Ingredients and Substitutions
- 10 jalapeno peppers, half seeded – about 1¼ cups chopped jalapeños. If you want to have a hot pepper jelly, leave in all of the seeds; for a milder jelly, remove all of the seeds and the membrane.
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped – about 1⅛ cups
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped – or orange bell pepper, about 1⅛ cups
- 5½ cups sugar – do not reduce or substitute the sugar
- 1½ cups white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt – We like the balance of flavor this adds, but it can be omitted.
- 1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid pectin
How to Make Jalapeño Jelly?
- PREP. Wash the jars with hot, soapy water and keep them warm while making the jelly. Place the lids in a small saucepan on the stove on a low simmer. Fill the water bath pot about halfway with water. Let it come to a simmer while making the jelly.
- BLEND. Pulse the jalapeños and bell peppers in a food processor until the peppers are finely chopped. Empty into a mesh strainer and drain off excess liquid.
- HEAT. Place the chopped vegetables in a large stock pot and add the sugar, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Add the pectin and boil 1 more minute. Remove from the heat
Jarring the Jelly
- FILL JARS. For water bath canning, ladle the jelly mixture into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. After filling the jars, wipe the rims with a paper towel and then top with the lids. Screw on the rings using just your thumb and index finger until you meet resistance, then do a ¼ more turn. This will ensure that they are on, but not too tight.
- HEAT. Place the jars on the rack in the pot of simmering water. Add more water until the jars are covered by 1-2 inches. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, process for 10 minutes. (Add 1 more minute for each 1000 ft elevation above 1000 ft.)
- After 10 minutes, remove the jars and place them on a kitchen towel about 1 inch apart. After a few minutes, you should start to hear the jars seal with a pop. Leave the jars untouched on the counter for 12-24 hours.
- STORE. Store properly sealed jars in the pantry for up to 12 months. Refrigerate unsealed jars for 3-4 weeks.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- For a mild jelly, remove all of the seeds and membrane; for a hotter jelly, keep the seeds and membrane in. We prefer half-seeded for the best sweet and spicy flavor.
- To avoid runny jelly, drain the excess liquid from the chopped jalapenos.
- If making at a high elevation, add 1 more minute for each 1000 ft elevation above 1000 ft. to the time you boil in the water bath.
- Always check to ensure the lid has sealed before storing on the shelf. Refrigerate unsealed jars for 3-4 weeks.
- Ways we like to use this jelly: A glaze for steak, pork, or salmon, put it on top of vanilla ice cream, use it like regular jelly, make a spicy PB&J sandwich, and put it on top of cream cheese to make a cracker spread.
Jalapeño Jelly Recipe
Equipment
- mason jars
- lids
- water bath pot
- water bath kit
Ingredients
- 10 jalapeno peppers, half seeded
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 5½ cups sugar
- 1½ cup white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid pectin
Instructions
- Wash the jars with hot, soapy water and keep them warm while making the jelly. Place the lids in a small saucepan on the stove on a low simmer. Fill the water bath pot about halfway with water. Let it come to a simmer while making the jelly.
- Place the jalapenos and bell peppers in a food processor and pulse until peppers are finely chopped. Empty into a mesh strainer and drain off excess liquid.
- Place the chopped vegetables in a large stock pot and add the sugar, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Add the pectin and boil 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
Jar the Jelly
- Ladle jelly into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. After filling the jars, wipe the rims with a paper towel and then top with the lids. Screw on the rings using just your thumb and index finger until you meet resistance, then do a ¼ more turn. This will ensure that they are on, but not too tight.
- Place the jars on the rack in the pot of simmering water. If needed, add more water until the jars are covered by 1-2 inches. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, process for 10 minutes. (Add 1 more minute for each 1000 ft elevation above 1000 ft.)
- After 10 minutes, remove the jars and place them on a kitchen towel about 1 inch apart. After a few minutes, you should start to hear the jars seal with a pop. Leave the jars untouched on the counter for 12-24 hours.
- Jelly that is sealed properly can be stored on the shelf. If a seal did not form or if you opened the lid and broke the seal, jelly can be stored in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- For a mild jelly, remove all of the seeds and membrane; for a hotter jelly, keep the seeds and membrane in.
- To avoid runny jelly, be sure to drain the excess liquid from the chopped jalapenos.
- Always check to ensure the lid has sealed before storing on the shelf. If they haven’t been sealed, place them in the fridge to be used within a few weeks.
- Ways we like to use this jelly: A glaze for steak, pork, or salmon, put it on top of vanilla ice cream, use it like regular jelly, make a spicy PB&J sandwich, and put it on top of cream cheese to make a cracker spread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
We like to fill the jars with water and then microwave them for about 2 minutes. Alternatively, fill the jars with water and place them on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven. When ready to use, empty the hot water and fill the jars with the jelly.
Many jars will seal fairly quickly, and you’ll hear those characteristic “pings” within minutes or an hour after the water bath. You will still want to leave the jars undisturbed on the counter for 12 hours to fully seal. Gently press the center of the lid. If it does not spring up or move, it’s sealed. If it moves up and down, it’s not sealed.
Store properly sealed jars in the pantry for up to 12 months. Refrigerate unsealed jars for 3-4 weeks.
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Can I use powdered pectin? (Sure- jel)
Yes, but you will need to make a couple of adjustments to the recipe. Wash the jars and prepare them for canning as you described.
Place the jalapeños and bell peppers in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Empty into a mesh strainer and drain off excess liquid.
Place the chopped vegetables, vinegar, and salt into a large stockpot.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of powdered pectin with about 1/4 cup of the sugar from your recipe. This prevents the pectin from clumping.
Add the pectin/sugar mixture to the stockpot.
Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute.
Add the remaining sugar to the boiling mixture and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Bring the jelly back to a full, rolling boil and boil for 1 more minute.
Remove from the heat, ladle into jars, and process in a boiling water bath as usual.
This jelly is so good! I was nervous to make it, as I have never made jelly before but the recipe is very easy to follow. It set very well, I think because I used another commenter’s tip and used a towel to drain the peppers.
That makes me so happy to hear!
I already have chopped peppers. Can you give me a measurement for all the peppers vs using just one of each
Thank you
It would be about 2 1/4 cups of the bell peppers and about 1 1/4 cup of the jalapeno peppers 🙂
This is my 3rd time making this and the taste is amazing however I’m finding that I need to use 2 pectin pouches because 1 doesn’t set up well even though I follow the recipe exact and squeeze all the juice from the veggies. Still a delicious recipe and one I’ll use forever Thank you ❤️
Can I use powder pectin instead?
can you use a low calorie sugar substitute?
I wouldn’t recommend. Typically jellies and jams need an exact amount of sugar to properly set up. I haven’t tried this recipe with a low sugar substitute, so I don’t know exactly how it would turn out, but I imagine it would not set properly.
My batch is sealed nicely but is still runny in the container. I followed the recipe exactly. I made this last year and didn’t have this problem.
I have the same problem. Did yours eventually set? I made a triple batch (because of the insane amount of jalapeño from my garden) Will bo such a huge waste if these don’t set.
Made another triple batch a week ago and they set beautifully. I don’t know what happened?? 😞
Turn it into a wing sauce, if it doesn’t set.
That’s a good idea!
How many jars will it make.
I usually end up with 5 pint jars.
It depends on what size of jar you are wanting to use.
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but was going to very soon. I was wondering how long it would stay for in the fridge if I didn’t do the canning process?
I don’t think you would have to do the water bath part. As long as when you ladle the jam into the jar’s, you make sure the rim of the jar is wiped clean with. A damp cloth and the lid is screwed on nice and tight. I don’t usually water bath any of my canning and it usually all seals.
thank you