I was introduced to pepper jelly a couple of years ago when my friend Zo brought it to work for a potluck. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I was willing to give it a try. One bite and I KNEW. I knew I needed a stockpile of jars in my pantry. Where in the world has pepper jelly been all of my life?? Seriously. It’s so yummy. I’ve always had it served over cream cheese with crackers. I’m sure you could have it other ways, but that’s how I like to have it. Of course, this recipe has its fair share of sugar… no wonder it’s so good right? Maybe I also love it so much because it’s green. I love green. I love pepper jelly. If you’ve got an over abundance of peppers in your garden, here’s a great recipe that will use a good bit of them for you. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 c. finely chopped peppers any type of pepper: bell, Anaheim, jalapeno, etc.
- 1 c. vinegar
- 5 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 box 1.75 oz pectin
Instructions
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Mix everything together in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat.
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Keep boiling for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
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Pour hot jelly into clean, hot jars; leaving 1/4" head space.
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Seal jars and adjust caps.
Recipe Notes
[My 2 cents]
You can process them in a water bath if you like for 10 minutes. I just let them cool on the tabletop. You will know they are sealed when you hear the pop! The jelly can be stored for several years.
Adapted from My friend, Zoey P.
Carol
I just made this, but I only got 6 1/2 pts out of the recipe
carole l Upton
If you only add 1 cup liquid then that is more than expected.
Nancy. Ferber
Can I substitute ALL Lemon Juice for the vinegar?
Aimee
is there a way to substitute something else for the sugar and still have it set up like a proper jelly?
carole l Upton
Honey works and apple cider vinegar is my choice. I add a little apple juice too.
Holly
Wish I could post picture, because I tried your recipe, then got brave ( at age 70 ) and entered a jar of my jam in the county fair . . . I GOT A BLUE RIBBON!!!!
Erik
You don’t boil to seal, you boil to kill botulism and other bacteria! The jelly, jars, lids and rings all get steralized one last time in the water bath and if 10m is the correct time it’s because it was determined through testing that it was the right amount of time to protect you from poisoning! Please DO NOT just sit them on the counter. Be safe!
carole l Upton
I freeze mine.
Pat
Can you use peopers from the freezer. I have jalepenos.
Deb okland
You ever tried substituting honey rather than sugar?
Beth
What kind of vinegar? Cider?
Yvonne
Just regular vinegar. Great question!
carole l Upton
Cider only, it is not so harsh and give a pectin boost.
Keith Laubinger
My mom has made this forever. This is my first attempt. I used pasilla, Anaheim and jalapeños from a coworkers garden. Just finished pouring the jars! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Yvonne
Wonderful, you’ve got my mouth watering!
ann-mcclurg@live. com
Hello , my jam doesn’t look pretty. Your’s has a nice green color .So I put green food coloring in it…Now it looks like brown pieces of wood with green… I should have know better if you cook vegetables too long they turn dark…but has a GREAT taste
Yvonne
I’m so happy it tastes great!
carole l Upton
Add a bit of red pepper 🌶 for color and a bit more lemon juice. It preserves the color. I always add food coloring for a nice color.
Monica
A quick question….is the lemon juice fresh, bottled? Thank you. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Tina Swain
usually any safe canning recipe that calls for lemon means bottled lemon juice because the PH is constant. the PH of a real lemon varies too much to consider it safe.
annie stewart
thank you for the receipe made a batch this morning and was beautiful can t wait to try it
Yvonne
Oh yum! I’m jealous I don’t have any!
Jana
My jelly did not set completely and I followed the recipe. What would cause that?
Yvonne
Oh really? Hmm… I’m not sure? Was your pectin fresh? I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t set up – I’m so sorry!
carole l Upton
Freeze it to preserve it. It is 50/50 on jelling. Mine is loved by many and seldom sets up.
Lindsay Austin
How many jars of jelly does this yield?
Yvonne
One batch makes 10-11 half pint jars, so if you are using pints I would say 4-5ish.
Vaughn
Hi! My name is Vaughn . . . I have your recipe cooking right now . . . I substituted 3 1/2 tablespoons of Ball Classic pectin for the package .. . I hope I got it right. I also used 1 cup of jalapeños and 3 cups of red/orange/yellow bell peppers .. . it appears that the color is cooking out somewhat . . . I also threw in a cup of crazins . .. if I goofed up and it doesn’t set . . . it will make great barbeque sauce! I’ll let you know . . . thanks for a great recipe!
Yvonne
You’ll have to let me know how it turned out, sounds wonderful!
maggie
There are diff types of powder pectin. Which one?
Yvonne
I didn’t know there was more than one kind, I just use the Ball Classic!
Candie
Thank you! My peppers are ready so I will be making this week!
Candie
Is the vinegar white or apple cider?
Yvonne
White vinegar! Have fun – this is a fantastic recipe!
Melissa
Can you leave the seeds in all of your peppers if you like it hot? Also my jelly is not setting up, any suggestions?
Yvonne
I bet you could, but I still don’t think it would be spicy because of the sugar – but you could certainly try! Doesn’t hurt :)
Phyllis jansen
I’ve made jams & jellies for many years but I’ve never made pepper jelly! I’m excited to try your recipe just wondering if you take all the seeds out?
Yvonne
Yes – I de-seeded all of the peppers! Hope you like, this is a fantastic recipe!
Lisa
Do you have to use the same type of peppers or can you use various types in the same batch?
Yvonne
I’m sorry I’m getting back to you so late. I used a variety of any pepper that was green – anaheim, bell, jalapeno, gypsy.. etc! I loved mixing up the different peppers! Hope you enjoy!
Lisa
Thank you! I’m giving it a try today!
Yvonne
Hope you love it – it’s one of my favorites!
So this recipe…. how many pint jars does this make ???
Yvonne
One batch makes 10-11 half pint jars, so if you are using pints I would say 4-5ish.
Val
What would be a liquid pectin amount?
Yvonne
I actually have never used liquid pectin, so I’m not quite sure what the replacement would be. I’d hate to tell you and have it be wrong – try googling it or maybe on the liquid bottle it will say what the substitution measurements are??
Rmyjn Lawrence Towers
the color is so beautiful!!! i saved this and will probably make it soon for Christmas gifts! thank you for sharing!
Yvonne
I LOVE the color!! I may be a little partial, because green is my favorite color. You will have to add green food coloring to get it this vibrant. Since making this, I don’t necessarily believe in using food coloring anymore.. but if you want it to be this bright – you will have to :) Thanks for stopping by!
Scott Buckmiller
I’ve made this stuff for years and love it! Yes, with cream cheese and crackers it is divine. But a couple other uses I’ve tried are 1) warm a jar till the jelly liquifies and then use it for a brush-on marinade for chicken or pork the final few minutes of cooking (no longer or sugars will char), and 2) add one jar to two bottles of chili sauce in a crock-pot, whisk till combined, then add a package of frozen meatballs and cook till heated through…great for parties!
Yvonne
Thank you so much for the extra suggestions! Just when all I thought the jelly was good for was cream cheese and crackers, I’ve gotten a handful of really fabulous recipes from my readers. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Thank you!! In case you missed it, here’s yet another way I’ve used the pepper jelly that you may be interested in: Sweet Pepper Jelly & Walnut Brie en Croute… so delicious!
Elaine Thompson
Epper jelly is really god on black-eyed peas and dry lima beans…..
Sally
After placing the jelly in the jars and letting it set is it finished or to you need to process it still in a water bath. I just wasn’t quite clear about the directions…
Yvonne
You can process them in a water bath if you like for 10 minutes. I just let them cool on the tabletop. You will know they are sealed when you hear the pop!
carol willis
Hi, What is the life of a jar before and after opened ?
Yvonne
Hi Carol – you can keep your jars a few years pending they have a really good seal on them. Once opened, I would probably try to eat it within a week or two. It may even last a little longer. Or course keep it refrigerated once opened.
julia
Is that 4 cups before or after chopping?
Yvonne
Hi Julia! It is 4 cups after chopping. If you are making it, prepare to fall in love ;)
Jessica
We make ours very similar. Other than over cream cheese, try mixing the cream cheese till it’s soft and creamy, then add some sour cream and blend till creamy, then add the jar of pepper jelly. It’s heavenly!!! Just another dip with crackers, I think not!
Yvonne
Ok. I am LOVING that suggestion. I had a question on FB as to what to do with this.. and at the time I only had the cheese and cracker idea. Since, I’ve gotten so many great ideas. This one sounds just as wonderful. I need to learn how to think out of the box – thank you so much for sharing :)
Now I can’t decide what to do with our jalapenos. I have had pepper jelly & it is good! Yours looks fabulous!
Yvonne
Decisions.. decisions… I would be torn too – although, I am partial to this recipe.. it is SO delicious! So maybe, if I had to choose.. I would chose pepper jelly!
It was SO good!!
Yvonne
I’m glad you liked it!