This easy step-by-step guide teaches how to make delicious pepper jelly with jalapenos and sweet peppers! Learn how to can or freeze this homemade jelly recipe for longterm storage.
Pepper Jelly Recipe
As the weather heats up, so does the pepper production. When you need a great recipe to use up your garden goodies, this pepper jelly is perfect! With a mix of jalapenos and sweet peppers, this beautiful, delicious jelly is mild and a bit sweet. You’ll love it on a bit of cream cheese and crackers!
I’m including canning instructions so that you can store this delicious jelly in the pantry longterm. If you don’t have a canning kit, you can still make the jelly and freeze it up to a year! I’ve included freezing instructions below as well.
Which peppers do you use for pepper jelly?
Many varieties of peppers are grown in the home garden, and any of them can be used while making pepper jelly. The peppers I will be using to make pepper jelly today will be jalapenos and sweet peppers. You can also use bell peppers, banana peppers, and a wide range of hot peppers if you prefer. My audience (the grandkids) isn’t big on hot foods, so I will keep things mild.
Pepper Jelly Ingredients and Tools:
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. Find exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Fresh peppers – Use a variety of colors for the prettiest look!
- Fruit Pectin – This is a natural thickener that will help create that jelly texture.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This helps the pectin set correctly. Distilled white vinegar is also fine to use, but you get a more complementary flavor from the cider vinegar.
- Sugar – This creates the perfect balance of flavor with the peppers and is essential to creating the jelly texture.
You’ll also need a sharp knife (or food processor), canning jars with lids & bands, measuring cups, and a canning jar kit (or good set of tongs).
How to make pepper jelly
This is an easy canning project that can get you months worth of jelly. Follow the step-by-step guide for this easy homemade canned recipe.
Prep the peppers
First, decide how hot you want your jelly because this will impact the ratio of peppers you need. If you’re keeping it very mild, try 3 1/2 cups of sweet peppers with just 1/2 cup of jalapenos. For a little more spice, try 3 cups of sweet peppers and a full cup of jalapenos.
Once you’ve decided, sort your peppers and wash them. Dice your peppers, place them in a bowl, and set them aside for now.
TIP FOR KIDS/PICKY EATERS – Color coordination makes it easy for everyone to be happy! I chose to use green jalapenos, then red and yellow sweet peppers. This means I can pick out all the hot (green) pieces for myself while the kids enjoy the other colors without worrying about the spice.
Prepare canning tools
Next, we need to prep our jars. Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars, then place the canner on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat, then place the jars, lids, and bands into the canner to sterilize them. Leave them for several minutes, then transfer them to the counter where they will be easy to fill later.
CANNING TIP: If you can keep your jars, lids, and bands as hot as possible, this will increase the odds of getting a good seal after filling the jars.
Make pepper jelly
Place your diced peppers, fruit pectin, and apple cider vinegar into the pot. Mix well and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in sugar. Return the pot to the heat and bring it all back to a rolling boil while stirring. Once they reach a rolling boil, set a timer for 1 minute. Stir the ingredients the entire time. At the end of the timer, remove from heat.
Fill jars
Use a ladle and large-mounth funnel to evenly distribute the pepper jelly into each jar. To make sure you have an even amount of peppers in each jar, it’s best to spoon a ladel into each jar, then following with a second scoop for them all, then more if needed. This batch filled seven 1/2-pint jars for me.
Wipe the rim of each jar to clean off any residue or jelly that may have gotten on them. This is essential–A dirty rim will not create a good seal as the jars cool down. Holding the warm jars with a towel or cooking gloves, place a lid on each jar and tighten the band as tight as possible.
Finish canning process
Once you have all your jars filled, bring your canner water back to a boil. If you don’t have a jar rack for your canner, place a towel in the bottom to prevent the jars from possibly cracking from exposure to the high heat at the bottom. Once the jars are in place, they need to be in boiling water for 10 minutes.
As the jars cool down, you might hear a sharp click or snap; this sound is made when the center of the lid is drawn down as the content in the jars cools down. After 12 to 24 hours, the bands can be removed, and each jar can be checked to see if the lids have been sealed correctly. Press down with your thumb or finger on the center of the lid. The lid should not push down. If a jar does not seal, the jelly is still good; put it in the refrigerator and make it the first used jar.
How to Serve Pepper Jelly
Pepper jelly has several uses. The most obvious is a sweet treat to be served with cream cheese and crackers, but it’s great with bagels, sourdough, other breads, or as a glaze on pork or fish. Spread a bit on a piece of prosciutto, place a slice of brie on top, then roll it all up and enjoy for a delicious, salty-sweet snack!
Can I freeze pepper jelly?
Yes, any jelly that is properly set can be frozen as well! If you’d like to freeze it, you can skip the canning process and ladel the jelly into freezer-safe containers instead. Make sure to leave some room as the jelly will expand as it freezes. One or two days before you’re ready to eat it, put the pepper jelly in the fridge to thaw slowly for the best texture.
How long does pepper jelly last?
If you get a good seal with correct canning, your jelly can last 1-2 years in the pantry. If you freeze your jelly, it’s good for about 1 year. Opened jelly should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, and it can last a month or more.
If you want to to get more from your garden, check out these great tutorials!
- How to Can Tomatoes – This tutorial will help you enjoy those garden tomatoes all year long!
- How to Freeze Okra – Whether you want it whole, sliced, or breaded, this easy tutorial will walk you through the process step-by-step.
- DIY Raised Garden Bed — Enjoy fewer weeds and better drainage!
- How to Terminate a Cover Crop — Create a “green manure” to improve your garden soil!
- Planting Fall Garlic with a Custom Dibbler — Make an easy DIY dibbler to make your garlic planting a breeze!
Pepper Jelly Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced peppers (see post for ratios)
- 4 tablespoons fruit pectin
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 5 cups sugar
Instructions
- Sort, wash, dry, and dice your peppers. For advice on ratio of sweet peppers to jalapenos, see the post. Set aside peppers for now.
- Fill canner with enough water to cover jars, then place canner on stove and bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, then place the jars, lids, and bands into the canner to sterilize them. Leave them for several minutes, then transfer them to the counter where they will be easy to fill later.
- Place your diced peppers, fruit pectin, and apple cider vinegar into the pot. Mix well and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in sugar.
- Return the pot to the heat and bring it all back to a rolling boil while stirring. Once they reach a rolling boil, set a timer for 1 minute. Stir the ingredients the entire time. At the end of the timer, remove from heat.
Canning Pepper Jelly
- Use a ladle and large-mounth funnel to evenly distribute the pepper jelly into each jar. To make sure you have an even amount of peppers in each jar, it's best to spoon a ladel into each jar, then following with a second scoop for them all, then more if needed. This batch filled seven 1/2-pint jars for me.
- Wipe the rim of each jar to clean off any residue or jelly that may have gotten on them. This is essential–A dirty rim will not create a good seal as the jars cool down. Holding the warm jars with a towel or cooking gloves, place a lid on each jar and tighten the band as tight as possible.
- Once you have all your jars filled, bring your canner water back to a boil. If you don't have a jar rack for your canner, place a towel in the bottom to prevent the jars from possibly cracking from exposure to the high heat at the bottom. Once the jars are in place, they need to be in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- As the jars cool down, you might hear a sharp click or snap; this sound is made when the center of the lid is drawn down as the content in the jars cools down. After 12 to 24 hours, the bands can be removed, and each jar can be checked to see if the lids have been sealed correctly. Press down with your thumb or finger on the center of the lid. The lid should not push down. If a jar does not seal, the jelly is still good; put it in the refrigerator and make it the first used jar.