Jalapeno Jelly
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This jalapeño jelly recipe is your ticket to Flavortown! Perfectly balancing sweet and spicy, it’s the condiment you never knew you needed—but won’t be able to live without. Trust me, this jar of green goodness is going to take your toast, meats, and cheese boards to a whole new level.
Wondering what on earth you serve this with? I’ve got you! Slap it on some cream cheese and crackers for a snack that’ll make your taste buds dance, elevate your bbq game by using it as a glaze for grilled meats, or boost your breakfast sandwich with a slather of goodness.
Why You’ll Love This Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
- Quick & Easy: No culinary degree needed. If you can boil water, you can make jalapeño jelly.
- Giftable: Makes a unique and thoughtful homemade gift. Talk about spreading the love, literally!
- Budget-Friendly: Way cheaper to make at home than to buy fancy artisanal versions.
- Shelf Life: It lasts forever, well, almost. No more worrying about what to whip up last-minute.
Listen, this is the recipe you never knew that you needed. Like, HOLY CRAP. I cannot believe how good this stuff is. Slight spice, extra sweet, and amazing served on top of cream cheese. Truly one of the best holiday appetizer recipes.
Imagine if sweet met spicy and they had a baby—that’s jalapeño jelly for ya! On the first taste, you get this delightful sweetness, kinda like traditional fruit jelly. Just when you’re lulled into a sense of sugary bliss, BAM! The jalapeño kicks in with a fiery hello. It’s like a rollercoaster for your taste buds; you start slow, then take a thrilling turn into Spicetown. This dynamic duo of flavors makes it perfect for jazzing up all sorts of dishes.
Jalapeño Jelly Ingredients
The list of ingredients for this jelly recipe is surprisingly short! I like to consider this a beginner recipe. Super simple, minimal ingredients, and bold flavor. Here is what you need to get started:
- Peppers: A blend of jalapenos and green bell pepper. green peppers are milder, which balances out the jalapeño’s heat, making your jelly more versatile.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: The vinegar helps to set the pectin, making sure your jelly doesn’t turn into a sad, runny mess. Nobody wants jalapeño juice, right?
- Sugar: sugar brings the sweetness, balancing out that fiery kick from the jalapeños like a culinary yin and yang.
- Pectin: Think of pectin as the “glue” that turns your liquid gold into a spreadable treasure. You know that perfect jelly-like consistency that holds its shape when you spoon it onto a piece of toast but melts in your mouth? You can send your thank-you notes to pectin for that.
How to make Jalapeno Jelly
If you’ve ever made jelly before, you’ll notice that this recipe follows most of the same steps as other recipes. It’s incredibly simple, just remember to prep everything in advance for a smooth process.
- PREP: Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Add to a high powered blender of food processor.
- BLEND: Remove the stems from the jalapenos. Add the to blender. Pulse 3 to 5 times or until the peppers are diced finely.
- SIMMER: Pour the peppers into a large pot. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- SWEETEN: Stir the sugar and salt into the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a full boil. Stir in the pectin and cook 3 additional minutes.
- JAR: Pour into clean sterile jars. Process the jars or store in the refrigerator and eat immediately.
Helpful Tools
- Canning Jars (affiliate): For storing your jelly! A set of Mason jars gives you that rustic, homemade vibe. Why Buy: Reusable, eco-friendly, and makes your jelly look like it came straight from a farmers’ market.
- Large Pot (affiliate): For cooking your jelly mixture. Why Buy: A quality pot ensures even heating and avoids hotspots, which could burn your precious jelly.
- Canning Funnel (affiliate): To cleanly transfer jelly into jars. Why Buy: Less mess, more jelly. Keeps your kitchen counter and your sanity intact.
Jalapeno Jam FAQs
While I like to think this recipe is pretty easy, I do have a few quick tips to make your experience easier and hopefully answer some questions.
Recipe Notes:
If you follow the directions to process and seal the jars, this jelly will last up to two years. Once opened, move to the refrigerator and it should last for up to three months.
Remember to use your discretion and check for any signs of spoilage, such as mold, off-putting odor, or unusual coloration, before consuming the jelly. If you notice any signs of spoilage, it’s safer to discard it to avoid any potential health risks.
The most common, and our personal favorite, way to serve jalapeno jelly is over cream cheese with crackers. It takes all of 3 minutes to prepare and is visually appealing. We also like to spread a tablespoon onto the center of a grilled cheese. It adds insane flavor!
We like things hot. Which means I don’t remove any of the jalapeno seeds in this recipe. If you want that bold flavor without the heat, simply remove all of the jalapeno seeds before adding them to the blender.
Pectin is a natural thickening agent commonly used in jelly-making. It helps the jelly set and achieve a firm texture. Perform a gel stage test to determine if the jelly has reached the desired consistency. Place a small amount of the jelly mixture on a chilled plate or spoon and let it cool for a few seconds. Push the mixture with your finger; if it wrinkles or holds its shape, it has reached the gel stage and should set properly. If it is still runny, continue boiling the mixture for a little longer and retest until the desired consistency is achieved.
Jalapeños, like other fresh peppers, do not naturally contain a significant amount of pectin.
More Jelly Recipes To Try
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Jalapeño Jelly
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper
- 12 fresh jalapeno peppers (divided)
- 1½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 oz liquid pectin
Instructions
- Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Add to a high powered blender or food processor.
- Remove the stems from the jalapenos. Add to the blender. Pulse 3 to 5 times or until the peppers are diced finely.
- Pour the peppers into a large pot. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Stir the sugar and salt into the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a full boil. Stir in the pectin and cook 3 additional minutes.
- Pour into clean jars. Process the jars or store in the refrigerator and eat immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Related Recipes:
- Copycat Chili’s Skillet Queso
- The BEST Cheese Ball Recipe
- Sweet Pepper Poppers
- Salsa Verde Recipe
- Blender Salsa
Great and easy
Thank you, Debi!
I water bathed my 1/2 pint jars for 10 minutes. My jelly turned dark. Is that normal or did I do something wrong?
Hi, Lisa. A darker color can sometimes happen if the jelly was overcooked slightly or if the sugar caramelized a bit during the cooking process. It should still taste delicious, though! If you followed the recipe closely and processed the jars properly, the jelly should be safe to enjoy. Let me know how it turned out flavor-wise!
Can you use powdered pectin or does it have to be liquid?
Hi, I made the jalapeno jelly and it came out beautifully. I will definitely make it again. 😀
This was from the original 1x and not 2x or 3x the recipe?
Hi Stacy, would you mind clarifying your question? I’d love to answer but I’m not sure I’m understanding.
I’d like to know how much the total fruit in cups we should have as not all jalapeño sizes are created equal. Thank you!
HI Lynnette, for this recipe it doesn’t matter if the jalapenos are small or large. You’ll end up with the same end result. I’ve made it with small, medium, and large peppers. Large give you more of a robust jalapeno flavor while small is just very slightly more mild
Once I pour it in jars, can I put them in freezer once cool and thaw as needed?
Yes. You can freeze this jelly for up to a year. When you’re ready to use it, thaw the jelly in the refrigerator overnight. Keep in mind that the texture may be slightly different after freezing, but the flavor should remain intact.
We were able to get 9- 4 oz jars from this recipe. For those wanting to know
My husband and I made this jelly. We had so many jalapeños in our garden this year so we tried our hand at jelly . We chose this recipe because it was easy , we continue to make it because it’s delicious!! Our family is requesting more ! Thank you for sharing it with us 😊
knowing how many jars and what size would have been helpful
How many of the little jelly jars will this recipe yield
I found jalapeno jam this year and we are hooked. love it thanks
Glad you like it, Katherine.
Can I use coolapeno peppers? if so, wouldn’t I need to decrease the amount of sugar since these don’t have the heat of a regular jalapeno? Also, what about the amount of vinegar?
Thanks so much!
Hi Kathy. I can’t provide this question with a great answer as I’ve never tried coolapeno peppers before. However, I can say that you shouldn’t adjust the levels of sugar or vinegar if you do decide to make this recipe. Those are specifically calculated to make jelly and needed for that final end result. Personally, if I were to try the substitute I would swap the jalapenos for the coolapeno and keep all of the measurements the same. Let us know if you give this a try. I’d love to know how the flavor turns out.