Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Canning Recipe
Canning season is in full swing and great timing for gift ideas in the coming months. Whether it’s a friend, family or neighbour, a gift basket with a jar of this Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Canning Recipe, crackers and cream cheese is the perfect gift to bring a little sunshine to someone’s day.
This has to be one of my absolute favourite jellies to make. With a mix of sweet and just a kick of heat, this Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Canning Recipe makes for the perfect meat topping. Pair it with cream cheese and crackers for an easy but delicious appetizer; I bet you can’t eat just one.
Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Canning Recipe – Tips and Tricks
Some have been having issues with the Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Canning Recipe jelly not setting; this is a family recipe and we have not had problems. If you don’t want to take the chance of having to remake, possibly canning jellies isn’t something you want to try as they can be finicky.
For those having trouble; keep these tips in mind:
- Strain the excess liquid from your chopped peppers before adding.
- You must pour into sterilized jars after the 2 minute setting period. Do not let cool further. Seal with sterilized lids.
- This jelly takes a few days to fully set and must be kept in a cool, dark place.
- Not every batch will set; it’s just a fact. For whatever reason, the odd batch just won’t set.
- If your batch does not set, you can try these tips for a remake of the batch.
Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 5 whole Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
- 5 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 package Certo Fruit Pectin (I prefer liquid)
Instructions
In a food processor or by hand chopper, chop the seeded and cleaned peppers (no stems) until a finely chopped consistency. Drain excess liquid.
In a large double boiler pot add peppers, vinegar and sugar. Stir together and bring to a rolling boil; continue boiling for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool briefly.
Add the fruit pectin in, stirring constantly. Combine well and let stand for 2 minutes. Pour jelly into sterilized canning jars and seal jars tightly by hand.
Submerse sealed jars to the neck in a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil, continue to boil for 5 minutes beginning the timer at the point of the start of a rolling boil.
Carefully remove jars with canning tongues and set aside to cool before storing. Recipe should make 6 - 8 oz. canning jars that can be stored up to one year.
Notes
This jelly has a sweet flavour with a kick of heat; add more jalapeno's if you like yours a little more spicy. My kids love this as an easy/quick appetizer, simply spread a layer of jelly over a layer of cream cheese on a small platter and offer your favourite crackers for scooping. This also makes a great addition to many meats, similar to a chutney.
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Sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Am so confused! Followed the reciepe exactly and had way less amount for the jars. I used 4 12oz jars (48oz expected), same as 6 8oz jars (48oz)! One red, one green, both large, & 5 large jalapenos, plus two serranos for more heat (all drained). 2 cups of vinagear & 5 cups of sugar. Why did I end up with only 2 1/2 jars of product?? I used one packet of gel. Hope they set up. I filled the three jars equally, about 2/3 full as a result. Hope thats ok. BTW, I’m a first time canner, rookie, here. Thinking I went wrong somewhere, but no idea where! I also discovered we have to use a lid when boiling the filled jars. My water wouldnt come to a running boil without using the lid. Not mentioned anywhere in all the different instructions that I researched. Hope they set up…
Hi! Unfortunately, canning has mixed results; sometimes it works perfectly and other times it doesn’t for no rhyme or reason(it seems). It sounds like you may have boiled off some liquid resulting in less. We use small jars because they are a great size for gifting or for an appetizer. They sometimes take a few days to completely set so just keep that in mind. Definitely last step boil jars with lids on; this seals the jars properly. I hope that helps 🙂
I love to preserve so thank you for sharing this one!
used to make this when my kids were still at home. fabulous baste for pork chops on the weber.
Have you made this sugar free before?
No. Making a jelly would be touch without sugar.
I’m having issues with my jelly setting up. I followed the directions but hours later it’s still super runny. How long did it take for your jelly to set?
It took mine a few days to set on some batches but I will tell you that no matter how many times you do it the same way, the odd batch just won’t set. This has happened to me. I’d wait a few days before knowing for sure if it’s set. It shouldn’t be a hard jelly, more loose. I hope after a few days the batch sets for you.
Mine didn’t set either. I made it a few hours ago and it is still runny. What can I do if it doesn’t set after a few days even? Do I have any options, or will I have to throw it out?
It takes a few days to set. If it doesn’t after that, you can try to reboil it and add a little more pectin but too much and it will end up hard. It doesn’t hurt to retry though, rather than throw it out without knowing. I would give it more time to set. Also, I prefer liquid pectin for jellied canning recipes but powder should work just as well.
Would it set up faster if I put it in the fridge?
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Sadly, this recipe did not work out at all for me. It was very runny and wouldn’t set up at all. I had to refer to http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/remake-directions-for-certo-cooked-jam-jelly-107820.aspx to get some direction on how to fix the jelly. This was rather disappointing. I should have read the reviews before making this one.
This is a family recipe that we use regularly. It could simply be you haven’t boiled it long enough for the heat of your stove; I wasn’t there so it’s hard to tell. Jelly is a bit finicky, not every batch will turn out not matter how many times you do it the same way. Making jellies isn’t for everyone but if you are willing to try and don’t mind a failed batch or two, it’s worth it. Thanks for the link you used, I’ve added it in case someone has questions about remaking a batch. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this 2x now and it has come out perfectly. The one thing that I did do was after I chopped my red and green peppers with my hand chopper, I put them in a mesh strainer and pushed out about 1/2 cup of liquid. For those that are having an issue with theirs not setting, it could be too much liquid? Not sure.
Great point Catherine. It could be the liquid from the peppers; try straining them a bit. We didn’t have to strain but you could try.
I made a batch of jelly this week and it turned out great! It was my first time ever making jelly and I was really pleased with the results. We’ve been growing a lot of peppers in our garden this year so it’s been a great way to use them up. I plan on making a couple more batches to give out around the holidays.
After I chopped the peppers in my food processor I wrapped them in a clean cotton dishtowel and squeezed out about 1.5 cups of liquid. I knew I was on the right track when the jelly filled the six 8oz jars perfectly. If you have too much jelly for the jars I think that’ll be a good indicator that there was too much pepper liquid left behind and it may not set right.
I even cheated and opened a jar after only letting it sit one day and it was perfect!
Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your results. This is such a great recipe, whether it’s for snacks, entertaining small get-togethers or holiday dinners. Layer over cream cheese for dip with crackers…easy! We love this recipe!
Just making sure I’m reading this right. You don’t completely submerge the jars in a water bath?
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I tried your recipe and it worked like a charm. I did drain the liquid and it set beautifully!
Going to use it for appetizers with brie cheese and crackers. Also will use it as a marinade to top on steak.
Thanks!
So glad to hear you like it; I hope it goes far with your guests 🙂
I’m new at this canning stuff so I’m learning as I go. I realized after it was too late that I used pint size jars instead of the 1/2 pint. Do you think these will still set up? Each jar sealed….I got the “ping” on each jar….but I’m worried it wasn’t in the bath long enough since it was twice the amount in each jar as your recipe stated. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! God Bless! 🙂
That’s completely fine; as long as you heard the ping they sealed. Enjoy!
They didn’t end up setting up….so I had to use the tips and redo them to get them to work.
Sometimes it just happens; even to me still. They worked out after the tips though?
Yes….and I’ve made it three more times since! I have jalapeno’s coming out of my ears here! So I’m making batches to put into baskets for Christmas gifts. I added extra jalapenos ( 7 or 8 instead of just 5) and left the seeds in at least one of them to give it some extra kick. Also added a little red food coloring . For Christmas the red with look festive and I’ll decorate the jars with some evergreen and some ribbon. I opened one of my original jars for my husband and I tonight to watch the footbal game…..and it was fantastic! 🙂
They sound like they will be an extra special touch for Christmas this year; I hope your recipients love them as much as we do. You sound like my husband and I; we will eat a jar in one sitting. We spread it over cream cheese and scoop with crackers; so easy and super tasty!
We make this with just Jalapenos and also Habaneros…
Comes out great every time!!!
Hi, I am wondering what size of box of liquid pectin you used? The only one I can find is a 6oz box with 2 pouches in it and I am wondering if you used that? If you did then did you use both pouches or just one? Thanks, it looks great!
Yes that’s right; one package! 🙂
The recipe says one package of the certo pectin. It comes in a box of 2 pouches. Do you use both pouches or just one?
1 pouch 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe! We love it! I’ve made one batch and am now tripling the recipe. Do you think it will affect the way it will setup? Also, when you use the double boiler, does your mixture boil or just the water below? Thank you!
You can try it but this could very well change the results; I personally do a batch at a time. I know for jam jelly, anything more than one batch at a time and it won’t jell properly. On a side note, I am so glad you like it 🙂
Made this recipe today and I ended up with 4 250 ml and 6.5 125 ml. I added 1 extra red and one extra green chili peppers and a dash of green food coloring and so far it looks amazing. The finger full I took off the final ladle tasted amazing too! Thx for the recipe. I am doing Jamaican Gold Hot peppers now and I am going to put in a tsp of red pepper flakes just before I add the pectin. I chopped my peppers the night before and sealed them and put them in the fridge over night and it does not seem to have held too much liquid.
I was wondering in the picture it shows the jelly red. Mine is kinda green looking. Also it didn’t set for me. Will try and redo but may have to throw out and make another batch. Did you had red food colouring.
I used red peppers, no food colouring. Without being there, it’s hard to say why it didn’t set but even when I make it the odd batch just doesn’t set for whatever reason. Possibly your peppers had a lot of water content.
I wouldn’t throw it out! A loose set is a “sauce” instead of a “preserve or jam”. Still delicious either way. (We actually prefer a loose set.)
Agree 100%!
I’ve found that if you add the pectin before the sugar, you get a firm set. Add the pectin after the sugar, then you get a sauce.
Good to note; thanks for the tip!
Mary, do you add the pectin during the boiling phase, then continue to boil after adding the sugar? The recipe says the mixture needs to cool slightly before adding the pectin. Thanks,
You want the pectin to mix well before boiling again, if that makes sense. I hope that helps 🙂
Yea I always make sure the pectin boils, i
Was taught how to make jams when I was a kid from my grandma, I always use the ice cube spoon method to check set up. It never fails! A few ice cubes a stainless steel spoon put a few drops of any jam or jelly you’re making and cool the spoon on the ice cube. If you can turn the spoon sideways and the jam
Holds you are good to go! If it pours off then add more pectin till you get it to hold! I hope this helps.
Amazing recipe, thanx
Just made this looks like it will set up but all the peppers are on top. Will they settle or should I shake it up?
There is an easy fix for any jam that does not set; just change the label on the jar. It is now Pepper Pancake Syrup.
Made this last weekend and it turn out awesome. I made sure there was no juice left in my peppers. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing; I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Is it ok to use pint size jars?
How much chopped pepper should we have? Peppers are peppers and come in all sizes. I don’t seem to have very much fruit through my jar.
I want to make this recipe and I have a question before I start. When you submerse the jars in water to the beck of the jar, do you use cold water to start, or is it warm water or hot water.
The jars are already hot from the liquid poured from the pot so the water should be on the warm to hot side, then boil. I hope that helps 🙂
Made this today and it is super running, the recipe never says to add pectin and boil after, it says boil for 5 mins, let cool slightly and add petcin and combine well. Let sit for 2 mins then add to jars. Do you boil again after adding petcin?
When the recipe calls for 1 package of Certo
Is that 1 pouch