Home » Breakfast » Jelly and Jam Recipes » 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:
What is the best way to store jalapeno pepper jelly?
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.
How do you serve jalapeno jelly?
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!
How to make jalapeno jelly less spicy:
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.
How do you get pepper jelly to set?
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.
Do jalapeños contain pectin?
Jalapeños, like other fresh peppers, do not naturally contain a significant amount of pectin.
More Jelly Recipes To Try
-
Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
-
Pomegranate Jelly
-
Apple Cinnamon Jelly
-
Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly
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4.73 from 18 votes
Jalapeño Jelly
Created by: Jesseca
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
36 servings
This easy Jalapeno Jelly Recipe is the perfect holiday appetizer! Quick and easy to make and great served over cream cheese with crackers!
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
For a less spicy version, remove the seeds from the jalapenos before adding to the blender.
Thank you to the commenter who shared that this recipe gets about 9- 4oz jars of jelly.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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- Sweet Pepper Poppers
- Salsa Verde Recipe
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Reader Interactions
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Stacy Kraft says
This was from the original 1x and not 2x or 3x the recipe?
Reply
Jesseca says
Hi Stacy, would you mind clarifying your question? I’d love to answer but I’m not sure I’m understanding.
Reply
Lynnette says
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!
Jesseca says
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
Mist & Lance says
We were able to get 9- 4 oz jars from this recipe. For those wanting to knowReply
Misty & Lance says
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 😊Reply
Lisa Williams says
knowing how many jars and what size would have been helpful
Reply
Michael anders says
How many of the little jelly jars will this recipe yield
Reply
katherine beckley says
I found jalapeno jam this year and we are hooked. love it thanksReply
Jesseca says
Glad you like it, Katherine.
Reply
Kathy Storer says
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!
Reply
Jesseca says
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.
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