Jalapeño Pepper Jelly
A vibrant sweet-and-spicy pepper jelly prepared with jalapeños, red and green bell peppers, vinegar, sugar, and liquid pectin. The finished preserve has a bright pepper flavor and is processed in a boiling-water bath for shelf-stable storage when properly sealed.
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Ingredients
- 1 pouch 3 ounces liquid fruit pectin
- 1 green bell pepper cut into small dice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 jalapeño peppers with the seeds removed from 5 of them
- 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 5 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash the canning jars thoroughly in hot, soapy water, then keep them warm while the jelly is being prepared. Place the lids in a small saucepan and maintain them at a gentle simmer. Fill a boiling-water canner or large pot approximately halfway with water and bring it to a simmer.
- Place the jalapeños, including five with their seeds intact and five with the seeds removed, in a food processor with the diced red and green bell peppers. Pulse until the peppers are finely minced without turning them into a puree. Transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer and allow any excess liquid to drain away.
- Add the drained peppers to a large stockpot. Stir in the granulated sugar, distilled white vinegar, and salt until evenly combined. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring periodically to help prevent the sugar from scorching.
- Once the pepper mixture has boiled for 10 minutes, pour in the liquid fruit pectin. Maintain a full boil for exactly 1 additional minute while stirring continuously. Remove the stockpot from the heat immediately afterward.
- Carefully ladle the hot pepper jelly into warm, sterile jars, allowing approximately 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe each jar rim with a damp paper towel so the sealing surface is clean. Position the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until resistance is felt, then tighten them approximately another quarter turn without overtightening.
- Carefully lower the jars onto the rack of the simmering water-bath canner. Add additional hot water when necessary so the jars are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a full boil and process the jars for 10 minutes.
- Remove the processed jars carefully and arrange them on a kitchen towel with approximately 1 inch of space between each jar. Leave them undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours while they cool and seal. Properly sealed jars may be stored on the shelf, while any jars that fail to seal should be refrigerated.
Notes
At elevations above 1,000 feet, increase the processing time by 1 minute for each additional 1,000 feet of elevation.
Allowing the jars to remain undisturbed for the full 24 hours gives the jelly ample time to set and also makes it easier to identify any jars that did not seal correctly.