No Pectin Pepper Jelly Recipe
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What’s Up, Hungry People
The last few weeks I’ve been featuring recipes made from the veggies I grew in my garden. This week, I’m drowning in peppers, so I decided to make my all-time favorite: sweet and spicy pepper jelly.
I try to make pepper jelly every year. I’m a sucker for all things sweet and spicy, and I LOVE to eat pepper jelly on a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese.
It’s also excellent served as an appetizer with crackers or used in some recipes to add a flair of sweet AND heat.
Here’s What You Need
- Sweet bell peppers (varying colors): Add sweetness, color, and texture.
- Jalapeño peppers: Provide the spicy kick.
- Sugar: Balances the heat and helps with jelly consistency.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds tanginess and preserves the jelly.
- White wine vinegar: Enhances the tangy flavor.
- Salt: Balances the flavors.
- Butter: Reduces foaming during cooking.
- Red pepper flakes (optional): Extra heat for spice lovers.
Let’s Cook
First things first—finely dice those sweet and hot peppers. Grab a large pot and set it over medium-high heat. Toss in the diced peppers, butter, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, salt, and if you’re feeling brave, the red pepper flakes. Give it all a good stir to mix.
Adding the Sugar
Next up, add the sugar. Remember, you want a 2:1 ratio of sugar to peppers. Stir the sugar into the pepper mixture until it’s completely dissolved. Crank up the heat and bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
Cooking the Jelly
Keep an eye on the temperature with a thermometer. When the mix hits 220°F, let it simmer until most of the moisture evaporates—this usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
Sterilizing the Jars
While your pepper mixture is cooking, sterilize your mason jars and lids. Keep the jars in hot water until you’re ready to fill them. This helps prevent the jars from cracking when you ladle in the hot pepper mix.
Filling the Jars
Once your pepper mixture is ready, remove it from the heat. Use a wide-mouth funnel and ladle to fill your sterilized mason jars. Place a lid on each jar and tightly screw on the metal ring.
Sealing the Jars
Now, place the jars in a water bath. Bring it to a rolling boil—aim for about 140-150°F—and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the lids have sealed. Carefully remove the jars from the water bath and place them upside down to cool. This helps the peppers distribute evenly throughout the jelly as it cools.
Storing and Serving
Once cooled, store the jars upright. If sealed properly, the jars can last indefinitely, but I recommend consuming the jelly within a year. Serve with soft cheeses, like on cream cheese bagels; as an appetizer with crackers; or as a sauce base for sweet and sour chicken.
Troubleshooting Tips for Perfect Pepper Jelly
- Jelly too runny? If your jelly is too runny, try cooking it a bit longer to reduce more moisture. You can also test for the gel point using a cold spoon—if the jelly sets on the spoon, it’s ready.
- Pepper mix too spicy? If your pepper mix is too spicy, balance it by adding more sweet bell peppers or a bit more sugar. Remember to taste as you go.
- Jars not sealing? If your jars don’t seal, make sure your rims are clean before placing the lids. You can reprocess the jars in a water bath or store the unsealed jars in the fridge and use them first.
- Foam issues? If you notice too much foam during cooking, the butter should help with that. If needed, skim off any excess foam before ladling the jelly into jars.
- Even pepper distribution: Turning the jars upside down helps distribute the peppers evenly through the jelly. Make sure to turn them back upright once they’re cool to complete the sealing process.
Making sweet and spicy pepper jelly is a great way to use up an abundance of garden peppers. This jelly is a fantastic addition to your pantry, perfect for spreading on bagels with cream cheese or serving with crackers at your next gathering. It also adds a unique twist to your favorite dishes, giving them that perfect blend of sweetness and heat. I hope you enjoy making and eating this as much as I do. Don’t forget to share it with friends and family—they’ll love it too!
Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly
Ingredients
- 7 cups sweet bell peppers varying colors, diced
- 1 cup jalapeno diced
- 4 cups sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ÂĽ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes optional, to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice the sweet and hot peppers. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the peppers, butter, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add in the sugar—it should be in a 2:1 ratio with the peppers. Stir the sugar into the pepper mix until it has completely dissolved. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. When the mix reaches 220°F, let it simmer until most of the moisture has evaporated, about 15-20 minutes.
- While the pepper mixture cooks, sterilize the mason jars and lids. Leave the jars in the water until ready to fill. Keep the jars at a hot temperature so that they don't crack when the hot pepper mix is ladled in.
- Remove the pepper mixture from the heat. Use a wide-mouth funnel and ladle to fill the mason jars. Place the lid on top of each jar and tightly screw on the metal ring.
- Place the jars in the water bath. Bring to a rolling boil—about 140-150°F—and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the lids have sealed. Remove from the water bath and place upside down to cool—this will help the peppers disperse evenly throughout the liquid as it cools.
- Store the cooled jars upright—if sealed properly, the jars should last indefinitely, but I recommend consuming the jelly within a year. Serve with soft cheeses, like on cream cheese bagels; as an appetizer with crackers; or as a sauce base for sweet and sour chicken. Enjoy!