Homemade Hot Pepper Jelly Water Bath Canning Recipe
Spice up your pantry shelves with this classic homemade hot pepper jelly recipe. Made with fresh jalapeños, sweet green bell peppers, and apple cider vinegar, it is the perfect sweet and tangy spread for holiday cheese boards, backyard charcuterie, and gifting.
Servings: 32 servings, makes 4 half pint jars
Calories: 113kcal
Cost: $8
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups green bell peppers chopped (150g)
- 1 cup jalapeño peppers chopped (120g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice 30g
- ½ cup onion minced (60g)
- 4 ½ cups granulated sugar 900g
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar 240g
- 1 package liquid pectin or 6 tablespoons powdered pectin (170g)
Instructions
- Puree the Base: Add the chopped bell peppers, jalapeños, minced onion, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth. This pepper puree forms the base of your jelly.
- Bring to a Boil: Pour the pepper puree into a large saucepan and stir in the sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 5 minutes.
- Add Pectin and Jar: Pour in the liquid pectin and boil hard for an additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat. Ladle the hot jelly into warm, sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims clean and apply lids and bands until finger-tight.
- Water Bath Process: Place the jars into a boiling water bath canner, ensuring they are covered by at least one inch of water. Process for 10 minutes (adjusting for your altitude if necessary). Turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes before removing them to cool on a towel-lined counter for 12 to 24 hours. Check for proper seals before storing.
Notes
- Adjusting the Heat: For a very mild jelly, use entirely bell peppers. For a fiery kick, leave all the jalapeño seeds and ribs inside the blender.
- Safe Canning Practices: While "rebel canning" or flipping jars to achieve a seal was common in past generations, water bath processing for 10 minutes ensures a safe, shelf-stable product that won't spoil in your pantry.
- Azure Standard: I prefer using organic granulated sugar sourced in bulk from Azure Standard for all my sweet preservation projects.
Nutrition
Serving: 32g | Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg
