Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (2024)

This Easy Red Pepper Jelly makes an amazing holiday appetizer! Serve this jelly over cream cheese and serve on your favorite crackers. With fresh red peppers, green pepper and jalapeño, this Easy Red Pepper Jelly is perfectly sweet with just a little kick!

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (1)

All of our family and friend holiday parties are centered around food, especially appetizers! This Easy Red Pepper Jelly has always been a staple at our holiday parties.

One of my absolute favorite things about the holidays is going to holiday parties. I love spending time with family and friends, catching up and making new memories.

This Red Pepper Jelly can easily be adapted to fit the taste of your party guests. If you are worried about it being too spicy, you can always leave out the jalapeño.

Because the seeds are removed from the peppers, it takes away most of the heat. This Easy Red Pepper Jelly is actually really sweet!

We love serving this pepper jelly over a softened block of cream cheese with Ritz Crackers. The creaminess of the cream cheese goes perfectly with the sweet, red pepper jelly.

Ingredients needed to make this Easy Red Pepper Jelly:

  • 3red bell peppersseeded and minced
  • 1green bell pepperseeded and minced
  • 1jalapeno pepperseeded and minced
  • 1cupapple cider vinegar
  • 1.75ouncespowdered pectin1 package
  • 5cupssugar
  • 68 ounce Canning Jars
  • 8ouncescream cheesesoftened to room temperature
  • Ritz crackers

How To Make Red Pepper Jelly:

I was a little nervous to make this recipe because I have never canned anything in my life!

I was honestly so surprised how easy it was to make this Red Pepper Jelly! I originally planned on giving it away as neighbor gifts, but it was so delicious, I am considering holding onto to serve at all our upcoming holiday parties. Don’t tell my friends!

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (2)

I started by sanitizing my jars. You can use three 16 ounce jars or 6 8 ounce jars. If you are going to be making this Easy Red Pepper Jelly as a gift for friends, I would use smaller jars so you can share with more friends.

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (3)

Next, I minced my red bell peppers, green bell pepper and jalapeños after I had removed the seeds. Be sure to cut these as small as possible so no one gets a huge bite of pepper when they are eating it.

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I added my peppers to a large saucepan over medium-high heat and added a cup of apple cider vinegar.

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Mix in a package of pectin powder after you add the vinegar.

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Continue stirring until your pepper mixture comes to a rolling boil.

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Remove the pan from the heat, add your sugar and mix it in then place the pan back on the heat.

Turn the heat up to high and bring to a rolling boil while stirring constantly. Once you hit a rolling boil, let it boil for a full minute then remove from heat.

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Ladle the pepper jelly into your prepared jars. Keep in mind that the peppers will on be on the top, so be sure to evenly distribute the jelly so all of your jars have peppers in them.

Cover your jars with the flat lids and then screw the bands on tightly.

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Place the jars in a pan filled with hot water over high heat. You want to be sure your cans are completely submerged.

Bring the water to a boil, then let them boil for 5 minutes. It might be a little noisy, but that’s ok!

Remove the jars from the heat and let cool completely.

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (10)

I like to serve this Easy Red Pepper Jelly over a block of cream cheese.

It is easiest to eat when your cream cheese is softened to room temperature. You can dip crackers right into the cream cheese or serve with a spreader.

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (11)

Beware. This Easy Red Pepper Jelly is ADDICTING!

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Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (12)

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Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (13)

Serves: 10

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe

This Easy Red Pepper Jelly makes an amazing holiday appetizer! Serve this jelly over cream cheese and serve on your favorite crackers.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

PrintPin

Ingredients

  • 3 red bell peppers seeded and minced
  • 1 green bell pepper seeded and minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1.75 ounces powdered pectin 1 package
  • 5 cups sugar
  • 6 8 ounce Canning Jars
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • Ritz crackers

Instructions

  • Sterilize canning jars and set aside.

  • Prepare all peppers by seeding and mincing.

  • Place peppers in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

  • Add apple cider vinegar and powdered Pectin.

  • Bring heat to high and stir constantly until you reach a rolling boil. Remove from heat once you reach a rolling boil.

  • Mix in sugar and return to pan to high heat.

  • Return to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.

  • Fill jars with jelly until it reaches 1/4" from the top of the jar.

  • Screw lids on jars and place in a large pot filled with hot water. Be sure jars are completely submerged.

  • Heat water with jars over high heat until it reaches a rolling boil, then boil for 5 minutes.

  • Remove from heat and let jars sit in water until cool.

  • Check seals by pressing down on the center of the lid when cool. If the lid pops when pushed, it can be stored at room temperature, otherwise store in the refrigerator.

  • Pour jelly over cream cheese and serve with crackers.

Notes

  • Cream Cheese and Crackers are not included in Nutritional Information

Nutrition

Calories: 418 kcal · Carbohydrates: 107 g · Protein: 0.5 g · Fat: 0.5 g · Saturated Fat: 0.03 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003 g · Sodium: 14 mg · Potassium: 119 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 102 g · Vitamin A: 1177 IU · Vitamin C: 57 mg · Calcium: 7 mg · Iron: 0.4 mg

Equipment

  • Canning Jars

  • Saucepan

  • large pot

Recipe Details

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

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Join The Discussion

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  1. Linda Anderson says:

    Can the red pepperJelly be frozen like freezer jam instead of canning it?

  2. Cyd says:

    We have only made this jelly as directed in the recipe.

  3. Nelson says:

    Tried this recipe today. Quite good and is very easy to make

  4. Xanne Briggs says:

    Hello Six Sisters, I read through your recipe, I am new to canning. However your instructions for canning state if the lid seal pops after boiling it is good for shelf. My understanding is you boil with seal on, rest overnight, if the seal pops when pressed it is not shelf ready , only refrigerator.Thank you Xanne Briggs

  5. D Kinlae says:

    DoesDoes anybody knowHow to make this sugar free?

  6. Amanda M says:

    Just finished a load of 12, 4 oz jelly jars. Going to be Christmas gifts. Taste to me is similar to the duck sauce you get at Chinese restaurants. This would also be good brushed on grilled chicken or pork. Thanks for the recipe!

Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (14)

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Easy Red Pepper Jelly Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is red pepper jelly made of? ›

Pepper jelly is a preserve made with peppers, sugar, and salt in a pectin or vinegar base. The product, which rose in popularity in the United States from the 1980s to mid-1990s, can be described as a piquant mix of sweetness and heat, and is used for meats and as an ingredient in various food preparations.

Why didn't my red pepper jelly set up? ›

Low cooking temperature: The temperature to which you cook jam significantly impacts its thickness. If the jam doesn't reach a high enough temperature, the pectin or other gelling agents won't set. If the temperature is too high, it will be too sticky and gummy. Ideal jam sets when taken to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you keep peppers from floating in pepper jelly? ›

Stir in 1 pouch (85 ml) liquid pectin, then boil again for 1 minute. Take off the heat and let cool completely, stirring every so often. Cover and leave for about 4 - 6 hours, or overnight. This will stop the peppers from floating to the top when canning.

What is a good substitute for red pepper jelly? ›

Fruit preserves: Fruit preserves such as raspberry or strawberry jam can be used as a substitute for pepper jelly. They will add a similar sweet and tangy flavor to dishes. 2. Relish: Sweet pickle relish can be used as a substitute for pepper jelly.

What is the shelf life of red pepper jelly? ›

The ideal storage time for unopened jams, jellies and preserves is 12 months in the pantry. After opening, refrigerate for 6 months.

Why is vinegar used in pepper jelly? ›

Vinegar: is used to help the jelly set and the acid in the vinegar helps make it safe for canning and long term storing.

How do you keep pepper jelly from separating? ›

Jars should seal fairly quickly after processing. If the jam starts to separate after the lids have sealed, gently turn the jars upside down. In an hour, gently turn them right-side up. Continue this process until it is evident that the jam will not separate.

Why is my pepper jelly grainy? ›

What happened? If you stir the pectin powder into an amount of sweetener that is beyond the range shown in our recipes, or have too much sweetener already added to the fruit, the pectin powder will be inhibited from dissolving and may go grainy.

What is the difference between red pepper jam and jelly? ›

The answer is: In jelly, the fruit comes in the form of fruit juice. … In jam, the fruit comes in the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruit. I had originally titled this blog post “Easy Homemade Pepper Jelly”. Once I read this, I changed the title to “Pepper Jelly and Jam Recipes”.

What is the difference between pepper jam and pepper jelly? ›

The primary difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit and jelly uses fruit juice. Preserves contain whole fruit or large pieces of fruit.

How can I thicken my pepper jelly? ›

If your liquid amounts to 4 cups, take half cup of that liquid (COLD) and mix with 4 tbs cornstarch in a small container. If you mix it with warm liquid it will be lumpy. Then as the pudding cooks, you whisk in the cornstarch mix, and it will thicken up when the pudding comes to a boil.

How do you thicken red pepper jelly? ›

Because jelly thickens as it cools, you may find that the consistency does not turn out the way you'd like. This is easy to correct. Simply return all of the jelly to a heavy-bottomed pot and bring it back to a boil. If it was too thin, let it boil for about 5 minutes to thicken.

What meat goes with red pepper jelly? ›

Hot Pepper Jelly makes an excellent glaze for pork tenderloin, grilled pork chops and ham. Glaze pork chops while grilling, baste a ham with hot pepper jelly while cooking or serve warm as a sauce on the side. Salmon will never be the same.

What is red pepper jelly good for? ›

Use pepper jelly on or as a side dipping sauce for jalapeno poppers. Topping for ice cream. Used as a spread to compliment a sandwich or hamburger. On an egg, ham and cheese sandwich.

Can banana peppers be used in pepper jelly? ›

You know, one with all the flavor but much less heat that would be great for those folks who just can't handle the spice. So with some Mad Hatter Peppers, Mild Hatch Chiles, Banana Peppers and just a handful of Jalapeno Peppers this Mixed Peppers Pepper Jelly was born. And oh my goodness, it is sooooooo delicious.

What kind of pepper is pepper jelly made of? ›

Pepper Jelly Ingredients

Peppers: This pepper jelly calls for a combination of red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and jalapeño peppers. Apple cider vinegar: You'll need a cup of apple cider vinegar for this pepper jelly recipe. Pectin: A package of powdered pectin is all you'll need for six 8-ounce jars.

Is red pepper jelly good for you? ›

Pepper jelly is more than just a delicious condiment; it also offers a range of health benefits, from the vitamins and minerals found in peppers to the pain-relieving and metabolism-boosting properties of capsaicin.

References

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