Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe

AuthorSteve Nubie

Rating

It seems to be a contradiction but if you like things sweet and sour wait until you taste hot and sweet.  This recipe combines the sweetness of sugar with finely diced hot peppers.  You can use any hot pepper you like.  I prefer jalapenos.

This recipe is a cinch to make in your bread machine if you have a dedicated Jam and Jelly setting.  Many bread machines do.  If you don’t have this setting a jam or jelly recipe won’t work.  The Jam and Jelly setting cooks the jelly at a hotter temperature for a longer duration to allow the sugars and sometimes pectin to completely gel before you pour it into canning jars.  All of the other bread settings don’t achieve a higher temperature nor the duration needed to make the jam or jelly. 

This jelly is great on bread and makes a fantastic topping for tacos, nachos or plain tortilla chips.  You can make the jelly as hot or mild as you want depending on the type of pepper you use and the quantity.  We’re recommending 1 cup of diced jalapenos for this recipe.

Something you’ll want to do after you have put the hot pepper jelly into jars is to turn them over every 10 minutes in the refrigerator while the jelly is cooling.  This will help to distribute the diced peppers throughout the jelly.  Otherwise the diced pepper pieces will either float to the top or sink to the bottom.  A gentle shake and inverting the jars every 10 minutes while the jelly cools helps to distribute the pepper pieces in the jar.

How to process your jams and jellies in a hot water bath

If you want to extend the shelf-life of your jam or jelly you’ll need to process it.  To do this you’ll need some basic equipment.

PROCESSING EQUIPMENT:

• 1 large pot with lid capable of holding 3 gallons of water or more
• 1 ½ gallons of water or enough to cover jars when all jars are immersed in pot
• Canning jars with lids
• Jar tongs for removing jars from boiling water plus regular tongs for lids
• Towel to protect countertop and to dry jars

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring the water to a boil in the pot.
2. Remove the lids from the jars and drop the jars and lids into the boiling water. 
3. After 5 minutes, carefully remove the jars and the lids and allow to dry on a clean, dry towel.
4. Spoon the jam into the jars leaving a quarter-inch of headspace at the top of the jar and screw on the lids tightly.
5. Immerse the jars in the boiling water and cover the pot and boil for 10 minutes. 
6. Shut off the heat and carefully remove the jars using the jar tongs.
7. Set the jars on the towel and carefully dab any water sitting on the jar lid.
8. After 20 minutes, tighten the jars lids. You may need to protect your hands with a couple of dry washcloths to do this.
9. Check the lids. If they are drawn down towards the jar it means you have a good vacuum seal.  If the lid clicks when pressed down, put that jar in the fridge and eat within 4 weeks.  Otherwise, any processed jams or jellies will keep for up to 6-months in a pantry but refrigerate after opening. 
10. Label the jars with the type of jam or jelly and record the date it was made.