Turn Your Stash of Peppers Into Hot Pepper Jelly

Peppers are in season now, but if you planted them earlier this spring, you already knew this. Just like with tomatoes, I find it difficult to care for my pepper plants, but that’s okay: a lot of peppers means a lot of pepper jelly. This Southern pasta is not only easy to make, but it tastes like a dream. (This was actually the first thing I canned.)

What is pepper jelly?

Pepper jelly is exactly what it sounds like – a mixture or jelly, sugar (lots of sugar) and pectin, which is boiled down into a sweet, hot and spicy jelly. It is a Southern delicacy most often served on crackers with cream cheese, but can also be used to add a pop of flavor to coleslaw or mixed with mustard to make a glaze for all types of meat. (Try it on ham .)

What kind of pepper is needed to make pepper jelly?

And this is the best part: almost any pepper will do. When my stepmom and I were making pepper jelly earlier this week, we raided her garden and ended up with a mixture of bell peppers, serrano peppers, Thai hot peppers, hot banana peppers, and a few poblano peppers. Everyone plunged into the pan, and the jelly turned out delicious, piquant and slightly spicy.

You can adjust the heat level by adjusting the amount of pepper. Want some light jelly? Use mostly bell peppers. Craving something authoritative? Omit the bells entirely and add jalapenos. However, be careful when chasing the dragon and limit your consumption of very hot peppers, such as habanero, to small quantities until you understand the proportions and appropriate heat levels. Chop them finely by hand or in a food processor, but be aware that chopping them too finely may result in a jam that is too tangy. (Plus, I think doing it by hand will look prettier.)

Will I need any special equipment for this?

Not so much. This guide has everything you need to get started canning, but for this recipe you’ll need a large water bath pot, six eight-ounce canning jars (with lids and rings ), maybe a towel (to keep the jars from being pushed around) , canning funnel (for easy filling) and tongs (for placing and removing jars from the water bath).

Light pepper jelly for canning

Ingredients:

• 4 cups finely chopped pepper of your choice (start with a mixture of half bell pepper and half “interesting” pepper.)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (1 3/4 ounce bag) powdered pectin
• 5 cups white sugar

Sterilize jars according to manufacturer’s instructions, wash rings and (new, never used) lids in hot soapy water, then dry and set aside. Wash and dry the spoon and set it aside. Fill a water canister or large, deep saucepan at least half full with water. Place a clean kitchen towel in the bottom of the pan.

Heat the water to 180℉ (boil) and preheat the jars in a water bath. (This will prevent the glass from cracking due to sudden temperature changes.) Leave the lids and bands at room temperature.

Place the pepper, vinegar and pectin in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Let simmer for 1 minute without stirring, then remove from heat and skim off any foam with a clean spoon.

One at a time, remove the preheated jars from the bath using canning tongs (or regular tongs, if that’s all you have; you can give them a better grip with a pair of thick rubber bands). Using a canning funnel, pour the hot pepper jelly into the hot jar, filling it to 1/4 inch from the top. Cover with a lid and secure with a ring. Repeat until all jars are full.

Return the jars to the water bath and make sure they are completely submerged. The water should be hot, but not boiling. Bring the water to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes. After processing, remove the jars from the bath with tongs and let cool to room temperature, then leave the jars alone for 24 hours. The jars should make a popping sound indicating they are sealed, but the easiest way to check is to remove the ring. If the lid stays open without a ring even if you try to remove it with your fingers, then it is sealed. If not, transfer to the refrigerator immediately (the jelly will still be edible, but it will not keep for long).

Enjoy the fruits of your labor with crackers and cream cheese, then spread on a ham sandwich. Pepper jelly is surprisingly versatile, although the cream cheese and cracker combo is the most popular configuration for a reason.