I will forever grow peppers in the garden, if only to make this quick, homemade red pepper jelly recipe. It’s the perfect combination of spicy and sweet, can be used for all kinds of dishes, and also happens to make a phenomenal Christmas gift.
Just like my spinach & artichoke dip, this Red Pepper Jelly is a quick and easy appetizer. Simply spoon it over a brick of cream cheese and serve with these homemade 5-minute crackers (or these homemade cheese crackers). It also makes an excellent glaze for chicken or homemade sweet and sour meatballs, or spread onto this avocado toast recipe for breakfast.
If you happen to have extra peppers (it was a great pepper year here!), give this fresh fermented salsa, this fermented hot sauce (the only hot sauce my husband will eat!) or learn how to ferment peppers to store them long-term.
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Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Red Pepper Jelly Recipe
- 🕒 Ready In: ~30 minutes
- 👪 Yield: 3 half-pint jars
- 🍽 Calories: 162 calories (per 1/4 cup serving)
- 🥄 Tools: A pot, spoon, canning jars and a water bath (or steam) canner.
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes! As with any jam or jelly, you can turn this into “freezer-jam” by following the recipe through step four. Then, instead of canning it, allow the jelly to cool and store it in a freezer-safe container. When ready to use, let the jam come up to room temperature.
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Delicious, lower in sugar than most red pepper jelly options, makes for a quick and easy appetizer during the holidays, and also makes a great gift!
- 👩🍳 Tip: When making canning recipes, don’t alter the recipe. This has been tested and approved for canning. Altering the ingredients or measurements may alter the pH, making your jelly unsafe for preservation.
Made a double batch and can’t stop eating it! I am grateful for the Pomona pectin that allows the sugar to be customized. Delicious and just a tad spicy. Nothing too hot. – Christena
Key Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Peppers – I like to use a combination of jalapeno and red bell peppers. You may substitute another hot pepper or bell pepper here. Just know that if you can use all red peppers, the color inside the jars will be beautifully red! Choosing different colored peppers will alter the color.
- Pomona’s Pectin – Pomona’s Pectin is a non-GMO pectin that allows you to make lower-sugar preserves (or sugar alternatives) and is the only pectin (other than natural sources) that I’ll use in my kitchen.
- Sweetener – If using Pomona’s Pectin, you can read the instructions inside the box to increase or decrease the amount of sugar or use another sweetener other than sugar.
- Calcium Water – You won’t use all the calcium water from the box of Pomona’s Pectin, but it stores in the refrigerator for quite a while, so don’t toss it out! (Pro tip: Always label and date your calcium water when storing it in the refrigerator.)
Note: Because Pomonas Pectin uses calcium water instead of sugar for the set, you may double or triple this recipe, but make sure you don’t alter the ratio of ingredients in any way.
This recipe is from my book Everything Worth Preserving, which includes over 80+ preserving recipes.
How to Make Red Pepper Jelly
Step 1: Prepare hot water bath canner and begin to warm water. Wash and rinse jars in hot soapy water right before filling with hot jelly so the glass is warm.
Step 2: Place peppers, garlic, and vinegar in a saucepan. Add calcium water and stir well. Measure ½ cup of sugar into a bowl with pectin and combine.
Step 3: Bring the saucepan contents to a boil. Add pectin-sugar and stir vigorously for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add remaining sugar and stir until dissolved. Return to a boil and remove from heat.
How to Can Red Pepper Jelly
Step 5: Fill warm jars with red pepper garlic jelly within a ¼ inch from the top.
Step 6: Using a bubble remover tool (or a chopstick), remove any air bubbles by sliding the tool along all sides of the jar.
Step 7: Wipe rims clean and put on lids and bands.
Step 8: Place jars in a hot water bath (or steam canner) and process for 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: If using a steam canner, after the ten-minute processing time, allow the canner to sit for five minutes (with the heat off, but the lid on).
Step 9: Allow to cool on a towel in a draft-free area for 24 hours. Check seals and store in a cool, dark place. If any jars have not sealed, put them in the fridge and use within 3 weeks.
How to Serve Red Pepper Jelly
- Appetizer: Pop open a jar of red pepper jelly and pour it over a brick of cream cheese (one jar may contain enough for two bricks, depending on how you like it). Then, serve it along with my homemade 5-minute crackers (or these homemade cheese crackers) and other charcuterie like my mustard pickle recipe, refrigerator bread and butter pickles, the best homemade garlic dill pickles, or my absolute favorite, pickled asparagus.
- Glaze: Red pepper jelly is fantastic on all kinds of meat. Serve it on the side with pork chops, use it as the sweet, sour and spicy glaze for these homemade sweet and sour meatballs or simply brush it onto chicken before baking.
- Snack: My kids love this so much, I have to hide the jars from them or they’d just eat it by the jar-full along with cheese and crackers! I love it on a piece of toast with cream cheese and avocado. spread onto this avocado toast recipe for breakfast.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating and your comments in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!
Red Pepper Jelly Recipe
Equipment
- Water bath canner
- 3 Half-pint jars and lids
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup red bell pepper minced
- 1/4 cup jalapenos deveined and minced (or hot pepper of choice)
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 1/3 cups vinegar
- 2 1/3 cups sugar or 1 ½ cups honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons pectin I only use Pomona’s Pectin
- 2 teaspoons calcium water comes with Pomona's Pectin
Instructions
- Step 1: If planning to can this recipe, prepare a hot water bath canner and begin to warm water. Wash and rinse jars in hot soapy water right before filling with hot jelly so the glass is warm.
- Step 2: Place peppers, garlic, and vinegar in a saucepan. Add calcium water and stir well. Measure ½ cup of sugar into a bowl with pectin and combine.
- Step 3: Bring the saucepan contents to a boil. Add pectin-sugar and stir vigorously for 2 minutes.
- Step 4: Add remaining sugar and stir until dissolved. Return to a boil and remove from heat.
Canning Instructions
- Step 5: Fill warm jars with red pepper garlic jelly within a ¼ inch from the top.
- Step 6: Using a bubble remover tool (or a chopstick), remove any air bubbles by sliding the tool along all sides of the jar.
- Step 7: Wipe rims clean and put on lids and bands.
- Step 8: Place jars in a hot water bath (or steam canner) and process for 10 minutes. Pro Tip: If using a steam canner, after the ten-minute processing time, allow the canner to sit for five minutes (with the heat off, but the lid on).
- Step 9: Allow to cool on a towel in a draft-free area for 24 hours. Check seals and store in a cool, dark place. If any jars have not sealed, put them in the fridge and use within 3 weeks.
Notes
- Appetizer: Pop open a jar of red pepper jelly and pour it over a brick of cream cheese (one jar may contain enough for two bricks, depending on how you like it). Then, serve it along with my homemade 5-minute crackers (or these homemade cheese crackers) and other charcuterie like my mustard pickle recipe, the best homemade garlic dill pickles, or my absolute favorite, pickled asparagus.
- Glaze: Red pepper jelly is fantastic on all kinds of meat. Serve it on the side with pork chops, use it as the sweet, sour and spicy glaze for these homemade sweet and sour meatballs or simply brush it onto chicken before baking.
- Snack: My kids love this so much, I’d have to hide the jars from them or they’d just eat it for a snack along with cheese and crackers! I love it on a piece of toast with cream cheese and avocado. spread onto this avocado toast recipe for breakfast.
I don’t have the ability to water bath but I can freeze it. Can I free in glass jars or do I need something else?
Yes but I would leave a larger headspace so the jars have room for expansion and don’t crack.
Living in the UK we do not have Pomona Pectin that I can find. For low pectin fruit jams and jellies I usually use a base juice of crab apple boiled and strained. How would this work with this recipe? It sounds so good. Or could I just add the peppers and garlic to a base of red currant jelly? Anthea
Hmm, the crab apple boiled should work, but you’ll need the full amount of vinegar listed to make this safe for canning as the peppers/garlic are not acidic and red currants are.
This is my very favorite recipe for red pepper jelly! It’s perfectly sweet (but not too sweet) and spicy. It’s a go-to appetizer for all our holiday gatherings. I also love that it’s a smaller recipe (just three jars at a time) so it fits into a busy schedule.
This looks fabulous. Did I miss the size of jars to use and how many this recipe will make?
Can I add chopped onion to this?
Thank you
No, it’s been formulated specifically for the exact ratio of ingredients for safety
Made a double batch and can’t stop eating it! I am grateful for the Pomona pectin that allows the sugar to be customized. I did cut back on the garlic otherwise just as the recipe is written. Delicious and just a tad spicy. Nothing too hot.
When you say you ‘customized’ the sugar, what did you do? I’d like to use Allulose…and make it Keto!
This sounds wonderful! I bet it would make a lovely hostess gift, too — in a basket with a box of Wheat Thins and a cream cheese brick.
What is calcium water and do I need to use it?
Loretta,
The calcium water comes with the Pomona’s pectin and is what makes this jam set. If you use another brand of pectin, you’ll need to follow the directions on it and it won’t contain calcium water.
I entered this recipe into our local Tri-State Fair. It got FIRST PLACE!! Just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful recipe and the blue ribbon.
Now that’s an endorsement Stephanie! THanks for sharing and congrats on that blue ribbon.
The garlic/spice combo sounds perfect! I am thinking of making it this week, but I was wondering about how many half pints does this recipe yield?
Steph, it’s super yummy. This yields four half pints.