This Easy Red Pepper Jelly recipe is my favorite savory jelly recipe. There's nothing like a bit of sweet heat and this homemade red pepper garlic jelly recipe delivers both. May through November is jam and jelly making season at our house. I can't remember the last time I've purchased jam or jelly in the store, it's been years for sure.
Around the holidays there is nothing better than pulling out jars of homemade goodness to share with guests. Plus, the work is already done so it makes for fast serving during a normally busy time of year.
This Red Pepper Jelly is perfect on top of a brick of cream cheese with crackers for an easy appetizer or an excellent glaze for meatballs and chicken. Or smeared on toast. Pretty much anyway you can think of, it's good!
How to Make Red Pepper Jelly
1 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup deveined and minced jalapenos (or pepper of your choice)
5 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 and 1/3 cups vinegar
2 and 1/3 cups sugar or 1 and ½ cups honey (I use raw organic evaporated cane juice)
1 and ½ teaspoons pectin powder (I only use Pomona’s Pectin, read more about how it works, what it is, and why I love it here.)
2 teaspoons calcium water (comes with One 1 oz Pomona's Universal Pectin)
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.
Place peppers, garlic, and vinegar in a sauce pan. Add calcium water and stir well. Measure ½ cup of sugar into a bowl with pectin and combine.
Bring sauce pan contents to a boil. Add pectin-sugar and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Add remaining sugar and stir until dissolved. Return to a boil and remove from heat.
Fill warm jars with red pepper garlic jelly within a ¼ inch from the top. Wipe rims clean and put on lids and bands.
Place jars in a hot water bath and process for 10 minutes. 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 in fridge and use within 3 weeks.
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 anyway.
My favorite recipes using garlic jelly are pairing pouring it over a brick of cream cheese and then making these homemade crackers in 5 minutes as the cracker to dip into it with.
What's some of your favorite holiday recipes? Do you make savory jellies?
Red Pepper Garlic Jelly Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup minced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup deveined and minced jalapenos or pepper of your choice
- 5 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1 1/3 cups vinegar
- 2 1/3 cups sugar or 1 ½ cups honey I use raw organic evaporated cane juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons pectin powder I only use Pomona’s Pectin, read more about how it works, what it is, and why I love it here.
- 2 teaspoons calcium water comes with One 1 oz Pomona's Universal Pectin
Instructions
- 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.
- Place peppers, garlic, and vinegar in a sauce pan. Add calcium water and stir well. Measure ½ cup of sugar into a bowl with pectin and combine.
- Bring sauce pan contents to a boil. Add pectin-sugar and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Add remaining sugar and stir until dissolved. Return to a boil and remove from heat.
- Fill warm jars with red pepper garlic jelly within a ¼ inch from the top. Wipe rims clean and put on lids and bands.
- Place jars in a hot water bath and process for 10 minutes. 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 in fridge and use within 3 weeks.
Want more savory canning recipes for putting up the harvest? Yes, the answer is always yes.
Try our Spicy Peach Jam Low Sugar & No Store Bought Pectin here
Will you be trying this red pepper garlic jelly? Does anyone else think it looks Christmas in a jar?
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.
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.
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.
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.