This a simple homemade hot pepper jelly recipe that you can make as sour or sweet as you like. Serve pepper jelly on veggies, sandwiches, meats, or crackers and cream cheese for a quick starter. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and it tastes really fantastic.
We like to spread cream cheese and this scalding hot pepper jelly on crackers. It also works well as a holiday present. Replace the habaneros with jalapeño peppers, add green food coloring, and green bell pepper for a milder flavor and different color.
What is Hot Pepper Jelly?
Pepper jelly is a particular kind of preserve that is made using peppers, sugar, and salt over a base of pectin or vinegar. A peppery combination of sweetness and heat can be used to characterize the product, which gained popularity in the United States from the 1980s to the mid-1990s. It is used for meats and as an ingredient in a variety of food preparations.
It can be used to produce a pepper jelly cheesecake, cream cheese cracker spread, sandwiches, and cracker spreads. Pepper jelly has a sweet flavor with a hint of heat. Using a variety of different peppers allows you to adjust the level of spiciness to your unique preferences.
How to Make Hot Pepper Jelly?
There is little preparation and cooking time. In around 30 minutes, a batch of pepper jelly should be ready. This simple recipe yields six half-pint jars, each of which has a two-year shelf life in the pantry. Fresh sweet (or mild) peppers and hot peppers are combined in this dish.
Red, green, yellow, and occasionally even purple peppers are used to create a visually appealing presentation. The amount of heat in the pepper jelly depends on the sorts of peppers you use and the ratio of hot to mild peppers. By taking out the pepper’s core pith, you can also reduce the heat.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of red bell pepper that has been seeded and diced finely
- 1 cup of yellow bell pepper that has been seeded and finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups of finely chopped and seeded Green Bell pepper
- 1/4 cups, coarsely chopped and seeded Jalapeño
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1.75 oz of powdered pectin per package.
- 5 cups of sugar
- 6 to 8-ounce canning jars
Instructions:
- Boiling water is used to sterilize six 8 oz. canning jars and lids.
- In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped and seeded Red bell pepper, 1 cup of finely chopped and seeded Yellow bell pepper, 1 14 cups of finely chopped and seeded Green bell pepper, and 14 cups of finely chopped and seeded Jalapeno.
- Add 1.75 ounces of powdered fruit pectin and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar.
- Continuously stir. Bringing to a rapid boil Get rid of the heat.
- Back on high heat, add 5 cups of sugar. Once more, boil rapidly for one minute.
- Get rid of the heat. Remove any foam that has risen to the surface by skimming.
- Fill sterilized jars with jelly, evenly dividing the mixture, to within 14 inches of the top. Cover with flat lids, then tighten the screw bands.
- Jars should be placed in a canner filled with hot but not boiling water. The jar should be entirely submerged in water.
- To bring to a boil, cook over high heat. Remove from heat after 5 minutes of processing.
- Check seals by pushing the centers of the lids with a finger after the jars have totally cooled. (If the lid springs back, the lid is not sealed, necessitating refrigeration.)
How can you Tell Whether your Jelly is Set?
Place a tiny bit of jelly on the plate and put it back in the freezer for a minute when you believe it is finished (depending on the spoon test or temperature). When you press your finger into the jelly and it wrinkles, the jelly is finished. As soon as you start cooking, place a plate in the freezer.
If your jam appears to have reached its setting point or to have thickened, spoon a small amount onto a cold plate and tilt it so the jam runs. Not a runny sludge is what you’re going for. It’s set if it moves slowly. The most frequent cause of jelly that didn’t set is overcooking or undercooking jelly.
The pectin won’t build up if you cook it at a too-low temperature. If you cook at a high temperature, the pectin may break down. The fruit should be fully boiled for one to two minutes after the sugar is added in the majority of jam and jelly recipes. When the jelly is nearly finished, the final drop will come off the spoon in two rather than one drop.
Thus, the jelly should be ready to be removed from the heat and allowed to cool in your jelly molds because it has already started to transform into a new jelly-like composition. You should still use the sheet test to make sure it is completely prepared.
What is the Shelf Life of Hot Pepper Jelly?
Homemade pepper jelly can be kept in the cupboard for up to two years in sealed, unopened jars. Use pepper jelly within three months after opening it and keep it in the refrigerator. The shelf life of pepper jelly is 1 to 2 years if it is kept in a cold, dark location like a pantry. Once opened, pepper jelly should keep in the fridge for six to twelve months.
On the other hand, homemade preserves can be kept for up to two years if they are canned in a boiling water bath. Jam and jelly should both be refrigerated and kept for up to three months after being opened, respectively. On the other hand, homemade preserves can be kept for up to two years if they are canned in a boiling water bath. Jam and jelly should both be refrigerated and kept for up to three months after being opened, respectively.
How to Prevent Runny Jelly?
If your objective is to thicken an already existing jam or completely prevent a runny one, these techniques can help:
- Include chia seeds in the dish. Making jam without cooking is possible using chia seed jam. Without the use of heat, additional sugar, or pectin, the chia seeds absorb the juice and moisture from fruit purée and swell, providing the jam a thickening effect.
- Consider it a fruit-based chia seed pudding as opposed to a milk-based one. Utilize cornstarch. Jams, sauces, soups, and glazes frequently use cornstarch as a thickening agent. It’s also a possible choice for jam recipes that don’t call for as much sugar or pectin, or that use fruits that naturally contain less of both.
- One thing to keep in mind when using cornstarch as a thickening agent is that it gives the jam a slightly milky or foggy appearance. Make a slurry of cornstarch and water, then stir it into the jam mixture.
- As soon as you bring it to a boil, the jam should start to thicken. On the stovetop, reduce it. If the jam that you’ve created and allowed to cool is still runny, throw the jam back into a saucepan and re-boil it. Boil the jam until it begins to decrease and subsequently thicken.
- Put pectin in the saucepan of jam that is already cooking, and whisk one tablespoon of powdered pectin (ideally the no-sugar-needed version). Check the thickness, and if necessary, add another tablespoon.
How to Serve Hot Pepper Jelly?
Pepper jelly is a useful condiment to store in the cupboard or refrigerator once you’ve opened a jar. Pepper jelly is an essential component of my charcuterie platter since it pairs so nicely with meats and cheeses.
Pour some homemade pepper jelly over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers for a really fast and simple appetizer. Try these wonton cups with cream cheese and pepper jelly for a more elegant presentation. Jelly Sandwich Spread with Hot Peppers Put some spicy pepper jelly on your next panini or grilled cheese sandwich. Delicious when used in your next spoon over a turkey and cheddar melt.
Spread on your morning sandwich with bacon and eggs or mix with mayo for a sweet and sour aioli. Furthermore great spread of warm biscuits.
Conclusion
Appreciate this recipe for pepper jelly! Served with cream cheese and crackers, it is a delectably peppery delicacy. A festive holiday appetizer can also be made with it. Before filling each jar entirely, spoon one ladle of pepper jelly into it to spread the peppers equally.
Peppers swell to the top. If you don’t distribute them equally, there won’t be any peppers left for the last jars. When placed on top of cream or goat cheese, this homemade hot pepper jelly recipe, which is stunning in color and sweet with heat, is ideal for entertaining.
