Homemade Green Pepper Jelly Recipe

Homemade green pepper jelly recipe or jam is a great appetizer to serve. A little spicy and sweet served with crackers or chips is so yummy. As for the ingredients you can use different types of green peppers as you wish too which is great.

Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe

If you have a vegetable garden in your backyard you may be growing just what you need. At the store the ingredients are not expensive at all, making this a cheap party appetizer. Buy store brand cream cheese to save a few extra dollars and if you are having a crowd make a double batch just as easily.

Pressure Cooker Green Pepper Jelly

We will show you how to make this in a pot on your stovetop but if you’d rather make Instant Pot jam you can use the timing in that post for that method too.

This is just one of our favorite football party food items that everyone loves. You can add heat with jalapenos or red pepper flakes or leave it milder if you’d like. Now let’s get to chopping, blending and cooking so you can try this out too.

What do you do with pepper jelly?

This is just one idea but there are many others. You can brush it on as a glaze for ham which is wonderful, use it as a chicken wings dip of sorts, on top of baked salmon or even pork chops. Instead of pouring this on top you could instead blend it all together. This way the flavors get more incorporated for spreading on crackers or on bagels!

How long does green pepper jelly last?

It depends on how you store it. If yours is homemade like this and you store it in a sanitized glass jar sealed tightly it will last about 2 – 3 months. If you know how to can jam the shelf life will extend to years, but once opened it goes back to a few months in the fridge.

Pepper Jelly

If you only want a little heat only use one jalapeno and increase the amount of poblanos and/or bell peppers. Or visa versa for a spicy jelly. Adjust the amount of sugar to your liking too, that is why homemade is so great. You can make your tastebuds perfectly happy.

We’re going to use a variety of different types from the produce section for this, some spicy like smoked chiles and some with some sweetness. You can use whatever color of bells you like, or what is on sale at the time. Remember that some shades are sweeter than others so you can naturally adjust the sugar levels this way.

What is pepper jelly made of?

1. Poblano peppers are the main base
2. Green bell peppers, green is typically used above all other colors
3. Spicy peppers such as; roasted jalapeños, thai peppers, banana, anaheim, serano or hatch chiles (you could dice up canned or use fresh)
4. White vinegar
5. White sugar, give or take depending on how spicy you need
6. If you want it really brilliant you can add green food coloring, just a drop
7. Liquid Pectin used as a thickener
   1. I used powdered, liquid pectin would just use 2 Tbsp instead of 1 packet
8. Mason jars are best to use for storage

Sugar free option

Need a sugar free version because you or a family member is a diabetic? Splenda is a great option but remember to use use half the amount. So instead of the 5 cups of white sugar you’d use 2.5 c. instead….or it would be sickeningly sweet.

What is the difference between pepper jam and pepper jelly?

Jelly is strained to get out all of the chunks out so it is smooth. Jam leaves those chunks in so you have more texture in the mixture. Both have the same basic flavors but the texture is different. You could use an immersion blender for somewhere in the middle, you choose which you would prefer.

Remember that after you’re done it will continue to thicken as it sits and cools. Don’t add more thinking it is too thin, you’ll regret it.

Remember to sterilize jars if you’re going to use them to storage. 8 oz. is best I think unless you think you’re going to use a lot in a short amount of time.

How to Make Green Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese

• Remove seeds from all peppers (will make it less spicy). Finely chop them up and put into a pot on the stovetop with vinegar and sugar.
• Boil over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes to soften those pieces to get tender.
• Add pectin to pot, stir and continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Remove, spoon off froth and pour into jars leaving 1″ empty at the top. Seal and then can if you like or cool and refrigerate.
• Allow to pepper jelly recipe to cool, skim off foam, and then store in jars or pour over cream cheese as an appetizer, like over room temperature package of cream cheese.

If you want to can you’ll need boiling water and tongs, there is a link to how to can in the recipe card below you can follow. This will allow your jam to last for years this way.

If you’re going to use this on top a block of cream cheese you may want to heat it beforehand. Just warm a large saucepan to warm it up just a bit.

Then pour on and this will allow the underneath to melt just a bit and make it easier to spread. Want to add some fresh heat? Dice jalapenos and sprinkle on the top.

What can I do with excess green peppers?

This is one idea of course. Many times I will make a batch of Crockpot stuffed bell peppers or make air fryer fajitas with them.