Pepper Jelly Recipe

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.

Have you been to someone’s house and had a bite of cream cheese pepper jelly and thought WoW. It really isn’t that hard to make it right at home on your own, and you can adjust the heat too. Whether you love really spicy or mild, this is how to make homemade jam to your liking.

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.

What is pepper jelly made of?

Poblano peppers are the main base with some red and green bell peppers, green is typically used above all other colors. Spicy peppers such as; roasted jalapeños, thai peppers, banana, anaheim, serano or hatch chiles (you could dice up canned or use fresh)

White vinegar or apple cider vinegar with white sugar, give or take depending on how spicy you need. If you want it really brilliant you can add green food coloring, just a drop

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.

Can you make this sugar free?

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.

How to Thicken Homemade Jelly

Liquid Pectin is used as a thickener. I used powdered, liquid pectin would just use 2 Tbsp instead of 1 packet instead but works the same and just as good.

Instant Pot 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.

What is the difference between pepper jam and 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,.

What do you use this for?

On top of baked salmon or even pork chops is great. You could put it in a food processor and spread it on crackers or on bagels!

How long does it 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.

How Long to Cook Green Pepper Jelly

This is going to need about 10 minutes for the cooking process. This can very depending on how large your diced peppers are, you want to soften them. Thickening may take a minute more too depending on your preferences but this is generally accurate.

How to Can Jelly

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.

Tips

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.

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.