Fantastic Elise. I once purchased the most delicious jalapeno jelly at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse PA and have over the years tried to replicate it. While I've made some OK ones, they've never lived up to that introductory jar. It'll be 6 months 'til my jalapenos are ready to pick but this will be the recipe I try this year! It'll be a while, but I'll let you know my verdict. As you've decided to put it into the blogging event, I take it that you are happy with not only the texture but the flavour of the jelly too. Now I'm off to check out the blogging event. Cheers from Waiheke.

This looks wonderful! I'm relatively new to savoury-style jams, but this looks like a lovely one to try with a platter of crackers and spreads!

I'm curious: I understand the objection to commercial dye (brilliant, the addition of cranberries which also adds another layer of tartness, too, I suspect) but what's the objection to commercial pectin? (Uh oh. Maybe I should've checked the label before asking! It might be oh-too-obvious!)

Elise, this is great. I love the combination of hot and sweet. What better way to make use of these flavours than with a jelly, well done.

Hi Robyn - I'm very happy with the way this jelly turned out, especially after I had botched the previous batch by forcing the pulp through the strainer. There was so much pectin in that batch that it jelled into more of a paste than a jelly.

Hi Ellie - I've also put some of the jelly into a quesadilla for an interesting touch.

Hi Alanna - Great question! Beyond just the "cool" factor of making do with what's on hand (we have a Granny Smith tree), there is a practical reason to not use commercial pectin. One of the roles of sugar in jelly making is its help in the gelling of the preserve. If what you are gelling doesn't have enough of its own natural pectin, then in addition to commercial pectin, you usually need to add even more sugar to help it firm up. So, you might have only needed 3 cups of sugar for necessary sweetness, but 5 cups if you need the sugar's help with making the jelly gel.

If you make your own pectin by using tart apples as the base for your jelly, you only need to add enough sugar to make the jelly sweet. The pectin from the apples is sufficient for gelling, without the addition of more sugar.

I usually don't like commercial jelly that much, because in my opinion it is just too darn sweet. It can give me a sugar rush. But my homemade jellies use either pectin from the apples or a special commercial brand called "Pomona" which is much stronger than regular commercial pectin. This allows my jellies to be "low sugar", which for me, just tastes better.

Hi Jen Jen - Thank you!

Is 'scum' a technical term?

Just wondering, can you use Splenda instead of sugar in this jelly recipe? It sounds delicious.

Hi Elise -

This is my first visit to your blog. Your posts and pictures are beautiful ! Thank you for the pepper jelly recipe - your canning jars look so adorable and festive, perfect for sharing with friends !

I make my own jalepeno apple jelly using crabapples. I never tried it without using commercial pectin, but being a diabetic I appreciate the tip that you would use less sugar if you don't use commercial pectin. I'm getting ready to make my jelly next week and will try it without sure jel. I wouldn't recommend trying jelly with Splenda, Splenda will work in jams but not jelly. The jelly will not gel. The manufacturer does not recommend using it for jelly, only jams.

Mmm ... I used to consume quite a lot of this stuff when I lived in Santa Fe. It's good on everything. Also, they make a lovely chili honey, which as far as I can tell is just chili powder mixed into honey. Sometimes the simple things are best, no?

This sounds great. At home, I have chardonnay jalapeno jelly (mild) and Chinense pepper jelly (pretty potent) from the Ferry Building. It would be fun to make my own.

This looks wonderful, Elise. I've have Jalapeno jelly once or twice before, but never really thought about what went into it. And I second the sour cream with mexican food suggestion. Delish.

Ooh baby! One of my favorite things on earth. What a creative and wonderful way to make pepper jelly. I am swooning. Elise, you rock!

I'm sorry, but I think it's misleading to say that if you use commercial pectin, that means you have to use more sugar. If you add commercial pectin to this recipe, it means you can actually use less sugar.

I made this recipe with two cups of sugar instead of the 3 and a half by leaving more of the apple pulp (and pectin) in the jelly. The jelly is not clear, but that's not an issue for me, I prefer it less sweet, and a tiny bit more healthy.

Hi Susanna,

If you use commercial pectin and water, which is what most jelly recipes call for, instead of using apples for a base, you do need to use more sugar in order to get it to gel properly. If instead you use a base that is naturally rich in pectin, you don't need to use as much sugar. If you use Pomona pectin, which is stronger than most regular commercial pectin, you don't need to use as much sugar either.

Most similar recipes call for 5 cups of sugar instead of the 3 1/2 that this one calls for.

You definitely do not need to add pectin to this recipe, there is enough just from the apples. So you can add just as much sugar as you want to get the desired level of sweetness.

Yes, we are agreed on the natural pectin issue... I was mostly reacting to the person above who made the conclusion that no commercial pectin automatically means less sugar, because it's not quite as simple as that. Depends on your base, and your pectin.

I forgot to say, this is a fabulous recipe. Even my husband's ex-wife loved it - and she feels no need to be nice to me, so it was actually your recipe she liked! :)

Hi, Elise. I'm a huge fan of pepper jellies, and I use them on everything from omelets to pancakes. Do you think this recipe would work with other peppers, e.g., chipotles or serranos? Serrano peppers with the addition of mint and lemongrass might have a nice Thai flavor. Doyathink?

I love pepper jelly! As a kid we would eat this with carry out egg rolls. We would always fight for the last egg roll. Thanks for bringing back great childhood memories.

Elise,

This is a terrific recipe. I've never made jelly before, because watching people do it -- just looked complicated.

I used serrano peppers, because that's what I have in the garden. It didn't get quite as hot as I had hoped, (basically it's apple jelly). I think it's because I used 6 peppers, and looking at your photos, they weren't as large as your jalapenos. Next time I'll use more. Also, not a solitary grocery in this back-water county had cranberries. But the apples were good enough, and I think when I try it again, I'll leave the berries out. The apples with a few more peppers will probably do the trick.

Thanks!

Hi Harry - Chipotles are simply smoked jalapenos, I would not use them in this recipe. But serranos are fair game. Mint and lemongrass added would be lovely. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.

Hi David - Ah, egg rolls! I completely forgot that this jelly could be used with them. Great idea.

Hi Charles - Serranos are a lot smaller than jalapenos. I would use more, but mind the hotness. Test the mash before you strain it. If it still needs more heat, add in some more seeds and cook a little longer. I usually taste all through the process. The first batch I made was extremely hot, and that was because I didn't remove any seeds or ribs. This last batch was much more mild. I could easily add a few more jalapenos to it (again, without the seeds).

Hi Elise - Excellent suggestions. I made this again this past weekend. (My serrano plants are quite prolific! -- Back during the spring, I wasn't sure they were going to make it.) Anyway, Fuji apples, + 12-13 serranos with seeds & ribs -- and it turned out delicious! The jelly had a nice amber color, and exactly the zing I was hoping for. Good suggestion to test the mash. Thanks.

Hi Elise! I'm back from my trip, and while gone someone gave my husband about 10 pounds of green apples from their orchard in the mountains of southern Arizona. So I've been scrambling to make apple recipes and this one was so much fun. Took some to a party last night with cream cheese and crackers and it was a big hit.

Thanks! Tonight trying the sour cream-apple streusel.

Nice redesign on the site. Congrats!

Roseann

Can you use habanero peppers in this recipe?

I have made several versions of pepper jelly. I live in high altitude country and have a question about sealing the jars. Do you seal using a water bath or just by sterilizing the jars then, the fill and tip method? Currently I use a recipe that calls for the 2nd method, am concerned about recipes that say fill and seal, not being specific on how to seal. Thanks for a reply.

Hi! I did a search for pepper jelly. I recently was introduced to it by my boyfriends sister at a family gathering, on top of cream cheese & crackers, of course. Now I'm curious. What other good uses are there for pepper jelly?

Hi Elise, my husband and I made this wonderful jelly last fall and it was fantastic! So last week we decided to make it again, but it will not set up. We changed the bell pepper to one seeded poblano pepper, and left the apple cores and seeds out. Could this be our problem? Anything we can do - I have 10 jars of runny jelly!! Thanks, Bobi y Brian

Is it possible to use apple cider juice
instead of having to do the peel, chop, cook,
sieve, etc. thing? Appreciate your time to
answer - thanks
leslie

I used this recipe last fall with my bounty of red jalapeños, but instead of including all the peppers in the mash I seeded and finely minced about a 1/2 Cup of red jalapeños and cooked them in the jelly. The jelly turned out fantastic, a beautiful clear red with tiny bits of mildly spicy jalapeño. This jelly goes great with crackers or even your dinner rolls. It really is not overwhelmingly hot, but you get just enough sweet and heat for a definite taste experience.

I would think the jelly base could be used for other jellies made from scratch. I really enjoyed making the jelly from scratch and would definitely recommend this recipe!

Do the jars need to be sealed in a conventional water bath? I do not see any information regarding the actual canning process in this recipe and was wondering if it is necessary. Also, what is the shelf life?

Thanks for the recipe! This was a fun new one to try. Next time, I would add more peppers to give it more of a kick! My co-worker used raspberries in her mix and it gives the jelly a beautiful pink color! Thanks again!

Wow! I haven't had Jalapeno jelly in a long time! I have wanted to make some for the past couple of weeks, but couldn't find my recipe...so I looked online, and I am glad I lost the other one! This jelly is delicious! I added some finely chopped red jalapenos during the last few minutes of cooking for more kick and color. Oh sooooo yummy! Thanks for sharing this recipe. And thanks for making it so much healthier for my family!

This was a simple and very good jelly. Everyone has just raved over it.

Excellent recipe! If you use crab apples you get gorgeous red color, depending on the variety of crab apples you use and it is slightly more tart and has tons of pectin for jelling. I use 1 cup of juice to 1 cup of sugar and it has never failed me. I always check with the chilled plate test during cooking. You can make mint jelly this way too!

Thanks Elise for sharing your recipe and for such clear directions and pictures!! I have been looking for a hot pepper jelly recipe ever since my first taste this past summer at a roadside stand in South Carolina! I wanted to make my own healthier version (less sugar, no artificial anything, spicier!!) to use up the overabundance of peppers from our garden...my husband and I are pepper freaks and we are really looking forward to our next harvest!! I also wanted to make a suggestion for serving this as an easy appetizer...substitute softened goat cheese for the cream chees and serve atop water crackers. I dare you to eat just one!! Thanks again!