Pepper Jam — Hot as You Like! is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Pectin. Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener. See below for where to buy.This recipe was created by Allison Carroll Duffy for Pomona’s Pectin. She says: “While you can use any variety of bell pepper or hot pepper in this recipe, and while you can adjust the degree of spiciness in this recipe to suit your taste — it’s very important that you do not increase the overall quantity of peppers. And be sure to use standard white or apple cider vinegar with 5 percent acidity.”
Servings 5 cups
Ingredients
- 2½ cups green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1½ cups jalapeno pepper finely chopped
- 2 cups vinegar 5 % acidity
- 3 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener
Instructions
- Before you begin, prepare calcium water.To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.
- Wash the bell peppers, remove and discard seeds and finely chop. Repeat the process for the jalapeno peppers.
- Measure the chopped bell peppers and the chopped jalapeno peppers. Combine the measured quantities in a sauce pan and add the vinegar.
- Cover the pepper mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, remove it from the heat.
- Transfer the pepper mixture to a blender or food processor and blend the mixture. Since the mixture will be hot, be sure to vent the lid of the blender. Return the mixture to the sauce pan, then add the calcium water and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and the pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Put the sauce pan back on the stove and bring the pepper mixture up to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat.
- Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jam, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).
- Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
- Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from canner.
- Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.
scott bishop
Is it 4 cups finely chopped peppers or 4 cups of whole peppers?
Shelby Collings
Yes 4 cups of the finely chopped peppers.
B. Wilson
This is the first time I have used Pamona Pectin. Just made a batch of jelly; resulting in 4 1/4 8 oz jars. It appears to have set as expected. However, I am wondering why/if it must be put through a blender? I like the look of fine peppers floating in the jelly! Thanks!
Lindsey
Yes I wonder that too. I’ve made this recipe many times and never blended it. I don’t really like how it looks.
Amy Guthrie
Can I use a sugar substitute instead of sugar?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Tina
Hi , can I use 2 cups green pepper an 2 cups jalapeño pepper to get total 4 cups ?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
M. Baldovin
In the past I have used regular pectin, wanted to try Pomona’s this time for use of less sugar, good for the health aspect. I made this recipe using red, yellow, green peppers and jalapeno peppers. I followed directions and measurement, however, my jelly did not gel. After 24 hours sitting, it is runny.
I measured exact measurement of 3 t. calcium, which used almost the entire package. The 3 t. pectin measure left more in that package for another use. To make another batch I would need additional calcium, so would have to take it from another box of Pomona’s.
Question: Can I re-do this batch? If so, how do I do that?
Shelby Collings
We were so sorry to hear about your unjelled Pepper Jelly!
We have a wonderful troubleshooting page, HERE on our website to help you determine where something went amiss. We predict that you will want to choose FixB for your remake.
For the calcium, did you make calcium water, as directed in step 1 of the directions? (1/2 teaspoon calcium powder mixed into 1/2 cup water, then shake well. You will use this solution to draw your needed teaspoons from). And then you should have plenty of calcium powder remaining for future batches.
The calcium water can be stored in the fridge for several months (will just need to be tossed if it has any floating bits or smell or color). It can also be stored in the freezer and will keep indefinitely, and will just need to be thawed before use. We also highly recommend labeling your jar of calcium water, as it seems to be the first item tossed when cleaning the fridge/freezer .
Happy jamming and please let us know if you have any other questions, we are here and happy to help!
Ann
Can I use frozen peppers to make this? I have a freezer full and this year’s harvest is beginning. Thank you
Shelby Collings
Hello Ann,
We have never tried using frozen peppers in this recipe, but we can’t see why it wouldn’t work. If your peppers, once thawed, have an excess of water be sure to drain that off before chopping and measuring your peppers.
Ann
Thank you. I will give it a try.
J Garcia
Hello,
Can I substitute yellow onion for the green peppers in this recipe?
Shelby Collings
We would not recommend that adjustment to the recipe, as we are not sure that the pH of the jam would be safe with that substitute.
Dorothy Klecan
Can you lower the amount of sweet peppers to 1 cup and still use 1 1\2 cup hot peppers?? Seems like a lot of peppers in this recipe, and leave all other ingredients as is ??
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Jon Berger
Absolutely perfect. This recipe is a definite keeper. I used 1 cup of hot to 3 cups of bell because that’s how much hot pepper I had, and it came out great, probably because I’m using altiplanos, which are a bit hotter than jalapenos. (Basically they’re oversize Serrano peppers.) I used honey, which I think is perfect for this one. The set was exactly right. I wouldn’t do a thing differently next time. Bravo! I 💖 Pomona’s.
It might be worth noting, in case anyone isn’t aware of this, that you should either wear latex gloves when prepping the hot peppers, or if (like me) that just feels too weird, wash your hands really thoroughly afterward, preferably with Tecnu. (It’s marketed as being for washing off poison oak, but it works great for capsicum too.) Also, open the windows and/or run the range hood fans on full blast; the hot peppers release pretty powerful fumes when you cut them, or mine did anyway.
Shelby Collings
Thank you so much for this message Jon!
Cindy Althens
We would like to make pomegrante jalepeno pepper jelly. Can we substitute the vinegar or some of the vinegar for juice? Or should I find a pomegrante jelly and add jalepenos and bell peppers?
Shelby Collings
Hello Cindy,
We would recommend using our Peach Pepper Jelly, HERE. Simply replace the peach juice measurement with pomegranate juice. You are welcome to use all jalapeno or switch up to any peppers you like, as long as the over all measurement stays the same.
Happy jamming!
Julie
Can I use apricots for the spicy jam recipe and what if I don’t want to use any bell peppers?
Lastly, could I use a non-sugar sweetener such as lakanto that is Stevia and erythritol?
Shelby Collings
Hello Julie,
Replacing the bell peppers with apricots should be just fine! And yes, you can use an alternative sweetener, such as Lakanto. We do suggest that you start out with a small amount of the sweetener at first, say 1/2 cup to mix your pectin into. Then once it is fully dissolved you can add more should you decided that it is needed. Happy jamming!
Joloyce
Can this recipe be doubled successfully? I am working on converting my Sure Jell Habanero jelly to Pomona’s Pectin. I give these to client for Christmas gifts. The old recipe used 13 cups of sugar ( double recipe) so I need to play with that since I don’t want it extremely hot. Can I add more sugar than the 2 cups in the recipe if I add it after the pectin is in?
TIA
Joloyce
Shelby Collings
Yes, this recipe can be doubled! You can certainly add additional sugar once the initial sugar/pectin is dissolved in the jelly.
Happy jamming!
Debra Woracek
Can I substitute honey instead of sugar?
Shelby Collings
Yes, you sure can, it would be half the amount of the called for measurement of sugar.
Steph
Can I substitute the sugar amount listed for honey?
Shelby Collings
Yes, you sure can, it would be half the amount of the called for measurement of sugar.
JulieM
Is there a way to give these a tint of red color without an issue?
Shelby Collings
That should be just fine Julie.
LORRAINE GOURAS
So if I want to make my jelly a bit thicker can I add 4t. of pectin and 3t. calcium water? The recipe is 4 cups of veggies. I don’t want it to be watery.
Shelby Collings
You sure can 😊
Monica Strohhaecker
how can i add pineapple to this… what would i have to add/reduce?
Shelby Collings
Hello Monica,
Great question! THIS recipe would be a better conversion for a pineapple jam with heat 😊 Simply replace the strawberries with pineapple. Happy jamming!
Monica
OH EXCELLENT, thank you for the recommendation!!!!
LORRAINE
So what happens if you use a 6% vinegar?
Shelby Collings
We do not recommend it. It could result in your jam not having a safe pH for shelf storage.
Dana L Bower
So I can use orange, yellow, red and green bell peppers as long as I still measure out at 2 1/2 cups of bell pepper? Can I reduce the jalapeño peppers to 3/4 cup? 9 I’m a wimp with spicy stuff) If so do I need to add more bell peppers? And could I chop/pulse the bell peppers and jalapeño peppers in a food processor? Thank you.
Shelby Collings
Yes, you can use any variety or colored peppers you’d like as long as the amount of peppers stays the same or is less. You can certainly chop your peppers in a food processor, that’s a great option!
Happy jamming 😊
Jennifer
I made this and it produced much more than the recipe called for (+8oz). The recipe as printed doesn’t turn out firm jam-just much more loose product. I suspect the apple cider vinegar quantity is too much – perhaps it should be one or one and a half cups rather than two cups.
CTL
Not an expert, but from what I’ve read, reducing the vinegar will likely make the recipe unsafe. My first batch was loose/watery too. Adding an extra tsp. of pectin fixed that. Love this as a sandwich spread!
Regina
So we use the entire packet of pectin for this recipe?
Shelby Collings
Hello Regina,
No, only 3 teaspoons! Should be about 1/3 of the packet.