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Pepper Jelly with Sugar or Honey

Pepper Jelly with Sugar or Honey is a low-sugar or low-honey cooked hot pepper jelly made with Pomona’s Pectin. Pomona's Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener.
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup bell peppers seeded, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup jalapeno peppers seeded, finely chopped (leave seeds in for more heat)
  • 1 1/3 cups vinegar standardized to 5% acidity
  • 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
  • 1½ cups honey or 2 1/3 cups sugar divided
  • 1½ teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener
U.S. - Metric

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.
  • Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Wash lids and bands and set aside.
  • Wash, seed, and finely chop bell peppers. Then measure into sauce pan.
  • Wash, seed (if desired), and finely chop jalapeno peppers. Then measure and add to sauce pan.
  • Measure vinegar into sauce pan.
  • Bring peppers and vinegar to a boil and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
  • Turn off heat, add calcium water, and mix well.
  • Measure ½ cup of the sugar or ½ cup of the room temperature honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into the ½ cup of sweetener. Set aside.
  • Return pepper mixture to the heat and bring to a full boil. Add pectin-sweetener, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.
  • Add remaining sugar or honey once pectin is dissolved. Stir well and return to a full boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
  • Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with (marmalade/jam/jelly), leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims 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, bring 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 12-24 hours. Then, confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

Notes

Options: It is fine to vary the ratio of finely chopped bell peppers and jalapeno peppers as long as you don’t exceed a total of 1 1/3 cups of finely chopped peppers.
It is fine to use peppers other than jalapenos for the hot peppers.
Use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or wine vinegar, as long as it is standardized to 5% acidity.