I love a hot condiment, especially on a cold day. However, traditional pepper jelly takes a ton of work. That’s why I love this easy recipe.
Follow this recipe, and you’ll can hot pepper jelly at home in just a few steps.
You’ll never look back!
Step-by-Step Guide to Water Bath Canning Pepper Jelly
This recipe is modified from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It’s one of my favorites, and I have a few hot tips to make it even easier.

Equipment Needed
- Gloves
- Sharp knife
- Food processor
- Water canner
- Five 8-ounce jars with lids and rings (for a full batch)
- Jar lifter
- Lid lifter
- Stainless steel pan
- Saucepan
- Canning funnel
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jalapeño peppers
- 2 cups cider vinegar (divided in two)
- 6 cups sugar
- 2 pouches of liquid pectin
Step 1: Choose Your Peppers
I’m using jalapeño peppers for this recipe, as I wanted the jelly to be spicy but not so hot that they might burn my mouth when I’m eating the final product. You can use whichever hot peppers you prefer.
It’s best to use really ripe jalapeños, so you can avoid grassy aftertastes. A ripe jalapeño is usually about 4 inches long, and it’s green, red, orange, or yellow. Some are speckled with color, and that’s totally fine.
If you hold the pepper up to the light, it should shine with gloss. It should also feel really firm beneath your fingers.

Step 2: Clean Your Peppers
This recipe calls for very hot peppers, and they can damage your eyes and your skin. Wearing gloves is critical (as is keeping your hands away from your eyes as you cook).
Start by rinsing your peppers under warm water and rubbing them with your fingers. This step will remove the dirt that could contaminate your jelly.
Step 3: Remove the Stems, Seeds, and Veins
We want our pepper jelly to be warm and spicy but not so hot that it burns the mouth. In most cases, the seeds inside the peppers hold all the heat.
With a sharp knife, remove the stems from all of your peppers. Cut each pepper in half, and use the sharp edge of your knife to scrape out the seeds and the white bits the seeds are attached to.

Step 4: Prepare the Jars and Lids
Canning jars can be used over and over again, which is a huge perk. However, they can get damaged. For example, I sometimes chip my jelly jars when I scrape jelly out with my knife in the morning.
Examine your jars with your fingers and your eyes. Don’t use anything that’s cracked or chipped. Jars like this either won’t seal or will break in the canner.
Wash approved jars with soap and water. You’ll need five 8-ounce jars for a full batch of this recipe. You’ll notice that I replaced one of my 8-ounce jars with two 4-ounce jars. Those smaller batches are a little easier to incorporate into recipes.
Put the jars in your canner and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil and let the jars simmer while you work.
Place your lids in a saucepan and cover them with water. Turn the heat low and let the lids sit. The adhesive around the edges will soften, which can make for a more successful canning process.
Step 5: Blend Your Peppers
Most jelly recipes involve squeezing or squishing some kind of fruit and collecting clear juice. This recipe is really different, and that’s what makes it fun.
Place all of your peppers in a food processor. Add 1 cup of your cider vinegar, and blend these ingredients thoroughly. The result shouldn’t have big chunks or clumps. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender for this step.)

Step 6: Cook Your Peppers
Place your pepper blend in your stainless steel saucepan. Add your reserved 1 cup of cider vinegar and 6 cups of sugar, and stir thoroughly.
Turn the heat on high, and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. That means you can’t step away for even one minute to do something else. Focus exclusively on the stirring. Cook for 10 minutes.

Step 7: Add Your Pectin
This recipe calls for liquid pectin‚ which is a little different than the powdered versions. Liquid pectin thickens pretty much immediately, so you add it at the end of a recipe (instead of at the beginning).
Squeeze your two packets of liquid pectin into this mixture and stir until it’s incorporated completely. It shouldn’t take more than a second or two.
Bring the mixture back to a boil and keep stirring hard for 1 minute. I like to scrape bits up from the bottom of the pan as I stir, as it means fewer risks of scorching and burning.
Step 8: Check Your Gel
It’s easy to undercook jelly, and when you do, it looks more like soup inside the jars. When I learned how to do a proper gel test, I no longer worried about my jelly not setting up.
While you keep stirring with one hand, dip a cold spoon in the jelly. Lift the spoon and watch the liquid drip off. When you notice it hanging off the edge (instead of running right off), you’re ready.
If your jelly fails the gel test, don’t worry. Cook for another minute, and then run the test again.

Step 9: Fill Your Jars
You must fill your jelly jars quickly. The jelly will begin to set up as soon as it’s off the heat source. It’s helpful to have another set of hands for this step. One person can keep stirring the jelly while the other one gets the jars ready.
With your jar lifter, remove your prepared jars from the canner. Place your canning funnel inside the jars, and fill the jars with hot jelly with your ladle.
Leave at least ¼ inch of headspace at the top for the jelly to expand in the canner.

Step 10: Add Lids and Rings
Little bits of jelly on the edge of your jars can keep the lids from sealing. Dampen a paper towel and run it along the edge of the jar.
With your lid lifter, remove the lids from the water bath. Place a lid on every jar and secure it with a ring. Screw down that ring until it’s finger-tight (not so firm that it buckles the lids).
Step 11: Process Your Jars

With your jar lifter, put your filled jars inside the canner. Ensure that they’re covered with at least an inch of water, and bring that water to a boil.
Process your jars for 10 minutes. Adjust for your elevation as needed.
Step 12: Let Jars Rest
When your processing time is complete, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Leave the jars inside the canner for 5 minutes.
With your jar lifter, remove your jars from the canner and place them on a towel or cutting board. Placing this layer below your jars can keep them from breaking and cracking.
Keep your jars upright as you move them, so the lids have the best chance of sealing. If the lids have a bit of water on them, blot them with a paper towel. But don’t tip the jars to get the water off.
Leave the jars undisturbed for 24 hours. You’ll notice that the jelly will firm up a bit as it rests.

Step 13: Check the Seal
After 24 hours, your lids should be sealed. Remove the rings and press on the center of the lid. You shouldn’t hear any pops or clicks.
If any of your jars didn’t seal, place them in the refrigerator. Eat them within the next day or two.
Place today’s date on the lids of all of your jelly. If you make a lot of different types of jelly, it’s also helpful to write down what type of jelly you made. I always do this, as I sometimes forget what I made.
How Long Does Pepper Jelly Last?
The USDA says all home-canned items should be eaten within 1 year. Once you’ve canned a lot, you’ll get a feel for how many items your family can eat within a year. It’s rare for me to have anything older than a year.
Store your jelly in a dark place with low humidity. This step ensures that your jelly can last as long as possible.
Ideas for Using Canned Jalapeño Pepper Jelly
Canned pepper jelly is absolutely delicious, and once you’ve made it, you’ll find all kinds of ways to use it. These are a few of my favorites:
- Take a bite when you’re feeling chilly and warm up from the inside.
- Add a drizzle of pepper jelly to the top of tacos.
- Slather a layer of pepper jelly on the inside of your quesadillas.
- Bake squash with a drizzle of pepper jelly.
- Mix jelly with olive oil for a spicy salad dressing.
- Use as the basis of a meat marinade (it already has a bunch of vinegar!).
- Swirl into tuna salad.
- Dip ripe strawberries in your jelly.
- Serve as a dipping sauce for jerky and other preserved meats.
- Eat straight out of the jar with crackers or tortilla chips.
- Warm up and inhale the spice for an at-home cold remedy.

Equipment
- Gloves (important for handling hot peppers!)
- Food processor (or blender)
- 5 8 oz Canning Jars with Lids & Rings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jalapeño peppers
- 2 cups cider vinegar divided
- 6 cups sugar
- 2 pouches liquid pectin
Instructions
Choose Your Peppers
- Pick firm, ripe jalapeños (green, red, orange, or yellow). The shinier and firmer, the better. Ripe peppers have more flavor without the grassy aftertaste.
Clean the Peppers
- Rinse the peppers with warm water and rub them clean. Don’t forget your gloves—hot peppers can irritate your skin and eyes!
Remove Stems, Seeds, and Veins
- Cut off the stems and slice the peppers in half. Scrape out the seeds and the white bits (the “veins”)—this will tone down the heat.
Prepare Your Jars and Lids
- Check your jars for cracks or chips. Wash them well. Place them in your water canner, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Also, simmer your lids in a saucepan with water to soften the adhesive.
Blend Your Peppers
- Place the cleaned peppers into a food processor, add 1 cup of cider vinegar, and blend until smooth. No big chunks! (A blender works too.)
Cook the Mixture
- Transfer the blended peppers into a stainless steel pan. Add the remaining cider vinegar and sugar. Stir, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
Add the Pectin
- Stir in the two pouches of liquid pectin, then bring the mixture back to a boil. Stir hard for 1 minute—scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
Check the Gel
- Dip a cold spoon into the jelly, then lift it out. If the jelly drips off slowly (not runny), it’s set. If not, cook another minute and retest.
Fill Your Jars
- Quickly ladle the jelly into the hot jars (using a funnel). Leave about ¼ inch of headspace at the top. Remember, jelly will expand as it cools.
Add Lids and Rings
- Wipe any jelly from the jar rims with a damp paper towel. Place the lids and secure with rings—tighten until finger-tight (don’t over-tighten).
Process in the Canner
- Place the jars back in the water canner, making sure they’re covered with at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes (adjust for elevation as needed).
Let the Jars Rest
- Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes. Remove them carefully with a jar lifter and place them on a towel. Let them rest for 24 hours.
Check the Seal
- After 24 hours, press on the center of the lid. If it doesn’t pop back, the jar is sealed. If any jars didn’t seal, refrigerate them and use within a couple of days. Label your jars with the date!
Notes
- If the jelly fails the gel test, simply cook for another minute and retest.
- If you’re new to canning, don’t worry if you miss a step – practice makes perfect!
