Maylee at Beyond Gumbo 
Let’s make Banana Pepper Jelly! Home canning pepper jelly is a new adventure for me — but I’m willing to give it a try. My Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) basket was full of large banana peppers. These peppers are mild, with a distinctive flavor. I don’t often use banana peppers in cooking and hate to throw them away. So making jelly seemed like a good solution. The jelly turned out so well that I made a batch of Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly, too.
Finding a Recipe
I’ve home canned many vegetables and fruits–but never peppers. I’m always ready to try something new and rummaged around to find an assortment of hot pepper jelly recipes. All seemed to have something amiss — for example, some recipes added green food color (yuk), some pureed and strained the peppers. The Tabasco Cookbook recipe used only drops of their hot sauce — no peppers at all. Other recipes called for a specific number of peppers without telling the size or measure. I almost gave up; but found that the insert on the box of Sure-Jell Pectin by Kraft had exactly what I needed: — it gave a measure for the peppers by measuring cup volume.
Using proper proportions
Using the correct proportions of peppers, vinegar and sugar to pectin is critical to get the jelly to taste right and to “set.” The goal is a peppery taste, but not an overpowering one. Pectin is needed in pepper jelly because peppers don’t have enough natural pectin to “set” like other fruit such as apples or peaches. The recipe has alot of sugar but don’t cut back on the quantity or the jelly won’t set properly. Here are two types of commercial pectin. Either one can be used. for this recipe. I used a box of the powdered Sure-Jell — shown on the left.
Banana Peppers in Jelly
Banana peppers are mild. So this jelly is not “hot”. But the peppers had a nice bite and the mild flavors blended well in the jelly. The banana peppers in my CSA basket were very large; hence I couldn’t substitute them equally for other peppers — jalapeno peppers, for example. There was an orange banana pepper in the basket, I added it. The recipe also called for a green bell pepper. This made a colorful jelly!
Other Ingredients
The other ingredients in banana pepper jelly are apple cider vinegar and sugar. And that’s basically what jelly is — sweetened fruit. In this case, apple cider vinegar adds a tart flavor. This a very simple recipe!
Here we go: Getting the canning process coordinated
Most of the challenge of home canning is getting everything coordinated. It’s important to use clean, sterilized jars. I put the canning jars in my dishwasher on hot rinse and high drying heat to sort of sterilize them — this is going on while I’m getting the jelly ready. Another option is to boil the jars in water for at least 10 minutes.
Use a home canner with a heavy bottom and an insert with holes so that the boiling water circulates under the jars. The jelly will process more evenly and the jars won’t crack. I set this huge pot filled with water on the stove to begin to heat while chopping the peppers and making the jelly. What does this all translate to? …a hot, humid kitchen!
Now there are two burners left. Use one to sterilize the rings and seals and the other to cook the jelly. (The large canner will probably take up 2 burners.)
Making the Jelly
First seed and coarsely chop the peppers.
Then pulverize the peppers in a food processor. I didn’t puree the peppers to a pulp but left a few small pieces. After chopping, the yield was 3-1/2 cups of finely chopped peppers. Just the right amount. (After making this jelly for seveal years, I now recommend draining the peppers after chopping them.)
Add the peppers, vinegar and Sure-Jell Pectin to a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Sir constantly.
Add the sugar…keep track of how much you are adding–5 cups for this recipe. Return to a rolling boil and cook exactly one minute, stirring constantly. A rolling boil is one that doesn’t stop boiling as you stir the pot.
Ladle the hot jelly into the hot, sterilized jars. The funnel, made specifically for canning, fits exactly in a standard canning jar. Leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the top of the jar (or add jelly to the bottom of the funnel). If needed, wipe of the top of the jar so the seal will adhere.
Add the seals and rings. My favorite kitchen gadget — a magnet-devise — lifts the seals and rings out of the boiling water without causing injuries from the steam. Always use new seals — old ones will be bent and won’t seal properly.
Add the jars to the canner filled with water. The water should cover the lids by at least an inch. Return to a rolling boil and process for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool. The jars should ‘pop” telling you they have properly sealed. Here’s the finished Banana Pepper Jelly. This recipe yields 6 one-cup jars. (My batch actually yielded 7 jars — a little “lagniappe” or extra in Cajun French).
Ideas for Using the Jelly
Serve the jelly with cream cheese and crackers. Spread on toast. Use in a salad dressing. Use as a glaze on chicken, fish or pork. There are many ways to use this zippy jelly!
Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
My Banana Pepper Jelly turned out so well that I decided to make a batch of Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly using the recipe on the Sure-Jell box insert. Here are the peppers — jalapeno peppers, green bell peppers and red bell peppers. All the peppers were large — once chopped there was actually enough for two batches of jelly.
Here’s the finished Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. I used both 4 oz jars and 8 oz jars. Now this jelly has some bite! It’s delicious.
Recipe
This recipe is from the Sure-Jell package insert and is used with permission from Kraft.(“Courtesy of Kraft Food & Family magazine” at www.kraftrecipes.com“). I have reprinted the recipe verbatim. For the Banana Pepper Jelly, I used five very large banana peppers and one bell pepper. This yielded 3-1/2 cups which was the right amount for a batch of jelly (the original recipe uses 4 cups chopped peppers). The peppers should be drained prior to adding them to the vinegar and Sure-Jell.
Hot Pepper Jelly from Sure-Jell by Kraft
Ingredients
- 2 green bell peppers (about 1-1/2 cup finely chopped)*
- 2 red bell peppers (about 1-1/2 cup finely chopped)*
- 10 jalapeno peppers ( about 1 cup finely chopped peppers)*
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 pkg Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin
- 1/2 tsp butter or margarine (optional)
- 5 cups sugar
*NOTE: I recommend draining the peppers after chopping. The final measurement of combined peppers should not exceed 3-1/2 cups.
Method and Steps
- Lids and jars must be sterilized. To sterilize the jars and lids, simmer them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes while your jam is cooking.
- Use dry measuring cup to measure exact amount of prepared peppers, use liquid cup to measure exact amount of vinegar, into large sauce pan.
- Measure the exact amount of sugar into a separate bowl. (DO NOT REDUCE THE SUGAR IN RECIPE SINCE THAT WILL RESULT IN SET FAILURES.)
- Stir in 1 pkg SURE-JELL Premium Fruit Pectin into prepared peppers and vinegar in saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired.
- Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add sugar to pepper mixture in saucepan. Return to full rolling boil; boil exactly 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off any foam with metal spoon.
- Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of top. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if needed.) Cover, bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes, adjusting time if necessary as directed on Altitude Chart. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing centers of lids with finger. If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.
- Let prepared jars stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Store unopened jams and jellies in cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year. Refrigerate opened jams and jellies up to 3 weeks.
“Photo and recipe provided courtesy of Kraft Food & Family magazine, www.kraftrecipes.com. ; For more information or to sign up for a free subscription, please visit http://www.kraftrecipes.com/foodfamilyarchive/foodandfamilyarchivelanding.aspx.”
Home canning can be rather daunting! But it’s not so bad; and your family and friends will be so impressed….
Boy, are they beautiful!
Thanks, they are delicious, too. We’ll bring you a jar next time we visit.
Great recipe. Nice pictures! 🙂
Thanks! And also for stopping by my blog. And — I visited your site, too! Just beautiful — and I love your recipes. I want to explore more Asian recipes and cooking, too.
mmm. . . this sounds lovely.
Thanks! I was pleased — I’m not much of a jelly-eater; but these were different, tasty.
This is a great jelly! Thanks so much for the recipe idea. We used it as a topping for hamburgers tonight. Gave them a nice little kick. 🙂
This looks amazing. I have a bunch of banana peppers in my garden and would love to try this recipe but I didn’t see any amounts for the vinegar and sugar. Could you send me the entire recipe. Thanks
You are so correct; I see I didn’t post the quantities for the Banana Pepper Jelly. It is 3-1/2 cups chopped assorted banana peppers including 1 green bell pepper, 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 pkg Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin, (1/2 tsp butter or margarine – optional), 5 cups sugar. Follow instructions as written. Yield: six 1-cup (8 oz) canning jars. Hope you enjoy the jelly; much better than any store-bought jelly and a good way to use banana peppers in the garden. And this makes great gifts!
This jelly is amazing! Made one batch on Thursday and will be making another today. We’ve been eating it on hamburgers and with tortilla chips. Even my dad, who is a very picky eater, has raved about it. Thanks so much!
Thanks! Glad you like the jelly; I spent alot of time trying to figure out the proportions and think it turned out well. I had not thought of serving it on hamburgers; will try it. Good idea.
Thanks for mentioning my recipe in your blog. It’s a great recipe – delicious – I’ve received many compliments for my jelly; I’m sure you do, too!
Love this Pepper Jelly. All 9f my peppers rose to the top of her. How do I get them to disperse throughout the jelly?
Hello, I didn’t have this problem with my pepper jelly; the peppers were dispersed throughout the jelly. So, looking at an on-line forum about the problem, these were some helpful suggestions. Usually I don’t post quotes from others, but this time it seems appropriate. i did both coarsely puree most of the peppers and then letting the jelly sit 5 minutes before processing (as listed below), so perhaps this is why my jelly turned out fine.
1. “After bringing your jelly to a rolling boil for one minute, take it off the burner and allow it to cool for about 20 minutes before putting it in the jars.
This allows the peppers to cook a little longer and they will distribute throughout the jelly. This also works with your fruit when making jam.”
2. “I find that if I take the cooked jelly off the heat and gently stir it for five minutes before jarring and processing, this helps prevent the fruit (or peppers) from floating up.
And then, after processing, I gently turn the jars, or turn them over completely for 10 minutes or so while they are cooling, as per other comments.”
3. “I know a lot of people leave the peppers in whole, or even in small pieces, but I just puree them instead. I don’t have the problem of them floating to the top, and it still tastes really good.”
These comments and more are from: https://www.simplycanning.com/canning-pepper-jelly.html
Hope this helps!
Can u make it with a sugar substitute like Stevia granular ? Baking Stevia ?
Hello, This recipe is specifically made to use regular sugar, so it won’t work to substitute in “sugar substitutes.” There probably are jelly recipes that are “low sugar”, I just haven’t researched the idea. You would need specific recipes for Stevia, etc. Good luck!
Can I just add an apple to get the needed pectin instead of using store bought pectin? Or will this mess up the recipe?
Thanks for checking out my blog and recipe. Hum, apples do contain pectin. However, I’m not sure that adding one apple would be enough to replace the purchased pectin in this recipe, I don’t think I’d try it with this recipe. However, there might be other recipes around. It might be better to make a fruit jelly with just a little jalapeno or banana peppers in it, such as peach/apple/ plum jellies or combinations, now that might be great! But, I have to say I haven’t tried that route. Might be a project for this fall!
I made the sweet banana pepper jelly just as the recipe called for. I have never made any kind of jelly, and it was my first time canning anything. It tastes amazing if I can say so myself. I grow my own peppers and usually pickle them and eat them right away. This made 2 1/2 pints. 2 pints are put up and enjoying the rest. Not sure how long they’ll last.
Hello, I am so excited that your jelly came out great on your first attempt to make it. Yes, this is a great-tasting recipe. You made my day!
On the banana pepper jelly how much vinager do I use?
3-1/2 cups chopped yellow and orange banana peppers — (and this amount includes one green bell pepper)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 pkg Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin Powder
1/2 tsp butter or margarine (optional)
5 cups sugar
Hope this helps! Seems like alot of sugar, but then, this is jelly. This does make great jelly! Enjoy.
can liquid pectin be used?
Yes, liquid pectin can be substituted for the powder. Check manufacturers recommendations for converting the two forms.
Great. I wondered about the banana pepper ingredients. You showed what to use and the how too but not how much of each ingredient. Glad someone else asked.
Hello, Yes, I need to go back and amend that post. On the amount of peppers, please. please just use a very scant 3-1/2 cups and drain of any excess liquid. 3 cups of peppers is actually okay. Good luck, hope you enjoy the jelly.
for the hot pepper jelly do I have to use green and red peppers or can I just use hot peppers in the same measurement amount?
I would not recommend using only hot peppers
I would not recommend using only hot peppers as the jelly would probably be too hot and spicy to eat. A little hot goes a long way. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I would not recommend using only hot peppers as the jelly may be too hot to eat.
I made the banana pepper jelly recipe. I used a red bell pepper instead of a green. I used the podered pectin. My issue is that it did not set and I followed and measured precisely and I have 12 half punt jars of beautiful golden tricolor pepper syrup. I cried. Please tell me how to fix this.
I’m so sorry your pepper jelly didn’t set. But I bet it tastes great. I have been making Tabasco Pepper Jelly (recipe coming up) with basically the same issue. Pepper Jelly is low-acid and seems to have issues setting up. (I believe that the recipe uses vinegar.) A couple of things you can try. First set the jelly in the refrigerator. It can take 48 hours to set up. If the jelly thickens, even to a thick syrup, I’d call it a success. Secondly, re-boil the jelly. Working 1 quart at a time (eight 1/2 pint jars), combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 4 teaspoons no-sugar powdered pectin in a pot large enough to easily hold all of these ingredients. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and then pour in the jelly. Continue stirring the mixture as it returns to a boil. Boil the jelly from 1 minute to up to 5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Stir constantly. Process again in boiling water bath for 10 minutes (use new rings) or store in refrigerator. In the future, make sure to drain all liquid off the pureed fruit before you process it. But, don’t throw your jelly away! It’s alot of work to make, try this tips first. Glad you are home canning.
I put it in the fridge and 48 hrs did the trick. I found my husband in the living room with crackers, an everything bagel, cream cheese and one of the jars of set jelly. He had the biggest smile and said we are not sharing this. Thank you for stopping me from dumping it out.