Canned sweet red pepper jelly is made with fresh red bell peppers, apple cider vinegar, sugar, spices, and Sure-Jell pectin. Cooked on the stove, this Southern appetizer is best served over a block of cream cheese with crackers. Store it in mason jars and share it with friends and family!
Dips are my love language. I don't even know how many dip recipes are on FSS at this point....but there is a lot... and for good reason! Who doesn't love something that is easy to make, served hot or cold, cheesy or not, and perfect for any occasion? PS - I don't know of anyone. 😉
Everyone loves a little something to nibble on before a meal. Easy cream cheese and pepper jelly dip is my personal go-to for when I make an appetizer for us, family, and friends. It is one of my most made recipes in my everyday "normal not food blogging" life 😉 We always have the ingredients on hand and it comes together in 60 seconds. AND it's everyone's favorite!
As a Southern cook, my mom taught me all of what I know when it comes to cooking and entertaining. This includes my canning recipe collection - which I know can be intimidating but recipes like canned diced green chiles and canning tomatoes without a pressure cooker make it less scary!
While you could buy sweet pepper jam from the store, like everything else, it takes so much better homemade! Let me show you how to make a homemade version of red pepper jelly, step by step, so you can always have it on stock for an easy app!
Equipment Needed
As I have made this pepper jelly canning recipe in my own home and helped my mom make this growing up many times, I have found a couple of pieces of kitchen equipment you will need to make everything just a bit easier for you.
- Large Pot - this will be used to sanitize the mason jars before the recipe.
- Canning Funnel - this will be wildly helpful in spooning the jelly into the jars after cooking. You want to ensure not to get anything on the rims of the clean jars otherwise they will not seal properly. Using a funnel will help this not happen.
- Tongs - you will need these to raise the hot jars out of the boiling water after sanitizing. You can use regular kitchen tongs or canning ones.
- Half Pint Wide Mouth Mason Jars - this recipe makes 4 half pints full of pepper jelly - you can also use 8-ounce wide mason jars or even 4 ounces jars - both of these smaller sizes would make great gift-giving sizes (and what I prefer to store them in personally).
- New Seals and Lids - if you have Mason jars already grab some new lids and seals. Do not use old, dirty, or rusted seals and lids as the jelly will not seal properly causing it to spoil.
- Blender - needed to blend up the peppers and vinegar into a liquid form.
- Medium Sauce Pan - this will be used actually to cook the jelly.
This sweet pepper jelly fills 4 half-pint jars, but I prefer storing it in 8-ounce or even small 4-ounce jars. These smaller sizes are the perfect amount for 1 serving of pepper jelly dip with cream cheese but also make great little gifts. This recipe makes quite a bit, so it is perfect to share with loved ones!
For simplicity - this canning set on Amazon has many of the items listed above in one package for a great price (and less than you would pay for each one individually).
*All links above are Amazon affiliate links*
Ingredients
- Red Bell Peppers
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sugar
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Salt
- Sure Jell Pectin
Reader Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I would not change one thing about this recipe. It is so good. I love red pepper jelly and I usually can't find it. So I decided to try to make it. I did a good job if I do say so myself. Lol. The only thing that I did have to change was that I had to use just a little more than 1 ½ packets of Pectin."
- Kelli
PRO TIP - if you have an abundance of red bell peppers at the end of the summer from your garden that need to be used up - this is a great recipe for that!
Sterilizing Jars
Before beginning to make red pepper jam, you need to sterilize your mason jars. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Place in the jars and boil for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and let cool upright on a tea towel until dry. Use brand-new lids and seals.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let these jars cool completely on the counter. You will know they are properly sealed and canned by touching the top of the sealed jar. If you cannot press down on them, they are good to go for storage. If you can press down on the top and it gives and "pops", then the seal has been compromised and it needs to be consumed quickly - within the week. Store these in a cool dark place for up to 7 years (not that it will take you like long to consume - but they will last that long). Check about once a month to make sure they are still sealed correctly. Once opened, then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
This is best served cold as a 2 minute cream cheese and pepper jelly appetizer. This also makes a great addition to a charcuterie board or gifts to friends and family around the holidays.
Recipe
Sweet Red Pepper Jelly (For Canning)
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 Pint Mason Jars 1x
Description
Canned sweet red pepper jelly is made with fresh red bell peppers, apple cider vinegar, sugar, spices, and Sure-Jell pectin. Cooked on the stove, this Southern appetizer is best served over a block of cream cheese with crackers. Store it in mason jars and share it with friends and family!
Ingredients
- 6 Large Red Bell Peppers - diced
- 1 ½ Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
- 6 Cups Sugar
- 2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Box of Sure Jell Pectin
- Red Food Coloring
- 4 Half Pint Wide Mouth Mason Jars, or 8 - 8 Ounce Jars, or 16 - 4 Ounce Jars
Instructions
Before beginning the recipe, sterilize your mason jars. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Place in the jars and boil for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and let cool upright on a tea towel until dry. Use brand-new lids and seals.
- Dice the red bell peppers. Add to a blender along with the apple cider vinegar. Blend on high for 30 seconds to chop up and make a liquid pepper mixture.
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add in the pepper and apple cider vinegar liquid, sugar, red pepper, and salt - stir together.
- Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the box of sure jell and stir.
- Let boil and cook until thickened, stirring often. This will take roughly 20 minutes.
- Once thick, remove from the heat and add in the smallest amount of red food coloring. I like to take a butter knife, stick just the very top of the tip in the food coloring, and then run it through the jelly. It is the smallest amount just to give a deeper and more vibrant red color.
- Place a canning funnel over the sterilized jars and gently spoon the pepper jelly evenly into each jar. Leave about ¼" from the top for room to seal. Be sure not to touch the rim of the seal or lid or get any jelly on them. If you do, clean with a wet cloth and let dry completely. Place on the new seals and lid, and close tightly.
- Let cool completely on the counter. You will know when it is sealed once cooled and you are able to press down on the top of this lid WITHOUT a give or "pop".
- Once cooled, store in a cool dark place like a pantry or basement. Enjoy this as a 2 minute cream cheese and pepper jelly dip appetizer.
Notes
- A properly sealed pepper jelly jar can be stored in a cool dark place (like a pantry or basement) for up to 7 years. Check every month or so to make sure they are still sealed correctly. If you can press down on the top of the lid and there is a give and "pop", the seal has been broken and it will need to be eaten quickly. Once opened, store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- This recipe was adapted from the 1972 Ball Canning Cookbook my mom owns.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Canning
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ Cup
- Calories: 636
- Sugar: 152.9 g
- Sodium: 165.3 mg
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 161.9 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
DISCLOSURE. SOME OF THE LINKS BELOW ARE AFFILIATE LINKS, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU CLICK ON A PRODUCT LINK, I MAY RECEIVE COMPENSATION. THIS COMPENSATION COMES AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, AND AS ALWAYS I ONLY RECOMMEND PRODUCTS I TRUST! HEATHER BILYEU IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM.
Kelli says
I would not change one thing about this recipe. It is so good. I love red pepper jelly and I usually can't find it. So I decided to try to make it. I did a good job if I do say so myself. Lol. The only thing that I did have to change was that I had to use just a little more than 1 1/2 packets of Pectin.
Heather Bilyeu says
Oh my goodness Kelli, thank you so much! This means the world - this is a family favorite and staple of ours! It is always stocked up in the house and out every time my family comes over to nibble on. We love it so much and so glad you did too. Thank you for making and then leaving a comment to tell me! I appreciate it 🙂