Nitrate & Nitrite Free Pepper Jelly
Bright, jewel-toned, and packing a sweet heat that hits you right at the end, this pepper jelly is the kind of condiment that turns a simple cheese board into something people talk about. It's made entirely from fresh bell peppers, jalapeños, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and pectin — nothing cured, nothing processed, no hidden preservatives that sneak nitrates or nitrites into your pantry. For anyone who loves a good jelly but has learned to read labels the hard way, making it from scratch is genuinely the only way to be certain of what's inside the jar. The technique is straightforward: mince your peppers fine, bring everything to a hard rolling boil, stir in the liquid pectin, and you're on your way to glossy, set jelly in under an hour of active cooking. The water bath canning process means you'll have shelf-stable jars ready to gift, serve alongside cream cheese and crackers, or spoon over grilled chicken whenever the mood strikes. You can dial the heat up or down simply by keeping or removing the jalapeño seeds and ribs, which makes this recipe genuinely flexible for different crowds. Once those lids start popping as the jars cool, you'll understand why homemade jelly has such a devoted following.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 ½ cups red bell pepper, finely minced (about 2 medium peppers)
- ½ cup green bell pepper, finely minced (about 1 small pepper)
- ½ cup jalapeño peppers, finely minced (about 4–5 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed for medium heat or kept for more heat)
- 6 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 pouches (3 oz total) liquid pectin
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Sterilize 6 half-pint (8 oz) mason jars by submerging them in a water bath canner or large stockpot filled with water, bringing to a boil, and boiling for 10 minutes. Keep the jars in the hot water until ready to fill. Place the lids in a small saucepan of hot (not boiling) water to soften the sealing compound.
- 2
Pulse the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and jalapeños in a food processor until very finely minced — pieces should be no larger than 1/8 inch. Measure the minced peppers after processing; you need exactly 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper, 1/2 cup green bell pepper, and 1/2 cup jalapeño. Adjust quantities as needed.
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