Red Pepper Jam
Published Jul 22, 2021•Updated Oct 22, 2025
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This five-ingredient no-pectin Red Pepper Jam is sweet, can be spicy (or not), and is the perfect way to preserve red peppers. It is absolutely delicious served over soft cheese with crackers and makes one of my favorite homemade gifts to give or receive.
Whether you are an experienced jelly and jam-maker or this is your first batch, simple no-pectin recipe is for you. You can preserve the ham in a hot water bath, save it in the fridge for a few weeks, or freeze it for simple preservation until the winter months. Or just eat it right away!
I adapted this adapted from Gourmet magazine, December 2006. The original recipe uses pectin, but over the years I’ve found that I prefer the consistency and flavor of the jelly made without pectin and thickened by boiling for longer than recommended in the original.
Love for Red Pepper Jelly
This recipe is one of the first I ever made and preserved using water bath “hot water” canning. I was living in a shoebox apartment in Washington, D.C., reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book about life on a Virginia farm, and quietly plotting my escape to a life of farming and canning. Those plans never materialized (instead I ended up in Kansas City by way of Bangkok), but this Red Pepper Jelly recipe stood the test of time. I make it every year when red bell peppers are abundant at the farmer’s market (September here) and serve it throughout the fall and winter holidays.
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The high amount of sugar in the jelly makes it a fail-proof recipe for hot water canning. Find instructions for that process included in the recipe below. But if you’re not up for a canning project, do not worry! This jelly can easily be stored in the fridge for a few weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Using Green Bell Peppers
Don’t have red bell peppers? You can absolutely make this jelly using green bell peppers. While the difference in flavor is very subtle, it’s the color that will dramatically change. This no-pectin recipe boils for about 15 minutes, so the jelly will lose its bright green color and be a dark green shade. If you use a combination of red and green bell peppers, the result will be a dark brownish-red.
What if the Jelly is too Thin or Thick?
Because jelly thickens as it cools, you may find that the consistency does not turn out the way you’d like. This is easy to correct. Simply return all of the jelly to a heavy-bottomed pot and bring it back to a boil. If it was too thin, let it boil for about 5 minutes to thicken. If it was too thick, add about some additional water (⅓ cup should be about right for one batch) and boil just for 1 minute.
Note: This is very simple to do if you’re using the refrigerator or freezer method for preserving your jelly, but keep in mind that you’ll have to repeat all of the steps for sterilizing and sealing the jars if you used a hot water bath to preserve them.
What to Do with Pepper Jelly
- Serve it over cream cheese or brie with crackers on the side (my favorite!)
- Use it to glaze chicken or pork (my grandma’s favorite!)
- Whisk it into vinaigrettes
- Simmer cocktail meatballs in it (serve as an appetizer)
- Use it as a dip for chicken tenders or fish sticks
- Spread on cornbread or soft rolls
Ingredients
- Red Bell Peppers – Remove the stems and core of the peppers and then chop them before using them in this recipe. You’ll need about 4 regular-sized bell peppers, but the most reliable way to measure them is to weigh them after the core and stems have been removed. You should have one pound of bell pepper pieces for the most consistent results.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust this to your spice preference. You can always taste the jelly after it has cooked and stir in more red pepper flakes at the end.
- Sugar – Like all jelly, this one uses lots of sugar! To maintain the bright red color, be sure to use white sugar here.
- White Wine Vinegar – Any type of vinegar will work, but white wine vinegar gives the jelly an interesting, rich flavor. In a pinch I have used distilled white vinegar and it works just fine, though I find the flavor to be a bit more flat than when using white wine vinegar.
- Unsalted Butter and Kosher Salt – Standard pantry / fridge ingredients.
More Bell Pepper Recipes
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Red Pepper Jam
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Mason Jars
- Food Processor
- Heavy Bottomed Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound Red Bell Peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces (important – weigh the bell peppers after the stems and cores have been removed; you should need about 4 regular bell peppers)
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (add more or less according to your spice preference; you can always taste and add more after cooking)
- 3 cups White Sugar
- 1 cup White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt (I use Morton’s)
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine red bell peppers and red pepper flakes. Pulse until very finely chopped.
- Combine bell pepper mixture, sugar, vinegar, butter, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Boil mixture for 10 to 15 minutes (the longer it boils the thicker it will be – 10 minutes will give you a very loose jelly; 15 minutes will give you a more spreadable consistency). The jelly will thicken as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems loose right after boiling.
- Divide jelly between jars, leaving at least 1/3-inch of headspace at the top (this is especially important if you are planning to freeze the jelly because it will expand as it freezes).
- Let jelly come to room temperature and then add lids.
- Refrigerate or freeze jelly until ready to use. (Jelly will keep for several weeks in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.)
Notes
- Before making the jelly, sterilize your jars and lids. To do this, wash jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse and dry well. Put empty jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner and add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place lids in a small saucepan and cover by at least 2 inches of water. Heat until a thermometer registers 180°F / 82°C. Remove jars and lids from heat, leaving them in hot water, covered, until ready to use.
- Make jelly according to instructions above.
- Carefully remove warm jars and lids with canning tongs. Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel and quickly dry lids. Invert jars and immediately ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving 1/3-inch of headspace at top. (If you have a partially-full jar, refrigerate it and use within a few weeks.) Gently tap the jars on the counter to release air bubbles. Wipe off rims with a damp, clean kitchen towel. Firmly screw on lids with screw bands.
- Put sealed jars on rack in canner and add more hot water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a full boil, covered, and then continue boiling with the lid on for 15 minutes. Transfer jars with canning tongs to a towel-lined surface to cool. Let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. You will know the jars have sealed if the lids are concave. (Put any jars that haven’t sealed properly in the refrigerator and use within a few weeks.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why is butter added to this recipe? Is it necessary? I’m cooking the peppers right now. Thanks for the no-pectin recipe!
Butter is added to reduce the amount of foaming.
Just wondering if I have to use unsalted butter
Hi Deb – using unsalted butter gives you a little more control over the final flavor (salted butter varies in the amount of salt it contains), but it won’t affect the recipe, so you should be fine!
I don’t understand what you mean when you say “it gives you more control over the final flavor”. Would you please explain? Thanks!
Hi there! Sorry I didn’t reply earlier, but the reason I say it gives you more control is that salted butter has varying amounts of salt in it. Starting with unsalted butter means you control how much salt you put in, rather than being tied to the amount that the manufacturer put in the butter. Though this recipe has a recommended amount of salt, if you know you prefer more or less, you an adjust it. If you use salted butter in this recipe, I’d just omit the added salt.
Love this recipe, however I’m a little confused. The ingredients calls for 3 1/4 cups sugar and the instructions call for adding the remaining 3 cups sugar. Where’s the 1/4 cup use for?
Thanks for the recipe and will enjoy making it again next year.
Hi Dee – thanks so much for your note! That was a typo in the recipe. The original calls for 1/4 cup sugar to be mixed with pectin before being stirred into the jelly, but I don’t use the pectin, so that 1/4 cup sugar is unnecessary. I’ve updated the recipe. Thanks again for bringing this to my attention!
Hello! I have had some success doubling recipes but sometimes it’s a fail. Some say not to even try but I’m curious if you have doubled this recipe before or should I make multiple batches?
Ames – you can definitely double this recipe – I have many times with great success!
Being a ‘foodie’ I somehow stumbled across your website and am really enjoying reading about your ex-pat life, recipes, and photos!
I too, am a Canadian ex-pat living in Buenos Aires for the past 11 years.
I started catering and cooking classes from my home 3 years ago and haven’t looked back.
About to try your recipe for Red Pepper Jelly. Happen to have a bag of red Jalapeno Peppers so thought I would try adding a few of them along with all the other ingredients.
What do you think?
Hi Debra – I think it would be great! Taste it before you add the crushed red pepper so that you have a bit more control over the heat, but this recipe would be great with jalapeno peppers! Wow 11 years – I’m so impressed, but it’s amazing how much time can pass before you realize that you’ve been an expat for so long. Do you get home much? At least there’s not too much of a time change. What kind of cooking classes do you teach?
Do you use white vingar or white wine vingar
Hi Brenda – I have actually used both in the past. I tend to use white wine vinegar because it adds a bit more complexity to the flavor, but plain white vinegar will work as well. The difference is very small in the finished product.
Made this twice now and love it both times. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Thank you for including me. I hope you’ll have a chance to make the popovers but I’m giving you fair warning they are addictive!
I can imagine, Kristen! Just the thought of them makes me hungry – I’m planning on making them this weekend for a holiday party and am sure they will be a hit!
Thanks for the info. A little softer is good for me since I plan on using it for cooking and dips. I may try those popovers too. Love cream cheese and goat cheese with red pepper jelly.
Do you use pectin? New to canning, but notcied some other recipes used it.
I choose not to use pectin in recipes that are very high in sugar content. I’m no expert, so it’s always best to go with a “safe” recipe that has been thoroughly tested, but in making jellies that have very high sugar content, I can usually get them to gel just fine without pectin. I don’t like the fake sort of flavor that the pectin seems to impart, so I leave it out. It makes for a much softer, flowing jelly in this recipe, but I prefer it that way. The original recipe (linked) includes the appropriate amount of pectin, so definitely feel free to try it that way and see what you think! I promise you’ll like the result either way!
I too prefer to make jams and jellies without pectin. I know that companies make the pectin from natural sources, but I’m such a purist! I like to make fruit/veg preserves the way my grandmother did–and she never used added pectin.
Maybe it’s in my head, but I think they have so much more flavor without the pectic, Ev! Nice to meet another preserves purist. 😉
I made a batch of red pepper jelly & it came out almost as hard as a rock… is there anything I can do
Yes – you can absolutely restore it! Just pour the jelly back into a pot and add water. Bring it back to a boil as if you were preparing it for the first time.
I didnt have enough vinegar and also just eyeballed everything based on how much red peppers I had. It turned out as red-pepper carmel candy. I spread it out on some foil to harden… not bad, not bad.
Interesting! I’ve never heard of anyone having that result, but it does sound intriguing.