Quick and Easy Freezer Hot Pepper Jelly – No Canning Required!

Fans of Hot Pepper Jelly will love this easy freezer jam. Made with just 4 ingredients in less than 30 minutes, no canning required!

Are you a fan of Hot Pepper Jelly?

We enjoy it over cream cheese for a crowd-pleasing appetizer,

as an easy glaze for cocktail meatballs or wings for game day,

mixed in to add some sweet heat and kick to a vinaigrette or syrup,

or paired with pimento cheese on a cracker!

Are you familiar with freezer jams?

Instead of being processed in a water bath that keeps traditional jams and jellies shelf-stable,

 ‘freezer jam’ as the name implies, is kept in the freezer for long-term storage.

It will keep in the freezer for up to a year and in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

This recipe makes 7 half-pint jars, for about the price of one jar of hot pepper / jalapeno jelly

at a specialty food store, and with much more flavor!

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To make it you’ll need some peppers:

8 jalapenos and an assortment of mini sweet peppers (about three fourths of 16 oz. bag).

Jalapenos vary in heat, as a general rule if they have striations (as in the photo below),

they will be hotter than smoother, even-colored peppers.

You can adjust this jelly to your heat tolerance and preference,

removing seeds and ribs for a minimal heat or leave them for more of a kick.

Bump up the heat further by substituting a serrano or a cayenne pepper or two for jalapeno.

This is a low-sugar jelly, so it’s important to use a less or no sugar needed pectin

for it to set up properly and jell. You’ll want the pink box of Sure Jell.

I found mine at Publix.

In addition to your pectin, you’ll need 3 cups of sugar and 2 cups of apple cider vinegar.

Coarsely chop your peppers, then add them to a bowl of your food processor or mini chopper

and pulse until they are finely diced.

 You may need to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd bowl of processor.

Place your peppers in a medium sized heavy bottom pot

and add your vinegar and sugar and stir to combine.

Bring the pot to a boil, then add the low sugar pectin. Boil, stirring, for one minute.

The short cook time keeps your peppers fresh tasting and bright in color!

Ladle the hot liquid into clean freezer safe jars, leaving 1-inch head space for expansion.

Allow to cool completely before capping and refrigerating or freezing.

If your pepper bits float to the top, you can give the jelly an occasional stir

as it cools to help distribute them more evenly.

When the jelly is cool, cap and refrigerate or freeze jars.

To use frozen jam, allow it to thaw in refrigerator overnight.

This would make a tasty addition to a cheese board or easy appetizer

served a block of cream cheese or goat cheese:

An Easy 5-Minute Appetizer with Just Two Ingredients

We like it paired with pimento cheese. . . .

On a Pimento Cheese Drop Biscuit

Cheesy drop biscuits that come together in 30 minutes! Serve warm from the oven with sliced ham

for a Derby party or hot pepper jelly for sweet and peppery Southern bite.

As addition to Thumbprint Cheese Wafers with Pecans

This savory little cocktail or shower nibble can be served plain or with hot pepper jelly or the jam of your choice.

Your food processor does all the work, from shredding the cheese, then mixing all the ingredients together.  

 or in Pepper Jelly Syrup in Short Cut Mini Chicken and Waffle Party Bites

A Southern dish turned-finger food, that’s fit for company and a fun party bite! 

If you are a fan a Hot Pepper or Jalapeno Pepper Jelly,

I hope you’ll try this easy and money-saving recipe.

I’ve made two batches of Hot Pepper Jelly since last summer

and ready to make a third!

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