After I posted my Hot Pepper Jelly and adventures-in-canning post a couple weeks ago, I made and canned another batch of hot pepper jelly. I love the stuff but canning isn’t one of those spur-of-the-moment little events. It does take some planning and there’s lots of boiling liquid.
When longtime reader and blogger, J of SemplicementeJ, wrote to tell me she makes Venezuelan Red Pepper Jelly but doesn’t bother with canning, I got very excited.
I asked her permission to share her recipe because it’s not on her site. She combines 1 red pepper, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of sugar on the stovetop and lets it simmer until it’s reduced by half.
Jelly, without canning? I was sold and tried the stovetop method and I’m so glad I did.
The resulting jelly was delicious. Sweet with some heat, and very thick. I was initially worried it wouldn’t get thick enough without using pectin or by processing it and actually canning it. However, I underestimated the power of simmering and time. The reduction in overall liquid volume thickened the jelly tremendously. It got almost too thick and next time I will not boil it quite as long, which is simply a fabulous excuse to try my hand at making more.
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Stovetop Hot Pepper Jelly (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free)
Makes about 1 1/2 cups jelly, depending on cooking time and how much volume you choose to reduce
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 small jalepeno peppers, diced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook mixture over medium-low heat until the mixture has reduced by half. (This took about 25 minutes for me, but in the future, I will stop cooking after about 20 minutes, since the jelly is quite thick. It’s hard to tell when it’s boiling and bubbling how thick it will be after it has been jarred and has cooled). Carefully pour the mixture into a glass jar or suitable container with a lid. I store my jelly in the refrigerator and surmise it will last for many weeks; use common sense.
Notes: J’s recipe Venezuelan Red Pepper Jelly calls for 1 red pepper, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar. Cut peppers as desired (julienne, small cubes, diced). Cook until reduced by half. Since I doubled the quantity of peppers, I doubled the vinegar and sugar amounts. I also used red, green, and jalepeno and her recipe calls just for red peppers.
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This is a fast recipe that came together in under a half hour and it’s also small batch recipe, and made just this one jar of jelly, which I’ve been savoring. The peppers are really chewy, the sugar-vinegar mixture reduced and became an almost honey-like substance, complete with a tartness from the vinegar and a kick from the peppers.
In many ways, the principle at play with this jelly is similar to the Cranberry & Orange Ginger Mango Chutney. If you boil fruit and sugar long enough on the stovetop, and it will reduce and you’ll make jelly or chutney.
I’m excited to play around with the pepper jelly recipe and test out different varieties of peppers and maybe include some fruit like mango, pineapple, or oranges. There are so many ways to go with it and I love that I don’t actually have to can, not that I’m trying to discourage you from canning.
Check out this post; canning isn’t as hard as you think.
But no lies, the stovetop method is easier and yielded a very similar-tasting result with less time and much less effort involved, which is a win-win.
It’s been very spicy and peppery and hot around here. Where’s the water?
Have you ever made jam, jelly, preserves or something similar?
If you’re intimidated by canning, you could try “freezer jam” which is made by simply cooking the fruit or berries with sugar, adding pectin, placing into freezer-safe containers or baggies, and un-thaw as needed. It’s easy and will make quick use of strawberries, blueberries, or other seasonal fruit. It’s a good “gateway” jam-making process if you don’t want to try full-out canning.
And the method I used for the stovetop hot pepper jelly was incredibly easy, and no pectin required, similar to the Cranberry & Orange Ginger Mango Chutney method.
What’s your favorite kind of jam or jelly?
I love strawberry jam that’s really thick and chunky with big pieces and bits of fruit. I also love the smoothness of a good grape or apple jelly. The flavor of peach jam or jelly, or a mango chutney, they’re all favorites of mine. When it comes to jam, jelly, preserves, I’m not picky other than to say that homemade is always better than storebought.
Thanks for the Marshmallow Madness Cookbook Giveaway entries
Great recipe! I love pepper jelly and now that Trader’s doesn’t carry I will have to make my own and your recipe sounds perfect!! Can’t wait to try it!
this is so EASY, too. You and I both love our TJs pepper jelly but necessity is the mother of invention.
As a spicy food addict, this sounds sooooo good! I made a fig-rosemary jam this winter using a stove top method and was pleasantly surprised at how quick it was. I’ll have to try this next. I bet it would be heavenly on some jalapeno biscuits.
Yes, the stovetop method went FAST..I was surprised, too. Jalepeno biscuits? Yes please!
When my boys were little guys, every year we would drive up to my friend’s apple orchard and pick as many apples as we could gather. Then, together we would peel them and core them and slice them up and I would make homemade apple butter – like 50 jars of it! Then, we would cut out cloth circles with fun scissors that made different cut shapes and put them on top and pass out for Christmas gifts. Such fun memories and the apple butter was to die for!
I love jam. LOVE it. My favorite jam is either concord grape or a really sweet strawberry jam that also has chunks of fruit in it. I have fond memories of eating that on crispy sourdough toast with lots of butter, extra jam and hot coffee with cream when I was in college. That was my favorite thing to eat for a mid-afternoon snack. YUM!
What a sweet story and nice memories :)
Love the pics!! I’m with you– nothing beats a delicious strawberry jam!
That looks amazing and would be perfect for a dinner party! I really like pumpkin jam, but I think thats because I am a pumpkin addict lol :)
try this if you’re a pumpkin addict :)
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/10/caramel-pumpkin-whip-dip.html
I’ve never tried hot pepper jelly but now I’m super curious! It sure is pretty. :-)
thanks and I bet you’d like it!
Never in my life have I seen Hot Pepper Jelly made this way in the South. All of that should not be visible in the jelly in my recipes. But you are not from the South so if there are other recipes, would love to see.
Well the recipe is from the woman, J, who I linked to in the post…it’s from her Venezeulan heritage and that’s how she emailed me the recipe…so it was new to me, also. It’s so EASY…try it this way some time.
I like apricot and strawberry jam or preserves, but I’ve only made canned jelly in the traditional way once (your recipe). I have a packet of instant pectin so no cooking is required and the jam sets up in 30 min. I haven’t tried it yet but it looks super easy and I believe the jam can also then be frozen. I should get on that and try it out!
Report back with what you end up doing…and canning…well, it’s not impossible but this was sure easier :)
Oh cool. Love how fast and easy it is. When I think of jam or jelly I do typically think sweet – like strawberry, which is my fave.
That’s so pretty! Reminds me of Christmas. :) I bet it would taste amazing on a cheese + veggie sandwich. Yummy.
I know, I’m 3 mos late or 9 mos early for Xmas with this one :)
Averie, you are a Jelly Quin with all those recipes you’ve tried! I like this recipe better than previous. My personal favorite is cherry (with whole cherries in it) and an apricot, long 3 days process, but tastes great!
3 days process?! That’s crazy but sounds amazing!
yes, this is exactly how I make jelly too!! I have never canned, ever. ugh, too much work ;) I just make small batches and keep it refrigerated.
this sounds good!
small batches and refrigerate…amen sista!
Mmm this sounds lovely! Awesome idea!
I love blackberry jam with thick hearty toast. I canned some last year and will try to convert it into a pie filling this weekend to use it up. Wish me luck. Your pepper jelly is something I need to try myself since the only thing we eat more of than sweet is super spicy. Your first batch was a little prettier but hey if it saves time, I’m all for today’s stove top version. Thanks!
this one would have been as “pretty” had I not reduced the liquid down soooo much. Then you could have seen the red/green flecks but there was little volume left, so it appears more muddled/crowded in the jar and the light can’t bounce as easily but the taste was sure good :)
wow that’s incredibly simple! Would this method work for sweet jams too do you think or does the vinegar lends a more savory flavor to it? I’ve never had a pepper jelly before but I’m curious about it!
Read the link that I gave in the post with the cranberry mango orange chutney. That reduced beautifully, became jam-like, no pectin needed, no vinegar, and try that overall method with other fruit…I bet you’ll be a-okay.
I love hot pepper jelly! Especially over some cream cheese w/ crackers. Such a delicious snack!
cream cheese + hot pepper jelly is a match made in heaven!