Hot Cherry Pepper Jelly
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Hot Cherry Pepper Jelly is a small-batch stovetop jelly made with fresh sweet cherries, red bell pepper, and jalapeños — bright cherry flavor up front with a gentle heat that builds on the finish. It’s processed in a simple water bath so every jar is shelf-stable for up to 18 months, with no corn syrup and no preservatives — just five real ingredients and a straightforward method that comes together in under an hour.
One batch makes 7 half-pint jars, which means plenty to tuck away for holiday appetizers and still have a jar or two left for glazing chicken or pork on the grill this summer. Let me show you how easy it is to make your own.
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot
It’s not often that I pull out my grandmother’s old Granite Ware canner, but after making this Cherry Jalapeño Jam, I’m already thinking of all the ways to use it. It comes together easily, and the cost is about half of what I’d spend on store-bought hot pepper jelly—which makes it even more satisfying to keep a few jars on hand.
I’m especially thankful I learned the basics of preserving from my grandmother years ago. We spent many afternoons putting up vegetables and making jams and jellies, and those simple skills have stayed with me. I may not can as often these days, but recipes like this remind me just how worthwhile it is.
Around here, this jelly never lasts long. John’s favorite way to enjoy it is in this Hot Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip with Bacon — it’s one of those easy appetizers that always disappears fast. I’ll also tuck a jar into a gift basket when cherries are in season. It’s a small, homemade touch that feels personal and always gets appreciated.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh sweet, red Bing cherries | Remember, the darker the cherries, the sweeter they taste.
- Red bell pepper | You can actually use any bell pepper, but I prefer the flavor and color you get with the red variety.
- Jalapeño peppers | Add a bit of spice and heat.
- Apple cider vinegar | Adds mellow acidity and enhances the flavor of the fruit.
- Sugar | To sweeten the jelly
- Liquid pectin | For thickening the jelly. Using pectin shortens the amount of cooking time required to bind the sugar and fruit into a gel.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the cherries. One reader confirms that sour pie cherries work beautifully in this recipe!
- Adjust the heat. You may use serrano peppers for more heat, or swap the jalapeños for milder Anaheim peppers for a gentler version.
How to Make Hot Cherry Pepper Jelly
I use liquid pectin here rather than powdered, and the difference is worth knowing before you start — see the FAQ below if you have questions about substituting.
STEP 1 | Clean and sterilize
To prevent any bacteria from growing after you can the jam, you first need to wash the jar, lids, and bands in hot soapy water. Place the jars in a 250-degree oven to sterilize them as you prepare the jelly recipe.
STEP 2 | Heat the water bath
Place a clean canning pot filled half full with water on the stove and bring to a slow simmer.
STEP 3 | Pit the cherries and chop ingredients
Once the cherries have been pitted, place them along with the red bell pepper and jalapeno into a food processor with the vinegar. Pulse until the mixture is chopped fine, leaving a few small pieces.
STEP 4 | Cook
Empty the mixture into a DEEP stock pot and stir in the remaining apple cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
STEP 5 | Skim off the foam
Remove the pot from the heat and use a large spoon to skim the foam off the top.
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STEP 6 | Add the liquid pectin
Whisk in the liquid pectin and return to the heat. Boil for 1 minute. NOTE: The instructions on the liquid pectin do not require this last boil, but readers suggest that this is the most successful method.
STEP 7 | Fill the jars
Remove the pot and let it cool slightly, then ladle the jelly into the warm, sterilized jars. Wipe off any drips with a clean cloth, then cover with a band and lid and place in the canning rack.
STEP 8 | Process in the water bath
Make sure the jars are fully submerged under water. Once the water comes to a boil, process for 10 minutes. When the time is up, let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes, then carefully set them on a towel on the kitchen counter.
STEP 9 | Check the seals
One last reminder, after the Hot Cherry Pepper Jelly has been processed and the jars have properly cooled for 12 to 24 hours, check the seals. Do this by pressing on the center of the lid. If it doesn’t move, it has sealed properly.
Although highly unusual, if any of the jars do not seal, you may repeat the water bath process.
Recipe Success Tips
Storage Tips
Once sealed, jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months. After opening, keep the jelly refrigerated and use it within 3 to 4 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the most common question about this recipe, and it almost always comes down to one of two things. First, make sure you’re using liquid pectin specifically — it behaves differently than powdered and requires the jelly to be at a full rolling boil before you whisk it in. Second, give it time. Jelly made with liquid pectin continues to thicken as it cools, and it can take the full 12 to 24 hours to reach the right consistency. If it’s still syrupy after that, you can use it as a delicious glaze for grilled meats and chicken — it’s just as good that way!
It has a noticeable kick from the jalapeños, but the heat is balanced by the sweetness of the cherries and sugar, so it reads as sweet-heat rather than fiery. If you want more heat, leave a few of the jalapeño seeds in when you dice them. For a milder version, remove all seeds and membranes and reduce to 1 jalapeño.
The recipe is written specifically for liquid pectin, and the two types are not interchangeable without adjusting your process. If you only have powdered pectin, add it to the fruit mixture before bringing it to a boil, then add the sugar and return to a rolling boil before timing your 5 minutes. Several readers have had success this way, using 2 boxes of powdered pectin in place of the 2 liquid packets.
Yes — frozen Bing cherries work well in this recipe. Thaw them completely in the refrigerator first, then drain off as much of the liquid as possible before adding them to the food processor. Too much extra liquid can affect how the jelly sets, so don’t skip the draining step.
Serving Ideas for Hot Cherry Pepper Jelly
Once you’ve made a batch, you’ll find yourself reaching for it all the time. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- Spoon it over a block of softened cream cheese or Smoked Cream Cheese and serve with assorted crackers — one of the easiest appetizers you’ll ever put together.
- Spread it over a round of brie, bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, and serve with sliced baguette for a warm, impressive appetizer that takes almost no effort.
- Use it as a glaze for grilled chicken, pork chops, or pork tenderloin — brush it on during the last few minutes of cooking for a glossy, sweet-heat finish.
- Add a jar to your cheese board alongside goat cheese or manchego and a handful of almonds. It’s one of those combinations that always gets asked about.
Looking For More Homemade Jam and Jelly Recipes?
Once you’ve made one batch of homemade jelly, it’s hard to stop — these three are next on my list every summer:
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Hot Cherry Pepper Jelly
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh sweet cherries stemmed and pitted
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced to make 1/2 cup
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar divided
- 6 cups sugar
- 2 3-oz. pkgs. liquid pectin
Instructions
- Properly clean and sterilize the jars, lids, and bands. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and place clean jars on the rack to keep warm and sterilized.
- As you prepare the jelly, place the canner filled half full with water on the stove and allow it to come to a slow simmer.
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the pitted cherries, red bell pepper, diced jalapeno peppers, and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Chop the mixture, leaving some small pieces, by pulsing until the desired consistency.
- Pour the chopped mixture into a DEEP stock pot and stir in the remaining 1 cup apple cider vinegar and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often.
- Once it reaches a rolling boil, stir constantly for 5 minutes (stirring will keep it from boiling over).
- Remove the pot from the heat and skim off any foam. Whisk in the liquid pectin and return to the heat to boil for 1 minute.
- Again, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes. Then, ladle the jelly into the sterilized jars, wiping the lips with a clean cloth to remove any drips. Cover with a lid and band and place in the rack of the canner.
- Bring the water the canner back to a boil, making sure the jar lids are submerged in the water. Process in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the jars to set in the water for 5 minutes before transferring them to a towel on the kitchen counter.
- Cool completely for 12 to 24 hours before disturbing.
Notes
- Measure carefully. Jam recipes depend on precise ratios—too little sugar or too much fruit can prevent the jelly from setting properly.
- Chop the peppers finely. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly and give you a consistent heat in every bite.
- Bring it to a full rolling boil. The mixture should be boiling hard and not slow down when stirred before adding the pectin.
- Don’t rush the timing after adding pectin. Once it’s in, boil exactly as directed so the jelly sets up correctly.
- Skim the foam if needed. A quick skim at the end helps keep the finished jars clear and smooth.
- Let the jars cool undisturbed. As the jelly cools, it continues to set—avoid moving the jars for the best results.
- Check the seals. After the jars are cool, check the seals by pressing on the center of the lid. If it doesn’t move, it has sealed properly. Although highly unusual, if any of the jars have not sealed, you may repeat the water bath process.
- If your jelly turns out runny, don’t toss it. Reheat the mixture, add a bit more pectin, and bring it back to a hard boil to help it set properly.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Absolutely delicious. Had no issues with it setting. Had to google how many pounds 12 jalapeño weighed. Problem is, there are many varieties. Some very small to others that can be 10 -12 inches long. Had to guess.
Turned out perfect.
Easy recipe and delicious over cream cheese!!
I wish that I had read the comments before I mad this. Pretty sure it isn’t going to set. I have made a lot of jam and jelly
This is the first time a recipe didn’t say to cook the mixture after pectin was added. Wouldn’t even set in the fridge
I too should have read more thoroughly. Mine didn’t come close to setting. I’ll get more kids and redo
How many 8 oz jars would this recipe yield?
Julie, you should get at least 3 8-ounce jars, and maybe enough to fill another half pint.
I just made 2 batches of this recipe. It is amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us. I will be sharing it with my friends and family and I’m sure they’ll want me to keep making it!
Has anyone tried using sour pie cherries? That is what I have growing on the tree and would love to use this recipe to mix up my cherry canning.
I have! That’s the only kind I use and it’s amazing!!
This recipe look delicious and I’m anxious to make it! Since I don’t have the canning equipment, Can the jelly be frozen?
Kathy, I haven’t tried freezing this jelly, but you might want to check the package of pectin to see if it has any info on freezing jams and jellies.
Great recipe! I couldn’t find liquid pectin, so I went old-school with boxes of Sure Jell pectin. I mixed all ingredients (including boxed pectin), except the sugar, and brought to boiling. Then I added the sugar, returned to a boil, and boiled for five minutes. The jars set and sealed without a water bath. I made a second batch, replacing the apple cider vinegar with 75% apple cider and 25% lemon juice for a less vinegary taste. I used 4 oz jars – perfect size to toss into a picnic basket or for charcuterie.
I’m glad to have read your comment. I often find savoury jellies too vinegary so I based my tweaks on your suggestion and used 1/4 lemon juice and 3/4 rice wine vinegar. It turned out great!
Has anyone tried this using frozen cherries? My jalapeno peppers are finally ready but cherries are done.
@Denise, I would like to know as well
@Alyssa, I used frozen Bing cherries (they were picked, rinsed and frozen with stems and pits) and the recipe turned out fine (see my other comment about how I used dry pectin). I thawed the cherries in the refrigerator, then drained and pitted them.
Love this recipe, simple to follow. I like spicy, sweet combination so I used red hot peppers. Delicious!
What I’ve done when my finished product turns out runny, I used it as a glaze for BBQ’d meats. Just a suggestion.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
That is always the remedy I suggested to my students. Rename it!! 8 ounce jar of fabulous cherry jalapeno glaze and dipping sauce. There you go 🙂 Oh, and by the way. my experience is that powdered and liquid pectin are not interchangeable. So follow the recipe and if you do not, your comments are not very valuable 🙁
Hi, I’ve been making jelly for many years and don’t understand why the recipe doesn’t call for the mixture to he boiled for 1 minute after adding pectin. Liquid pectin must be boiled at least 1 minute for it to gel properly. I had to redo the entire recipe so it would gel.Anyine else have this problem?
I followed.the recipe on trust. I wish I had used my own knowledge. pectin needs to be cooked. I have 5 jars of syrup.
name it Cherry Jalapeno Glaze and Dipping Sauce.My family dips french fries, crab Rangoon, egg rolls, pot stickers, chicken sausage slices,chicken tenderloins, wings – well, anything really
It is delicious but unfortunately like the others mine did not set correctly. it is quite runny. This was the second jam I made, the first being a recipe for peach pepper jam which came out excellent. I was disappointed and as a jam I will not use this recipe again. However I will look for another one with similar ingredients for making my cherry pepper jam as it delicious. I would categorize this as syrup.
Could this recipe be made with powdered pectin instead of liquid?
Joanne, this recipe is especially written to use the liquid pectin. If you use the powdered kind, read the label to determine the correct steps.
@Sheila, I used powdered pectin and it worked great! I just added the pectin to the fruit, then added the sugar after it boiled.
Thanks Linda for the tip. I too used 2 boxes of powdered pectin (57g). Pectin needs to be added to the fruit, bring to rolling boil and then add the sugar and bring to rolling boil again. Set perfectly.
Everything went perfectly for us following your recipe! First time I have ever canned jam/jelly! Thank you so much!
I just ran across your recipe for this cherry jalapeno jelly and would love to make this. Unfortunately, I missed the cherry season. Do you know if it would work with frozen cherries? Thanks for the great recipe!!!
Hi, Debra. I haven’t tried the recipe with frozen cherries, so I can’t confirm the results. HOWEVER, I believe that you should be able to use frozen cherries if you let them thaw first and drain off all the juices before adding to the recipe.
Thanks Sheila. I’m anxious to try this. My son in law will love it!!! I’ll let you know if it works.
Once you add the liquid pectin you are supposed to bring it back up to a rolling boil (that can not be stirred down) for 1 minute. Not add it off heat, it needs the boiling point to set properly. I do this with a similar recipe, cranberry jalapeno. I had a bunch of cherries in the freezer and huge japalapenos in the garden and was looking up recipes to see if I could try the same method with cherries when I ran across yours and was confused with pectin directions. When cranberries are in season try using 1 package cranberries instead of cherries, 3 jalapeños, same sugar, cider vinegar and only 1 package liquid pectin (one package pectin because cranberries are high in natural pectin), it is delicious. I am going to try yours. Makes great Christmas gifts.
I did this to my pectin to but then it’s still liquid. It’s only been couple hours so hopefully by tomorrow it will be gelled
Be sure to cook for 1 minute after you add the pectin
I don’t know what I did. But I made this exactly how you said and it cooled and it is still liquid
Tammy, how long after you made the jelly did you check the consistency? It can take it several hours up to an entire day to thicken after putting into jars.
I just had the same problem. First batch was awesome and this one is total liquid. I am researching how to fix and am curious if I cook it down again how much pectin should I use? I followed the recipe exactly.
Hi, Ashley. In doing a little research, I’m learning that all the elements (heat, sugar, liquid, pectin) must be in sync, so it’s hard to say what may have happened differently with your second batch. You may find these blog posts helpful from this canning expert: https://foodinjars.com/blog/canning-101-how-to-save-runny-jam/ and https://foodinjars.com/blog/canning-101-how-to-ensure-that-your-jam-sets/
Hello,
I made this yesterday, and has not set yet. And I see in one area you say heat, sugar, pectin. And in another area add mixture, ACV, and sugar bring to boil. ♀️ I guess I should of read these comments before attempting to make this recipe. I know in the regular jalapeño jelly recipe it calls for 2 packs of pectin. And about same amount of everything else. Could that be the problem?
Hi, Krista. I’m sorry you didn’t have great results with the recipe. After doing a bit more research, I believe that you are correct about the amount of liquid pectin, so I have updated the recipe card to reflect the change.Thank you for the feedback!
Can I use frozen cherrys?
Beautiful color but mine also did not thicken as it should. I followed the recipe exactly. I’ll be looking for another one to try.