Hot Banana Pepper Jelly Recipe

Sweet banana peppers vs hot banana peppers

Banana peppers are pale yellow, tapered, and thin-skinned. The mild kind, usually sold as sweet banana peppers, has very little heat. Hot banana peppers look nearly identical but carry noticeably more kick, and they are often labeled “hot” or “Hungarian” in markets and seed catalogs. Because the two look so alike, taste a small piece of raw pepper before you commit to a batch.

“Hot banana pepper jelly” is usually made one of two ways:

With hot banana peppers as the main pepper.
With sweet banana peppers plus a smaller amount of a hotter pepper, such as jalapeno or cayenne, to bring the heat up.

Either way, the jelly ends up golden to pale green and a little milder and fruitier than jalapeno jelly. If you have already made the classic version, our jalapeno jelly with Sure-Jell uses the same technique.

Ingredients

Makes about 5 to 6 half-pint (8 oz) jars.

4 cups finely chopped banana peppers, seeded, in total. Use all hot banana peppers, or a mix of sweet banana peppers with up to about 1 cup of a hotter pepper such as jalapeno. Keep the total at 4 cups.
1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1 box (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin, such as Sure-Jell Original
1/2 teaspoon butter, optional, to reduce foam
5 cups granulated sugar, measured into a separate bowl

This recipe adapts the structure of a powdered-pectin pepper jelly to banana peppers. It has not been tested for canning, so make it as a refrigerator or freezer jelly only. It is not for shelf storage, and it should not be water-bath canned. Peppers are low in acid, and a shelf-stable pepper jelly depends on a tested balance of peppers, vinegar, and sugar. If you want jars for the pantry, use the exact ratios from the pectin maker’s tested recipe. Always check the insert in your own pectin box for the pectin steps, which take priority over anything written here.

Method

Prep the jars. Wash half-pint jars or freezer-safe containers and lids in hot, soapy water.
Chop the peppers. Wear gloves, especially with hot peppers. Remove stems and seeds. Chop finely by hand or pulse in a food processor, taking care not to puree.
First boil. In a large pot, combine peppers, vinegar, and pectin. Add the butter. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add the sugar. Stir in all the sugar at once. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Skim and fill. Skim off foam. Ladle into clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace for freezing (1/4 inch if refrigerating only). Wipe the rims and apply the lids.
Chill. Cool at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, then refrigerate or freeze. Do not process in a canner.
Set. The jelly may take a day or more to fully set in the refrigerator.

How much pectin for hot pepper jelly?

It depends on the type of pectin and the recipe, and the answer is not interchangeable:

Recipes written for powdered pectin, like the one above, use one standard 1.75 oz box for this amount of pepper, vinegar, and sugar.
Recipes written for liquid pectin typically use pouches, and are sequenced differently, with the pectin added after the sugar has boiled.
Low-sugar or no-sugar pectin is a different product that needs its own recipe.

Pick one recipe and follow its pectin amount and order exactly. If you change the sugar, or double the batch in one pot, the set can fail.

Why vinegar goes into pepper jelly

Vinegar provides the tang that balances the sugar, supports the pectin gel, and contributes the acidity that tested canned pepper jelly recipes depend on. It is one of the main reasons tested pepper jelly recipes are not simply peppers and sugar.

Storing and altitude

Keep the jelly in the refrigerator and use it within a few weeks. This jelly is not for shelf storage. For longer keeping, freeze it in small containers with room for expansion and thaw it in the refrigerator.

Are banana peppers good for pickling?

Yes. Banana peppers are one of the most popular peppers for pickling because their flesh is thick and their flavor is mild and tangy. If you have more peppers than you need for jelly, pickling is a good use for the rest (our banana pepper canning recipes cover that), and the jelly and pickles make a nice pairing in gift baskets. Pickled peppers, however, are made with a different tested brine, so do not use this jelly recipe as a guide for pickling.

What to eat with banana pepper jelly

Over cream cheese with crackers.
Brushed on chicken wings, pork chops, or meatballs as a glaze.
On a turkey or ham sandwich, or a grilled cheese.
With a cheese board, particularly with aged cheddar or soft goat cheese.
Stirred into a vinaigrette or a stir-fry sauce.

Troubleshooting

Jelly is runny. Give it a few days to set. If it stays loose, use it as a glaze or sauce, or follow the NCHFP instructions for remaking soft jelly.
Peppers float to the top. Let the pot sit a few minutes and stir gently before jarring. This is cosmetic.
Too mild. Next time, replace part of the banana peppers with a hotter pepper without changing the total amount.
Too hot. Remove all seeds and ribs, or use more sweet banana peppers.

For other ideas, see our guides to jalapeno pepper jelly without pectin and the red, fruity Fresno chili jam.