Question 1

Why did my peppers float to the top?

Accepted Answer

This is totally normal! Fruit often floats when making preserves due to the difference in viscosity.

You can help prevent this by stirring the jelly for about 5 minutes after removing from the heat and before pouring into the jars.

Or, if you are canning the jars, after removing them from the canner you can flip them upside down. Let the jars rest that way for about 20 minutes, then flip again. Repeat a few times to disperse the peppers as the jelly sets.

You can also stir the jelly after opening the jar.

Question 2

My pepper jelly is too spicy/too sweet

Accepted Answer

Jalapeños have a Scoville rating of 2,000 to 8,000, which means they can vary a lot in heat! I recommend tasting your jalapeños before adding them to the jelly.

You can also guesstimate the heat level of the jalapeño by looking at the skin. More smooth peppers tend to be less spicy.

If you find that you’ve made your jelly too spicy, I recommend serving it with cream cheese to even out the flavor.

If it is too sweet, you can mix in chopped hot peppers when you serve the jelly.

Question 3

How long does pepper jelly last?

Accepted Answer

Stored in the refrigerator, an opened jar of pepper jelly will last about a month.

If you have canned the jars, they will last stored in a cool dry place for about 18 months.

Season

Jalapeño Jelly

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream

Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

Roasted Corn Salad

Strawberry French Toast

Grilled Shishito Peppers

Strawberry Mint Ricotta Tart

Carrot Cake with Lemon Frosting

Butternut Squash Pie

Zucchini Lasagna

Persimmon Sweet Potato Soup

Apple Pie with Cheese

Spicy Corn Soup

Roasted Hatch Peach Salsa

Peach Muffins

As seen in:

Get the latest in your inbox!