This sweet spicy jalapeño jam makes a great accompaniment for cheese boards or charcuterie boards. It's perfect for serving with grilled meats, on burgers, and even slathered on toast. Try this pepper jam with cream cheese as a sandwich!
Jalapeño jam, also called pepper jam, is made from a combination of spicy jalapeño peppers and Bell peppers. It's tangy, sweet, and spicy, all at once and it's a favourite of mine.
Jalapeño jam is similar to pepper jelly in terms of taste, with a few differences in texture:
- pepper jelly is usually clear with no fruit pieces, whereas you can see. the fruit in the jalapeño jam, usually finely diced sweet peppers and hot peppers.
- pepper jelly is usually set and gelled with added pectin, like liquid Certo, whereas this jalapeño jam is thickened by cooking it with high pectin fruit up to the jam setting point.
Ingredients needed
If you want to make a jalapeño jam without pectin, you will need:
- jalapeño peppers: I used green jalapeños but if you can find red ones, that would give the jam a nicer colour! Pick peppers that are firm and unblemished and as fresh as possible. You could substitute more Bell pepper for a regular pepper jam, or you could opt to replace a portion with a more spicy pepper, but remember a little goes a long way with some varieties!
- Bell peppers: I have made this with red and orange Bell peppers, which are sweet. You can also use yellow Bell peppers. Any sweet pepper will work here. Again pick them firm and unblemished. Check the stems to know if they are fresh.
- apples: the addition of apples to this jalapeño jam recipe is very smart because they are full of pectin, which helps the jam set up so that it is thick and not runny.
- lemon: lemon adds a ton of flavour and in this case, whole lemon wedges are used, so that again they can contribute some pectin, which is predominantly in the peel of the fruit.
- sugar: you cannot make this jam without sugar. You could use a combination of brown sugar and regular granulated sugar if you want to add more flavour, but the sugar is essential for balancing the acidity and spice in this jam, and also for ensuring the jam will gel properly and set nicely.
- apple cider vinegar: you could use a regular white or distilled vinegar, but I love the flavour of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar, like the lemon, will bring down the pH of the jam and ensure that you can safely can this recipe and also to ensure that the pectin will form a gel network so that the jam will set.
Ratio for pepper jams
Like with most jam recipes, I do not recommend deviating from the quantities listed. You can play with the type of sugar, the type of vinegar, the variety of peppers (both Bell and jalapeño), substituting and replacing weight-for-weight.
If you have more or less fruit to work with, adjust the recipe accordingly in order to respect the ratio of fruit to sugar, keeping it consistent. I have successfully halved the recipe without issues, making a small batch of 2 jars of jalapeño jam.
This recipe isn't hard, but it does take a lot of chopping. Camilla suggests using a food processor to make things go a little faster, but I decided to do all the prep by hand, making tiny cubes out of the apples, red peppers, and jalapeño. Your arms will get tired from all that chopping, but I think the texture is better and the chunks more even if you chop everything by hand.
Pepper jam that sets without pectin
For this recipe, you combine low pectin jalapeño peppers and Bell peppers with fruits that are higher in pectin (lemons and apples) to help with achieve the perfect set. It's very smart! The lemons and apples provide plenty of pectin to do the job, but you also need to make sure to boil the jam sufficiently:
- The set can be loose if you boil it to just above the boiling point but not further (around 101–102 ºC or 214–216 ºF).
- The set will be more firm if you boil the jam to 103–104 ºC (217–219 ºF). It will have a more gelled, soft jelly-like texture.
Decide the texture you want before you begin and watch the pot of jam as it boils: the bubbles will be less volatile and more stable as the jam thickens.
You can also use a frozen plate test to see how the set is. Make sure to place a few saucers in the freezer before you begin: when you think you're close to the set you want, you can verify it:
- dollop a small amount of the jam on a frozen saucer
- place the saucer back in the freezer to cool down the jam for about 30 seconds to a minute
- take the plate out of the freezer and nudge the edges of the dollop with your fintertip.
- if the jam wrinkles when pushed, you've definitely boiled down the jam enough that it won't be soupy.
- decide if you want to thicken further for a firm set or if you want to can it right away
Remember whenever you do a plate test like this, take the pot of jam off the burner and turn off the heat. Otherwise, you risk overcooking the jam!
Special equipment
If you want to seal your jars using a boiling water bath, you will need a few tools to make the job easier:
- A canning kit for processing jars, with jar lifter, canning rack, canning pot, magnet for picking up sterilized lids, and a tool for checking headspace (this is a kit from Ball on Amazon that is perfect for most of your canning jobs)
- A wooden spoon or non-reactive spatulas are essential. Make sure if you are using a spatula that it can withstand higher temperatures as you will be stirring the boiling jam with this tool on the stove.
- Mason jars (I like Ball or Bernardin jars like these on Amazon) with new rubber seals (get a stash of these on Amazon) to make sure the vacuum seal will hold over time.
- A fast-reading or instant read thermometer, which you can use to monitor the temperature of the jam as it boils. This way you are sure your jam will set if you boil it up to the jam setting temperature. I own a pink Thermapen which is very fast at registering temperatures and temperature changes, but it's hand-held. The Thermoworks Dot is a probe thermometer with a cord and would be even more appropriate for making jam!
What to serve it with
Jalapeño jam is great served with meat, so steak, chicken, pork or even lamb because of the combination of spicy, vinegary, sweet flavours it provides. It goes with everything.
Another popular way of enjoying it is to make pepper jam and cream cheese sandwiches with bread, or you can serve it on matzoh or crackers. It's sweet and vinegary, and I love it.
If you love making preserves, be sure to check out the spiced apple jam for late fall canning, three fruit marmalade in winter, plum jam in the summer, and rhubarb jam without pectin in spring.
Jalapeño jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lemons quartered, seeds removed
- 540 grams (1.2 lb) apples finely chopped (I used Cortland apples)
- 350 grams (0.8 lb) red bell peppers finely chopped
- 350 grams (0.8 lb) jalapeño peppers seeded and finely chopped
- 5 mL (1 teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 600 grams (3 cups) granulated sugar
- 750 mL (3 cups) cider vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare jars and lids.
- In a large pot, combine the lemons, apples, red peppers, jalapeños, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium–high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often and reducing the heat as necessary, until thick. Remove from heat and fish out the lemons, which will now just be soft pieces of peel; discard lemons.
- Ladle jam into the hot jars to within ¼ inch of the rim. Remove any air bubbles and wipe rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until fingertip-tight. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Cookbook source
This recipe was adapted from Camilla Wynne's book, Preservation Society Home Preserves: 100 Modern Recipes. What I love about Camilla Wynne's book on preserves is that she takes the worry out of canning, and a lot of the sugar too.
Her jams and marmalades really taste like the fruit that's in them. Her preserves are fruit with just the right amount of sugar, not sugar with some fruit. There's still a lot of sugar that goes into her jams, don't get me wrong, but there is so much less in her recipes than in some of the older jam books and recipes I've come across.
Since I already own the French version of this book (Les Conserves selon Camilla, available on Amazon Canada), published in 2013, I've had a few years to test a lot of recipes in the book and adapted others. I've tried the marmalades several times (remember when I explored how to use the setting point to ensure your jams and marmalades set properly?). Some of the jam recipes are inspired from boozy cocktails or made with the addition of fun spices. There are fruit syrups and pickle recipes too. Lots of unique, tasty treats in this book and I want to try them all! For this post, I went with something new: the jalapeño jam from the Chutneys, Relishes and Savoury Jams" chapter. Basically, this book review was an excuse to make myself jalapeño jam.
Robert Rose Inc. sent me the cookbook to review. Thanks for supporting the companies that allow me to create content for Kitchen Heals Soul. As always, please know that I wouldn’t work with a sponsor nor recommend a product if it wasn’t worth it.
Asta says
Camilla is a woman after my own heart. I preserve whatever I can whenever it's in season. The highlight of a weekend trip to Ontario last September was finding a vendor at the Brampton Farmer's Market selling Damson plums, because I haven't been able to get them here in Quebec, and I wanted to make Damson plum jam.
I've tasted Camilla's preserves and they are delicious. I'd be thrilled to win a copy of her book.
https://twitter.com/KtchnHealsSoul/status/586127414444568576
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LJ Stubbs says
I like making both strawberry and tomato jam.
And I think I'll add Jalapeño jam to the list.
michelle says
Yes - hopefully I'm lucky number 1! I haven't made much in a while but strawberry jam is a classic. I've always loved peach jams too - they are surprisingly amazingly tasty!
Here's my tweet link - https://twitter.com/MichelleMLittle/status/586153597781573633
Isabelle @ Crumb says
My favourite thing to preserve at home is brandied peaches. It's like having a jar of summer sunshine you can crack open in the dead of winter, when it's cold and miserable and you can't remember what proper ripe fruit tastes like any more. 🙂
I haven't tried my hand at jalapeño jelly yet, but it's on the list of possible things to try this year, assuming my little backyard hot pepper patch cooperates (and that the squirrels don't try to eat them all this year... jerks). I'm loving the idea of using apple to both sweeten and add pectin... so genius!
Margaret Pearson says
Marmalade and chutneys are the favourites at our house. My children love pickled beets, since they are no longer living at home and are too far away I don't make them very often. Just love your recipes.
Isabelle @ Crumb says
Tweeted!
https://twitter.com/Izzbell/status/586156368350052353
Elaine says
I make strawberry and raspberry jams every summer.
Isabelle says
I used to make bacon jam and onion jam but not in a long time. Maybe I just need the book for some inspiration. 😉
Here's my tweet: https://twitter.com/Yzhalia/status/586161415330795520
Melodie says
I need to put all those jars I won last year to good use! And of course, you know fig jam is my jam.
Joy says
https://twitter.com/Jemrah1/status/586165662671843330 i tweeted!
Joy says
i have made strawberry jam in the past - but nothing too extensive - this book looks gorgeous! Thanks for the chance to win a copy 🙂
Ada says
Right now I make a lot of preserved lemons. I used to make jams and jellies. Excited about this cookbook.
Mia says
I love Camilla's workshops. I think I took every single one of them except pickled eggs. I have learnt to can and jam with confidence. So glad she has a book in English. I own lots of Robert Rose cookbooks.
I make sour cherry and gooseberry jams from fruits from my garden. Last year, made three citrus marmalade ( Meyer lemon, Sorrento limoncello lemons and organic lemons).
I failed big time with jalapeño jelly ( also from the garden) because I used those awful pectin powders and not enough sugar!
Gotta try jellies one more time.
Nicole Jubleew says
I make strawberry freezer jam but I'd really like to try preserving fruit this year.
Nicole Jubleew says
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/JubleeW/status/586201402348822528
Dana says
I like to make strawberry rhubarb jam. 🙂
Brad Fulton says
I've made fridge strawberry jam using chia seeds (and a lot less sugar!). I only started doing preserves last year but managed to make "Cherry Rhubarb-b-q" Sauce as wells pickled beets, asparagus and hot mixed veggies. I can't wait for the local growing season to start again! Cheers!
Tamara says
All kinds! My favorite is Bourbon Tomato. Looking forward to some more savory recipes!
Gene D says
I love preserves but don't make them. I really should!
Gene D says
I tweeted here https://twitter.com/WCTx40/status/586254224700342272
Judy says
I make strawberry jam. I also can peaches and pears when we can get local fruit.
Elin says
Yes! My new obsession is bacon onion marmalade.
Shareba says
I have NEVER made preserves, ever! Isn't that ridiculous? That's my mom's territory. Although, lately I've been wanting to try making strawberry jam with vanilla infused into it...
That jalapeno jam sounds like something that I would enjoy too!
PS. I tweeted: https://twitter.com/InSearchOfYummy/status/586373211140395008
Laura says
I haven't done any before but want to try this summer with my overflow garden produce!
Laura says
Tweeted!
Sadaf Afshan says
As far as preserves go, I have only tried strawberry jam at home. This jalapeno jam sounds interesting.
I tweeted about the giveaway https://twitter.com/sadaf_afshan/status/586623152039579648?lang=en
Kim says
This book sounds like a great addition to my cookbook shelves! Your pictures are wonderful.
I would definitely like to preserve some rhubarb this spring.
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/the5oclockrush/status/586639978391822336
Thanks
Kim
Jim says
I sure do! I cannot wait until the glorious season called summer graces my lovely state of Michigan. I have a cherry tree in my next door neighbor's yard, and will be growing habanero peppers this year, so I can make 100% homemade cherry habanero jam. I made it last year; but with store bought habaneros. Love doing things myself. Look forward to making this recipe regardless if I win! Thank you!
Teresa says
I like to make jams and pickles, but would like to expand my horizons beyond the ones I've been doing for years. I'm glad to hear that she doesn't over-sugar in her recipes. There's nothing worse that digging into a jam full of beautiful fruit and tasting nothing but sugar.
Dianne says
I like making strawberry jam! I also make a mixed fruit preserve with plums, peaches and nectarines for serving over ice cream and pancakes.
Dianne says
Here's my tweet: https://twitter.com/_jackanddianne/status/587018002333315072
nicolthepickle says
I make strawberry jam and I tried apple cranberry jelly last year (total disaster). I'd love to try more things though.
nicolthepickle says
https://twitter.com/Nicolthepickle/status/587311707904671745
Tweeted too. and thank you for the opportunity.
Madeleine says
I haven't made preserves yet but would like to try making raspberry jam.
Aimee @ Simple Bites says
Totally want/need this book! You know some of the preserves I make... 😉 A good salsa is on the list for this summer.
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
I have never made preserves, but I've been so intrigued lately! Definitely want to give it a try.
ceecee says
I make freezer jam but no real canning - kinda scares me....but this book might change that!
Mary Tang says
I make a lot of pickled stuff but haven't tried preserves. The book will be very helpful to get me started!
Here's a link to my Tweet: https://twitter.com/themary_tang/status/588393064042860544
Stacey says
This book looks amazing, I love making jams at home, but hate using a ton of sugar, so I would love more recipes that use less sugar! This Jalapeño jam looks amazing!
Monica says
I make strawberry jam and jelly as well as marmalades.
Monica says
I tweeted -https://twitter.com/OlderMommyStill/status/588453748726444032
Maryann says
I've made fruit jams--strawberry, blueberry, and peach. I'd like to try more.
Summer says
This is an amazing recipe. East to follow and tasted delicious!
Summer says
Thank you!
Melissa says
I followed this recipe exactly as written (even used a scale) and it tastes like sweet ACV is all! It even overwhelms the pepper taste. What in the world can I do to fix that please?
Janice says
Hi Melissa,
Usually pepper jams and jellies are a combination of spicy, vinegary, and sweet. So it should have a vinegary but sweet taste. Are you sure you added the full amount of sugar? because that is important to balance the acidic flavour of the vinegar. The sugar is key for the set but also the flavour. Hope that helps!
Janice says
Hi Melissa, I've had another thought: have you let the jam cool down? Because when it's warm, the vinegar might be potent but I think once it's cooled down, it should mellow. The other thought I had is if the jam wasn't boiled long enough, perhaps the vinegar taste is more present... just some ideas of what could have gone wrong with the taste. But this is a vinegar forward jam. It's the type of condiment you would serve on cheese boards or with a holiday roast.
John says
Hi Melissa-
What about the lemon seeds? Are those just left in there or are you removing them at some point?
John says
Sorry... I put the wrong name Janice. lol
Janice says
No worries! I'll be making this jam too this week because I grew 3 jalapeño plants and now I have too many jalapeños, lol!
Janice says
Remove them! I'll add that clarification to the recipe card to make it more clear.
Thanks for your comment and I hope you enjoy this jam as much as I do!
John says
Thank you for the quick reply!