Chopped red bell peppers and a single sliced jalapeño chile cook with sugar, white wine vinegar, and a touch of butter in this classic pepper jam recipe, set by pectin. You can refrigerate the results for up to a month, freeze up the 3 months, or can for longer storage.

  • Yield: 3 half-pint jars
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins, plus cooling time 
  • Active: 25 mins

Ingredients (8)

  • 2 large red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 4 teaspoons pectin
  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Place a small saucer in the freezer to chill. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the bell peppers, jalapeno, and red pepper flakes until finely chopped. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the sugar with the pectin.
  2. In a medium heavy saucepan or pot, stir together the pepper mixture, the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, the vinegar, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, letting the mixture boil vigorously and stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Slowly add the pectin-sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to boil, stirring constantly until the jam thickens, about 2 minutes longer.
  3. To store the jam, let cool completely. Transfer to clean airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also can the jam according to our canning instructions.