Low Sugar Pepper Jelly
If you grow an abundance of peppers in your garden, then you have got to make pepper jelly. “What?”, you might say, “peppers and jelly don’t go together”.
I’m here to tell you that absolutely, yes, they do! A jar of pepper jelly makes the perfect garden fresh gift- my friends give it rave reviews – and it’s a super quick appetizer for a party.
I’ve made pepper jelly from my garden fresh peppers for several years now, and the combination of the sweet and spicy garden fresh peppers made in to a colorful, tasty jelly can’t be beat!
Every jar of pepper jelly can taste and look different – so much fun! You can customize it depending on the kind of peppers you use. Make it red, yellow, purple, green, sweet, hot, or somewhere in between!
Not only does this recipe come together super quick with only 4 ingredients, but it is a low sugar recipe, with 1/2 the amount of sugar that most jelly recipes use. In fact, you can make it with any kind of sweetener – I like it with pure cane sugar, but you can use honey, agave, stevia, or even artificial sweeteners, if you like.
This recipe uses Pomona’s Universal Pectin that uses the gelling power of a calcium powder along with citrus pectin – rather than sugar – to make the jelly gel. It is all natural, with no preservatives and I’ve been very happy with it’s performance the past few years that I’ve used it.
If you are not a canner, don’t let this scare you – I’m not either. Typically I prefer to keep it simple and freeze my extra garden produce. However, my friends love it when I give them a jar of my pepper jelly for a gift, or bring it poured over a block of cream cheese with crackers to a party. It never disappoints! This keeps me canning my pepper jelly in beautiful little jelly jars year after year.
I like to make quick work of the canning process. With a simple modification, my large stock pot doubles as a hot water bath canner, so I don’t have to drag my canning equipment out of the box I have it stored away in.
Click below for a video from my YouTube channel on “How to Make Low Sugar Pepper Jelly” without any special equipment.
And, by the way, if you want to know a super quick way to freeze peppers, click here for a how-to video.
If you don’t have extra peppers from your garden, just use peppers purchased the farmer’s market or grocery store. However, you’ll want to plant plenty of peppers in your garden next growing season, so you have that unmistakable taste of garden fresh in your pepper jelly!
Give pepper jelly a try and comment below below to let me know how it turns out and post a picture on my Facebook page or tag me in your Instagram photo, I’d love to see it!
See you in the garden,
CaliKim
CaliKim’s eBook * CaliKim’s Garden Coloring Book * CaliKim’s Favorite Garden Products
Wow!!! You just made me miss my peppers even more Kim! lol. Great video and seems like an easy enough recipie. And your rite, it just takes equipment I already have here in the kitchen so I will definitely be getting the rest of what I need to try this…and definitely make sure I have extra peppers next season! As always Kim, it’s nice to see how great this blog has been turning out! Thank you guys for all you have done and keep on doing and as always, lots of love from Bajá!!!
I do hope you get to try it, Rod, we are so hooked! You’re peppers always look so amazing from your Instagram photos – bet you can’t wait to grow them again come spring. Keep me posted if you have a chance to make it. Glad you enjoy the blog and website, thanks for all your support!
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day I love to preserve but it my David just allowing him to let me do it but the things I need like vinegar and thing like that but I keep trying if i managed i will share with you
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Linda! If you do have a chance to try it please let me know – we love it!
How many peppers do you use? I wrote down the sugar, pectin, calcium, and vinegar amounts, but you never said how many peppers. I prefer it by weight.
You make it look so easy to do this. Will be trying soon. My question to you is, what makes this low sugar? It takes as much sugar as other recipes.
can you substitute white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar?
What would happen if you used half artificial sweetener for Haley of the sugar? Would it still set up?
Did I miss the amount of chopped peppers you use? How many cups is that?
Exactly..measurements on everything else. Shannon – if you did find out the answer to this question, please let me know
Did anyone find out how much peppers? Thank you.
How many cups of peppers did you use?
Just found this post and am so excited to try your recipe. Have made Pepper Jelly many times but with an enormous amount of sugar. Ordered and received next day the Pomonna’s Universal Pectin. Amazon is amazing. So I am making this Jelly with Fresno Chilis from my garden. Will let you know how it turns out
How is this a low sugar recipe??? Five cups total sugar?? That’s what most recipes call for…??