Christmas Pepper Jam

Christmas Pepper Jam is a ‘must-have’ item for the holidays! Paired with cream cheese & crackers, or with brie & bread, my easy-to-make pepper jam has the spicy/sweet combination that brings all the flavors together!  Making it yourself allows YOU to determine the ‘burn factor.’ For milder spice notes, stick with sweeter peppers like bell or a de-seeded jalapeño. For ‘in-your-face’ intense spice, experiment with serrano, Thai, habanero or bhut jolokia chilies!

This jam is a great holiday gift idea!

Pictured is a Mild Jalapeno Jam in green, and a blazing hot combo of Serrano & Habanero Pepper Jam in red.

This Pepper Jam recipe is what I use as a base.

The types of pepper and the liquid of choice can be changed to make the flavor of jam you want. You can use jalapenos, bell peppers, serrano, habanero, etc—this allows you to govern the amount of heat in the jam.

You can also alternate base liquids by using 100% fruit juices such as grape, cranberry, orange.

For my Christmas pepper jam, I always use at least half apple cider vinegar for the liquid. Without it, it’s missing the lovely tang you expect from a pepper jam!

You can also add fruit to make a sort of compote. By using 118 ml (½ cup) of onion and 118 ml (½ cup) of minced pineapple, you end up with a lovely tropical combination!

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Just keep your ratios the same, USE ALL THE SUGAR, and keep your rims clean so the jars will seal. For intense color in the jam, use a bit of a natural food color.

If in doubt, refer to the Ball Blue Book of Canning.

Happy jamming, y’all!

1. Place the peppers and onions in a medium size stock pot. Cover, and cook on medium until the veg starts to sweat and wilt down a bit. This is releasing some moisture from the vegetable. After 10 minutes or so, stirring often, you can add the vinegar and lemon juice.

2. Bring it to a boil. Add the packet of powdered pectin and boil for at least 1 full minute.

3. Add all the sugar and stir thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and let it go for another full minute or two.

4. Remove the pepper jam from the heat. Let the bubbles die down and then take a large spoon and skim the top of the liquid for any traces of tiny trapped bubbles or what looks to be scum. This will help keep your jam nice and translucent.

5. Transfer the hot liquid to clean, sterilized jars and cover with lids. Let it cool to room temp then keep in the refrigerator. Or—for shelf stability, you can process the jars in a water bath for 25 minutes. This allows you to keep the jam in the pantry, or give it as gifts rather than having to keep it in the refrigerator.