A recipe for sweet and spicy habanero pepper jam made with plenty of habanero peppers.
Habanero Pepper Jam Recipe
Habanero pepper jam coming your way! I used to shy away from making jams and jellies. I'm not sure why. Growing up, I was pretty boring, actually. All I ever ate was grape jelly.
Peanut butter and jelly was a daily thing, and if you served me grape jelly with seeds in it, forget about it!
And don't even get me started on strawberry jam.
Fast forward a few years - fine, MANY years - and here I am, making habanero jam. I mean, just look at it! Isn't it beautiful? I'm so happy my taste buds have evolved.
Habanero peppers are some of the best to work with. They are nice and spicy and have an inherent fruitiness and sweetness that lends them to spreads like jams or jellies.
A note about that - the biggest difference between a jelly and a jam is that a jam has the fruit bits in it.
A jelly typically uses only the juice or essence of your flavoring ingredient, like grape juice or strawberry juice. I prefer the actual habanero pepper inside the spread, so it is technically a jam.
Let's talk about how to make habanero jam, shall we?
How to Make Habanero Jam - The Recipe Method
First, add your habanero peppers to a food processor and pulse them until they are very finely chopped. Do not overdo it or you’ll wind up with a puree.
Next, scoop out the peppers and add them to a large pan along with your sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.
Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Return the heat to high and bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in the pectin and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
If using food coloring, add it now and stir.
Ladle the liquid into sterilized jars and cover.
Process the jars in a boiling hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove and let cool overnight. The liquid will thicken up into a nice habanero jam for you. So delicious!
What is habanero jam good for?
Use it as you would use any other jelly or jam, by spreading it over cream cheese on toast, over bread for sweeter sandwiches, but it is also great over fish. I like to serve it over salmon or white fish.
Spoon it when the fish is hot and it will melt over a bit. No need for a sauce.
It also makes for a good gift! Lastly, a quick note about the sugar content. Some recipes call for almost double the amount of sugar I've included here.
You can add more sugar, but really, you don't need that much. This is plenty, plenty sweet with the amount I've included.
Patty's Perspective
What is habanero jam good for, Mike asks? My answer - what ISN'T it good for? Well, maybe 8-year-old PB&J Mike would answer differently, but really, don't just think of it as a sweet jam.
If you think of it more as a sauce, it becomes very versatile. Instead of reaching for that bottle of sweet hot sauce, try this instead. I want to try this on hot wings. Can't wait for that!
Here is a link to the jam jars that I personally use and prefer. Highly recommended. Affiliate link - FYI: Ball Mason 8oz Quilted Jelly Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 12
Try Some of My Other Popular Jelly and Jam Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Habanero Pepper Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound habanero peppers chopped
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ounces liquid fruit pectin
- 4 drops food coloring if preferred
Instructions
- Add the habanero peppers to a food processor and pulse them until they are very finely chopped. Do not overdo it or you’ll wind up with a puree.
- Scoop out the peppers and add to a large pan.
- Add sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Return heat to high and bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in pectin and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- If using food coloring, add it now and stir.
- Ladle jam into sterilized jars and cover.
- Process jars in a boiling hot water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove and let cool overnight.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Pia E says
Only have powdered fruit pectin, what would the conversion quantity be, and should I adjust the cooking time?
Hope to hear back, can’t wait to make this!
Mike Hultquist says
Pia, it's best to look at the label of the product you're using, as each will have a different recommendation.
Sharon Rossy says
Hi. I’ve been making the Habanero Gold recipe for a long time and I have made yours as well. My question is could apricots be added to this recipe, marinating in the vinegar/lemon juice for at least 4 hours? Would it alter the recipe significantly because your recipe uses less sugar, which I like.
Thank you
Mike Hultquist says
Sharon, yes, you can use apricots. You'll just need to make room for them so maybe less habanero. I don't believe it should alter the recipe, but be sure to use a low sugar pectin if needed. I hope you enjoy it.
Sharon Rossy says
Hi Mike. I forgot to mention, that the apricots are the dried apricots that are soaking in the vinegar. Not sure if that changes anything. The Habanero Gold recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar and one packet of liquid pectin. It would be great if it would work with your recipe using 4 cups of sugar. What do you think?
Mike Hultquist says
That should still work, as long as they fit by volume. Some people have reported issues when using less sugar, but I often use less (like 4 cups instead of 6) and have good results. I don't like so much sugar either. Enjoy!
LA says
Do you seed before adding blender
Mike Hultquist says
I do not, typically, but you can if you'd like. Removing the whitish innards (where the seeds are) generally removes much of the heat, so that is something to keep in mind. Enjoy!
John says
Hi - how long will the jam keep?
Mike Hultquist says
John, this will last a month or longer in the refrigerator. I've had no issues after a few months.
Kerri says
What would happen if I used palm sugar, do you know what the adjustments would have to be?
Mike Hultquist says
Kerri, I have not made this with palm sugar and would need to test that. I believe you can use the same amount, but let me know how it turns out if you use it.
Janet says
Hey Mike - a TON of bonsai peaches fixing to be ripe and would like to make peach habanero jam. Could I just add peaches to this recipe or is there another recipe suitable?
Mike Hultquist says
You can definitely use them here, Janet. Just sub them in by weight. I do have other recipes that include a mix of fruit and chilies: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/jellies/
Donna says
I meant to push 5 stars. My mistake!
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, oops! I fixed it! Thanks!
Donna says
One year, I had an over abundance of habaneros, so I made about 50 jars of jelly. Wow! Everyone wanted a jar! Love it over cream cheese with crackers, and as a topping on fish. Very versatile.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear!! Thanks so much, Donna!
Sue Baird says
I love the taste of habaneros, but was afraid the jelly would end up too hot..., but with the addition of sugar reducing the heat, this recipe turns out exactly right! Thanks for the recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, great! I agree, I love the flavor of this and it isn't overly hot. Glad you are enjoying it, Sue.