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. Detailed instructions are listed below the recipe card.
- Remove and let cool overnight. The liquid will thicken up into a nice habanero jam for you. So delicious!
Want a quicker, no-canning version? Try my Easy Habanero Pepper Jelly - it's ready in 20 minutes and sets up overnight in the fridge.
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 (cored/innards removed if desired for less heat)
- 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
How to Can Habanero Pepper Jam (Water Bath Method)
The refrigerator version of this recipe is ready to eat within 24 hours and will keep for 1-3 months. If you want shelf-stable jars you can store in the pantry and give as gifts, you can process them using a water bath canner.
What you'll need:
- Water bath canner or large stockpot with a rack
- Sterilized half-pint (8 oz) mason jars with new lids and bands
- Jar lifter and canning funnel (highly recommended)
Steps:
- Before you start making the jam, sterilize your jars. Place clean jars in a large pot, cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes. Keep them hot until you're ready to fill.
- Make the habanero jam following the recipe below. While the jam is cooking, keep a small saucepan of water simmering on low and place your lids in it to soften the sealing compound.
- Working quickly, ladle the hot jam into the hot sterilized jars, leaving exactly ¼ inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the jar rims clean with a damp paper towel - any residue can prevent a proper seal.
- Place the lids on and screw the bands to fingertip-tight (snug but not overtightened).
- Lower the jars onto the rack in your canner. Make sure they're covered by at least 1-2 inches of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and process for 10 minutes at sea level.
- Turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing. Set them on a towel and leave undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You'll hear the satisfying ping of each lid as it seals.
- After 24 hours, check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. It should be concave and firm with no flex. Any unsealed jars should go in the refrigerator and be used within a month.
Altitude adjustments: If you're above 1,000 feet, increase the processing time. Add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level up to 3,000 feet, then an additional 2 minutes for every 1,000 feet above that.
Shelf life: Properly sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark pantry for up to 1 year. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 1 month.
A note on acidity: This recipe uses 1¼ cups of cider vinegar plus ¼ cup of lemon juice, which together provide sufficient acidity for safe water bath canning. If you significantly reduce the vinegar, aim for a pH of 4.0 or lower (3.5 preferred) before canning.
NOTE: This post was updated on 3/26/26 to include canning information. The recipe was not changed.
June says
Wow! First time ever making a jam and this was perfect! Followed the recipe exactly.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, June! Off to make some more jam! =)
Marjorie H O'Bryan says
I've made this a few times and last summer I mixed habanero with blackberries. My first batch was 50/50 habanero to blackberry and it was good but thr habanero over powered the blackberry. The second batch I used 1 ounce habanero and 7 ounced blackberry and it it was fantastic. I planted lemon drop peppers this summer and just harvested a couple dozen of them. I'm gonna try this recipe with those and see what happens. Should be good.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice. Lemon drop peppers would be fantastic here. Also, it's so much about experimentation with ratios and different peppers, then adjusting as desired. You totally get it, Marjorie! Enjoy.
Tracey says
I also had an issue with it not setting up. I'm going to let it sit until tomorrow to see if that helps. Would it be too late at that point to add more pectin?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes, that can happen. No, not too late. You can always add more pectin and reprocess it.
Maggie says
Hi! Mine also didn’t set. The first time I made this recipe it did and was amazing! But for some reason last night it didn’t. Do I need to add the same amount of pectin again if I want to re-process it?
Mike Hultquist says
Maggie, sorry to hear. Yes, you can definitely do that. Let me know how it goes.
Tanya Bucel says
Ok... First of all, THANK YOU FOR THIS GORGEOUS RECIPE! I had a windfall in my habaneros this year! Thank you my hubby! I making this today after reading all the remarks as well - I have been canning for years and chose to just do the recipe! Will let you know how this turns out! This is by far the BEST recipe I have seen so far this jam. Once you make this..... you will be handing this out like candy ... heads up!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Tanya! Super happy you are enjoying it! Thanks!
Maria says
This is my second year making this jam! Last year I made 3 batches, this year, I’ve already made 4 batches and will make at least 2 more! Everyone loves it! My mom is 85, she eats it everyday! We have a garden, so the habanero peppers are all from the garden. Thanks for a terrific recipe, now I’m going to try the jalapeño jam.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! So happy you enjoy it!
Michelle Rasmussen says
Hello! Having habaneros for the first time and this recipe looks great. How spicy is it on a scale 1-10 with the seeds in? Thinking of i should remove the seeds to make it a bit milder.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Michelle, it's hard to say because many people have a different definition of "hot". I'd say it's pretty hot. You can core out the innards to remove much of the heat. I would give that a go, then see for yourself. FYI: The heat really isn't in the seeds, but in the whitish innards. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Heide says
Hi there!
I made this recipe with cayenne peppers from a friend's harvest. I used the entire pepper and added an extra 2 teaspoons of dry pectin to the jam because of other reviewer's comments about the jam being loose. My finished product set up nicely and is very colorful, albeit with LOTS of seeds floating on top! I will let the recipients of this jam know that they should stir up the jam, once the jars are open. Were I to make another batch (a definite possibility), I will remove the seeds before chopping up the peppers and add a few back in while cooking.
I enjoy spicy foods and this is a definite keeper recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Heide. Yes, you can remove the seeds next time. Some peppers, like cayenne, have loads of seeds. Glad you enjoyed it!
ibbeachnana says
Definitely 5 stars for heat! LOL, I thought that I missed the part about taking the seeds and membranes out of the peppers, but not. Thanks for the recipe and I see some crispy chicken wings playing in puddles with some of my peach and some habanero jam. Have a great day.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, thanks!!
Angela says
I made this jam last summer exactly as written. MY Gosh, it was hotter than Hades!! Not wanting to waste this batch I prepared another batch using banana peppers instead. I combined the two batches. Still hot as blue blazes!!! So I scrounge around the kitchen and found a mango. I pureed it and stirred it in. Still hot, but I canned it anyway and figured someone would eat it. Now, I have all kinds of people asking for jars of my Liquid Hot Magma Jam, and I am waiting by my 6 habanero plants for them to ripen. My daughter loves it and has used it in several ways, her favorite being added a big scoop to some homemade BBQ sauce and used on wings. Her Cajun sweetheart is in love! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, nice, Angela! This is great to hear! I love it. Liquid Hot Magma Jam! So perfect. Great uses for it, btw. Thanks for sharing. =)
Gloria says
I use the jelly and put over chicken wings and bake and keep turning them until nice and brown
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds perfect, Gloria!
John says
Can you freeze it? I did not read all the comments, so I apologize if this is a repeat.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
John, I have never frozen jam, but I do believe you can do it. Just keep enough headspace in your container. Let me know how it goes for you.
Patti Seaney says
I make this recipe all the time!! I am known as the "crack" queen because my friends all call it "crack". I follow it to the letter and it has always turned out perfect! Thanks for sharing this and other really great recipes!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Patti! I know, this is SO GOOD!!!
KayBee says
Hi! I'm wondering why vinegar is needed. I've never made jam that required that so just curious. I'm wanting to make a tayberry or raspberry habanero jam. 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
KayBee, it's good to help it keep longer because of the acidity. You can skip it and use another liquid. Let me know how it turns out for you.