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Sweet and spicy, this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly is delicious on cheese trays, spooned over cream cheese or goat cheese, in grilled sandwiches and it makes a wonderful grilling glaze.
Let me RE-INTRODUCE you to this incredibly delicious Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly. I say re-introduce because we originally posted this recipe back in March of 2018. It is a fabulous recipe, perfect for cheese trays, layered in grilled cheese sandwiches, as a grilling glaze, on biscuits, as a dip for grilled sausages and so much more. It's been super popular with well over 113,000 pins over the year and a half that it's been out. But there was bit of an issue that made me go back to the drawing board.
Some readers had trouble with this jelly gelling properly. The results were not predictable and that's something that's a high priority for me when creating recipes. So I put on my scientist cap and I've been working on a solution for the gelling issue for the past few months. I'm happy to say, you can now make this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly with consistently successful results. YAY! 🙌
I didn't have to change a lot, but there are a few steps that are different now. I learned that pineapple is super low in pectin, particularly pineapple that's very ripe. So choosing a ripe but not overripe pineapple, along with draining the chopped pineapple thoroughly before measuring is important with this recipe.
I've also substituted one cup of finely chopped apple for one cup of the pineapple and apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar. Apples are super high in pectin and once the jelly is boiling for ten minutes, the apple seems to disappear and the flavor of the jelly is not affected by the vinegar swap. One last step to ensure a good set is a good splash of lemon juice as the finishing step since lemon is also high in pectin.
All these little changes brought about an added bonus. The original recipe called for a double dose (two pouches) of liquid pectin. With the new, improved recipe, only one pouch is needed. Another "Yay" 🙌 as pectin isn't cheap and this makes the recipe more affordable.
Since this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly recipe has gotten a new lease on life, we decided to re-take the photos along with creating a pretty label for gifting. This jelly makes the BEST little gifts for hostesses, neighbors, hairdressers, shopkeepers, anyone you want to share a little sunshine with. Feel free to let me know in the comments below if you'd like a free printable PDF of the labels.
I love having a stash of this delicious Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly in my freezer. Yes, I did say freezer - although this is not an official "freezer jam" recipe. Being a bit lazy, I store all of my jams and jellies in the freezer, in lieu of the more traditional hot water bath canning method. That being said, this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly can definitely be put through a hot water bath as it meets the acidic requirements necessary for safe canning.
Need a quick, easy and super delicious appetizer? Just spoon this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly over a block of cream cheese or a round of goat cheese. Or serve a bowl of whipped cream cheese with some crackers and a jar of this delicious jelly. Add a nice selection of crackers and you've got a fabulous (and beautiful) appetizer in the blink of an eye.
What to do with pepper jelly
Other than serving over goat cheese or cream cheese (pictured above), there are lots of delicious ways to use pepper jelly. Here are a few ideas.
- Serve in a small bowl or pretty jar, along with crackers and cheese. We especially like it with smoked cheddar, but it's also delicious with Havarti, Gouda, Fontina, Comte, Gorgonzola, hard goat cheese... For a really special treat, serve it on a cheese board with these Copycat Rosemary Pecan Rainforest Crackers.
- Spread it on Brie, then wrap the round with phyllo or puff pastry. Bake until golden and cheese is gooey.
- Spread warm cornbread with butter and a spoonful of pepper jelly.
- Use this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly as a glaze for roasted pork tenderloin.
- Make a grilled ham and cheese with a spread of Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly between the layers, yum!
- Season salmon with salt and pepper, then add a layer of pepper jelly. Broil until done.
- Use it for a salad dressing.
- Mix equal amounts of grainy or Dijon mustard with this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly for a delicious dipping sauce.
- Use it for a sweet and sour stir-fry. Saute garlic and ginger in a splash of oil then add thinly sliced chicken breast. Stir-fry for a few minutes until chicken is almost cooked. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and stir-fry veggies. Return the chicken to the pan, add a generous scoop of Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly, a tablespoon of rice vinegar and soy sauce, to taste. Serve with rice and a sprinkle of cashews.
- For a super fun and gourmet PB&J substitute this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly instead of regular jelly!
Making this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly is not difficult. Once you've got the pineapple diced and drained and the peppers diced, it's simply a matter of combining them with sugar, cider vinegar, red pepper flakes and a small pat of butter in a large pot. Next, the mixture is brought to a boil and boiled for ten minutes. Add the pectin and boil one more minute and you're ready to ladle the delicious jelly into jars.
Pick up a pineapple, a few habaneros, one orange bell pepper and a box of Certo next time you're grocery shopping. Give this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly recipe a try. Whether you're new at this or a long time jam/jelly maker or you've never attempted it, I think you'll be thrilled with the results!
Café Tips for making this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly
- It's a good idea to wear gloves if you will be touching the habanero peppers at all. The oils can make your hands feel burned. Also be sure not to touch your eyes after handling the peppers. Again the oils from the peppers can cause a burning sensation. I made that mistake once and it was not fun.
- This recipe calls for Certo. Certo is a liquid pectin that is available at most larger grocery stores. You'll find it with other canning products, but I've found that its' location varies from store to store. Some stores stock it in the baking aisle while others display it near the plastic wraps and food storage bags. An employee will be able to direct you to the right place. You can also find it online.
- Wondering why there's butter in a jelly recipe? A small pat of butter keeps the jelly from getting foamy which makes for a prettier finished product.
- Habanero peppers are very hot (spicy), ranging from 100,00 to 300,000 on the Scoville Heat Scale. Jalapenos, in comparison, fall into the 2,500 to 8,000 range. Habaneros can also vary in heat from pepper to pepper, so be cautious with how many you use, depending on your heat tolerance. I like to start with one and then taste the jelly before adding the Certo. You can always add more at this point, but you can't take away the heat!
- Can't find habaneros? No problem. You can substitute jalapenos, but you may need more to achieve the heat level you desire.
- Be sure to drain the pineapple very well. If it still seems to have a lot of juice after being strained, you can place the pineapple in several layers of paper towels and squeeze it to extract more of the juice.
- As noted above, it's better not to use a super ripe (on the way out) pineapple for this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly. As fruits and vegetables ripen their pectin level goes down. So on top of pineapples being low on the pectin scale, a super ripe pineapple is not a great candidate for making jam and/or jelly. Also, the riper the pineapple is, the juicier it becomes which in most cases is good but not when making this jelly as noted above.
- Jam and jelly making is an exact science. Measure the ingredients carefully and, for good results, don't try to adjust amounts.
- The jelly won't look thick enough at first. It needs to cool and then sit at room temperature for 24 hours and will thicken as it sets.
- That being said, this jelly is not going to thicken like jello. It's really more of a jam than jelly (Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jam doesn't sound quite right). Jam is thick but spoonable where jelly is very thick and scoopable as you can see in the pictures in this Blackberry Jelly recipe post.
- Sometimes the pineapple and peppers will float to the top of the jar right after being filled. Wait 15 or 20 minutes, then give each jar a stir. The solids will suspend at this point for a pretty presentation.
- A wide-mouth funnel is very helpful when making jam and jelly. It makes transferring the mixture from the pot to jars super easy and mess-free. These funnels also work for the Weck Jars shown below.
- I love these Weck Tulip Jars for jams and jelly, especially if I'm giving it as a gift.
- Feel free to use the hot water canning method with this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly if you prefer. Here is a step by step instruction guide from Ball/Kerr.
- As mentioned above in the post, feel free to let me know in the comments below if you'd like a free printable PDF for the labels. You'll receive two sizes of labels, one that fits perfectly on the top of a Weck Jar or inside the lid of a classic Mason-type jelly jar. The other is smaller and makes a nice label for the side of a jar or to tie around the neck with a ribbon.
- The navy and white checked ribbon pictured in the post matches perfectly with the labels. It comes in a spool of 25 yards and is super inexpensive.
Thought for the day:
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!
Revelation 5:12
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
Sweet and spicy, this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly is delicious with cheese and crackers. It also makes a wonderful grilling glaze for poultry, seafood and pork.
- 1 medium-large fresh pineapple peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 5 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup finely chopped golden delicious (or other yellow apples) 1 large apple
- 1 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper from 1 large pepper
- 1-3 orange habanero peppers seeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 3 ounces Certo liquid fruit pectin 1 pouch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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Place the finely chopped fresh pineapple in a strainer set over a bowl. Press on the pineapple with the back of a spoon to release as much of the juice as possible. Allow the pineapple to drain while you're prepping the other ingredients.
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Combine the sugar, vinegar, apple, bell pepper, habanero, red pepper flakes, butter and exactly 3 cups of the well-drained pineapple in a large pot. (If you have extra pineapple save it for your morning yogurt or something else. Don't try to add more than 3 cups.)
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Stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and cook for 10 minutes. Watch the pot carefully and lower the heat a bit if the bubbling jelly rises near the top.
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Add Certo and lemon juice and bring the mixture back to a rolling boil. Cook for exactly 1 minute, stirring frequently.
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Remove pot from heat and skim off any foam on the surface. Ladle jelly into clean jars leaving a ½-inch space at the top. (this will allow for expansion in the freezer.)
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Cover with lids and allow the jelly to sit for 24 hours, then place in freezer.
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If using the hot water bath method, use sterilized jars and immediately proceed with the water bath canning method. Jelly may take 24 hours to set completely.
Read the Café tips above in the post for lots of important tips to ensure success when making this jelly.
Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen.
Makes 48 ounces of jam. The Weck Tulip jars (shown above in the post) are 6-ounce jars so that would make 8 6-ounce jars of jelly.
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Julie Anne Weir says
Love the jelly, made it yesterday.
Is there a set time for leaving in freezer. ? or do they need to be kept in freezer all the time. ..? it would be helpful if this was stated on website under method. 😊
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Julie, you can just store the jam in the freezer instead of canning it with a water bath. You can keep a jar in the fridge to use. It just needs to sit for 24 hours before it's ready. Hope that helps!
Jan Rogers says
Have not tried yet, but in my recipe file to make for gifts to give away to friends. The blood orange recipe would be a nice valentine gifts. Will try it right away. Have the blood oranges in the ref already!!!
Could you send PDF labels for both of these recipes? So glad I found your web site. Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy, Jan! We will send the labels now.
Jaidean Echeveste says
Mine smells very strong like vinegar. How do I fix that ?
debra wallingford says
I would love your pdf label! Made this last night still waiting for it to set!
Chris Scheuer says
We will send the labels now, Debra!
Phillis Moore says
Thanks, this is a wonderful recipe.
I would love to get the labels.
Thanks,
Phillis
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! We will send the labels, Phillis.
Julia says
I just bought some pineapple pepper jelly in the old general store in Dahlonega,Ga and I LOVED it! It was the first time I've had Pineapple pepper jelly. I googled pineapple pepper jelly and found your post. I'm super excited to make my own! Thanks for sharing! I would also like to have the labels emailed to me if it not too much trouble.
Thanks and stay safe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it, Julia! We will send the labels.
Katy Koskela says
Such a pretty color! Any reason powdered SureJell couldn't be used instead of the liquid? I'd love the pdf for labels too. Thanks KK
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Katy! Certo and SureJell are not interchangeable. Sometimes it works but often the jam/jelly doesn't set. If you look at recipes for the same type of jam using powder vs liquid, the proportions of ingredients are usually quite different.
We'll be happy to send you the labels!
Ronnie says
I have been making a similar version of this for years, but having tried your recipe, I will be sticking with this one
forever. Thanks for sharing it.
Please do send me the labels as I love giving this as gifts and my friends keep asking for more. I always enclose a copy
of the various uses for this in the gift bag with the jam.
Ronnie
trixala@sbcglobal.net
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Ronnie 😊 We will send the labels now
Ethena Silveira says
I made this Perot jelly and it’s awesome.
I would like the label PDF please
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoyed it, Ethena! Just sent the labels.
Ethena Silveira says
I made this Pepper Jelly and it’s awesome. I will be trying some of the other pepper jellies soon.
Please send me the PDF for the labels.
Ken says
I'm just about to make the recipe. Thanks for all of the tips. Can't wait to try it! I'd love a pdf of the labels, please. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy Ken! The labels should be in your email.
MBMomof3 says
Dumb question but how do you attach the labels to the tops of the jars?? Do you print on sticker sheets or otherwise??
Am somewhat computer illiterate.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi MB, Not a dumb question at all! I print them on regular paper or cardstock and then use a gluestick to attach them to the lid of the jar.
Maribeth Milne says
Easy, great flavor and a perfect gift for holiday giving. My friends loved the jelly!!
Can you send a PDF of the label please? Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it! The labels should be in your inbox.
Holly Boutwell says
Hi Chris, I made your recipe just before Christmas for family and received rave reviews! May I please get the label, so I can plan better for Christmas 2021?!
Happy New Year!
Holly
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, we'll be happy to send them, Holly! I'm so impressed that you're already thinking about next Christmas!
Jess says
So excited to make a batch, what a fantastic flavor combination! May i please have the PDF for the printable label? I'm snagging some of the matching ribbon on Amazon now 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Just sent the labels, Jess!
Ciara says
Love the recipe!
Would love to have the labels!
Chris Scheuer says
Sent!
Ellen Hood says
I would love to have the PDF label. Thank you
Ciara Branch says
Love this recipe!
I added some jalapeños for added color! I would love to get the labels emailed if possible!
Thank you for all you do!
Chris Scheuer says
That sounds so pretty, Ciara! The labels should be in your email 💕
Mary Meyer says
I'm excited to try your recipe as my first ever homemade jelly making experience! I would appreciate the labels, too. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
We'll be happy to send them, Mary!
Ashley molina says
I love this so much! Please send me pdf of labels! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! Just sent them, Ashley! Enjoy!
MARK DEVAULT says
Making it for the second time tonight. Love it! May I have the labels please?
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! Sending them now, Mark!
Rosalie Romero says
I recently bought a jar of pineapple habanero jelly at a Christmas boutique and LOVED it. I have been looking for a recipe ever since. Thank you! I would love to have the labels as well. Thanks again.
Chris Scheuer says
Perfect! The labels should be in your email, Rosalie!
Jeff says
Easy to make, looks and smells great! Could you send me the label PDF please?
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it, Jeff! Just sent you the labels!
Erin Kemp says
This recipe was so fun to make! I would love if you could send me the PDF of the labels 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Erin. The labels should be in your email.
Barbara says
I would really appreciate the labels,
Love this recipe so much!
Merry Christmas!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Barbara, Merry Christmas to you! We'll be happy to send the labels.
Lori Ogorchock says
I am so excited to have found this recipe. I have not made this one as of yet, but I will be making these as Christmas gifts. If I can have the label to add to your perfect pepper jelly, it will complete my gifts.
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it, Lori! Just sent the labels!
Jocelyne Carrigan says
A friend of mine and I made this recipe today and it came out great! We want to give them out as Christmas gifts. I would love the labels, they add such a beautiful touch. Thanks,
Jocelyne
Chris Scheuer says
What a fun project to do together. The labels should be in your email, Jocelyne!
Laura Bradshaw says
Love this recipe! Thank you for putting the time into it to make it delicious! I would love the pdf for your labels. Lauraleigh21@att.net
Thanks so much!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Laura! Enjoy!