Cranberry Jalapeno Jam | Sweet And Spicy Jam You'll Love

Sharing is caring!

Pretty sweet-and-spicy homemade jam to put on everything

Cranberry Jalapeno Jam is one of those recipes that surprises people — in the best way. It’s bright, tangy, lightly spicy, and incredibly versatile. Spoon it over cream cheese with crackers, spread it on sandwiches or turkey sliders, glaze chicken or pork, swirl it into dressings, or tuck jars into gift baskets. This sweet-heat jam brings big flavor with very little effort, and it keeps beautifully in the fridge.

If you’ve never made homemade jam before, this is the easiest place to start. One pot, simple ingredients, and about 20 minutes is all it takes to make a small batch of jam you’ll reach for again and again.

My brain hosts a constant parade of food images, and lately, I’ve been obsessed with cranberries. I kept visualizing cranberry jam with jalapeno, casually poured over a block of cream cheese surrounded by crisp crackers at my Christmas cookie party.

I knew I had to bring that idea to life, so at eight o’clock on Friday night, I created a recipe and made my first batch of cranberry jalapeno jam. It turned out beautiful and tasted amazing with the perfect amount of sweet heat! I’m hooked, and you will be, too!

It’s peak cranberry season! Americans eat 400 million pounds of cranberries every year! Bags and bags of fresh cranberries are piled high in the produce departments of grocery stores all over America right now.

I found 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries at Walmart yesterday for just $1.00, and it is a limited season! Why not snag several extra bags while they are available? Cranberries freeze beautifully right in the package. You will love it when you can grab some out of the freezer and make your favorite recipes all year long!

Cranberries are America’s second-favorite berries, right below strawberries, and for a good reason! Cranberries can be used in so many ways, from sweet and savory jams, dips, and salsas to amazing bread, pies, and desserts! Twenty percent or eighty MILLION pounds of cranberries are eaten during Thanksgiving week alone!

How To Make Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

You do not need to be a good cook to make jam. It's easy to make jam. Once you've assembled your supplies and set up your workstation, making a batch doesn’t take long.

For this cranberry jam, you will only need a few ingredients, all easy to find. You will need a bag of fresh cranberries, red peppers, four or five small jalapenos, sugar, white vinegar, and pectin.

I’ve been making jam for years, and I have always used Sure-Jell powdered pectin in the box with great results. It's my go-to brand. Some jam and jelly recipes use liquid pectin, but the two are not interchangeable. Each type requires a specific process for cooking and preparation.

Powdered pectin makes jelly and jam practically foolproof, so that is what I always use.

If you want to know more about how each type works and how to substitute one type for another, here is an article from someone who has done their homework! I have no experience with liquid pectin, but there is a wealth of information if you take a little time to research and experiment! Our kitchen is also our laboratory!

Read through the instructions on the recipe card and be ready to follow them. They are simple but critical to success.

Before you begin, get all your canning supplies together to avoid a mad rush to the store. Once you have started a batch, it’s almost impossible to stop.

Everything you’ll need is readily available at grocery stores, hardware stores, online, and even at Walmart. The things you’ll need are inexpensive and long-lasting. And believe me, you’ll find lots of uses for jars, jar lifters, and canning funnels beyond making jam!

⭐ How to Make Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

Step 1 — Prep the Peppers & Berries

• Chop cranberries and jalapenos very finely.
• Use a food processor or any chopper you like — just keep the pieces small.
• Be careful with jalapenos; the heat is mostly in the seeds. Wash hands thoroughly after chopping.

Step 2 — Measure the Sugar (Set Aside)

• Measure the sugar into a bowl or large measuring cup.
• Set it aside because you’ll add it all at once later.

Step 3 — Set Up Your Water Bath (Optional for Longer Storage)

• Fill a deep pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil on another burner.
• You’ll use this pot for processing the jars if you want long-term storage.
• The water needs to be deep enough to cover the jars by at least one inch.

Step 4 — Combine Fruit, Peppers, Pectin, and Vinegar

• In a large, deep pot combine:
  • the chopped cranberries
  • chopped jalapenos
  • powdered pectin
  • vinegar
  • optional: ½ teaspoon of butter to reduce foam
• Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

Step 5 — Add All The Sugar at Once

• Once the mixture reaches a boil that cannot be stirred down, add the sugar all at once.
• Yes, it’s a lot — this is jam, not diet food! This amount of sugar produces the perfect consistency.
• Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes clear.

Step 6 — Hard Boil for Exactly 1 Minute

• Bring the jam to a full rolling boil again.
• Stir continuously.
• Set a timer for one full minute.

Step 7 — Ladle Into Hot Jars

• Remove the pot from heat.
• Place sterilized jars on a towel or rack.
• Use a canning funnel to fill jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace.
• Wipe rims clean with a clean damp cloth and add lids/rings.

Step 8 — Process (Optional) or Cool

• For shelf stability:
  • Lower jars into the boiling water bath.
  • Water must cover jars by at least 1 inch.
  • Process according to the recipe card’s time (typically 10 minutes - more at higher altitudes).
• Or, if refrigerating/freezing:
  • Let jars cool on a towel without touching until sealed.

Step 9 — Listen for the Ping

As jars seal, you’ll hear a satisfying ping. Don not touch or move the jars until they are thorouighly coolAny jars that do not seal must be refrigerated and used within a month.

I used a food processor to chop the cranberries, red peppers, and jalapenos for my cranberry pepper jam. You can use any kind of chopper, but you do want the ingredients to be chopped fine.

Please Don't Try This At Home

It's exciting to have made a batch of cranberry jalapeno jam, but please do not try to double a batch to save time. It simply does not work in a home kitchen.

Trying to double a batch of jam can significantly increase the cooking time needed to achieve the proper set. The larger volume of liquid in a standard cooking pot can often lead to sad, overcooked, burnt, or rubbery jam that doesn't set properly because the heat distribution is inefficient.

Good news, though! You do not have to wash the pot if you do a second batch while you have everything out! In fact, my mom often made a batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam followed by a batch of raspberry jam without washing the cooking pot in between!

My post on strawberry-rhubarb jam is especially helpful if you're just getting started.

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Continue to Content

Yield: 8 half pints

Cranberry Jam With Peppers

Print

Here is a recipe for a delicious jam with the perfect amount of sweet heat. Great over cream cheese with crackers or spread on a sandwich with mayonnaise for a little kick.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• One 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries, finely chopped*
• 3 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
• 4-5 small jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 tsp butter, optional, to keep foam from forming on the jam
• One 1.75-ounce package of powdered pectin
• 2 cups of white vinegar
• 6 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Get ready for your "jam session." Assemble everything you need before you begin!
2. Choose a tall stockpot to cook jam.
3. For the boiling water bath, you'll need a second tall pot of water deep enough to cover the jars by one inch. Start it now. Put flats (lids) in a bowl of very hot water, ready to use. Add a tablespoon or so of vinegar to the water so lime doesn't form on jars.
4. Jars are fine if you've run them through a dishwasher on a hot cycle. Assemble a canning funnel, sterilized jars, jar lifter, flats, rings, and a clean, damp dishcloth for wiping rims. Lay a thick bath towel on the area where you'll fill your jars.
5. Combine the chopped berries and peppers with the pectin, vinegar, and butter in the stockpot. Bring to a boil.
6. Next, add sugar all at once, and keep cooking and stirring until the mixture reaches such a boiling point that it cannot be "stirred down." You do not need a thermometer.
7. Keep cooking for one minute; set a timer! The jam will be HOT! Use a very long wooden spoon to keep stirring, or wear an oven mitt on your stirring hand! Remember: The jam will be HOT!
8. Remove from heat. Put the pot of jam on a heatproof cutting board or trivet. It's hot!
9. Ladle jam into sterilized jars with a canning funnel. Leave about 1/2" headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, damp cloth. Check for any nicks on the jar rim with your fingertip. Do not use it if a nick is present. Put on the lid and ring. Tighten by hand.
10. Put jars in a boiling water bath and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars from the water bath onto a rack or towel-covered surface using the jar lifter. Allow them to sit without moving them until cool. You'll hear the distinctive "ping" sound as the jars seal.
11. If a jar does not seal, refrigerate it and use it within about a month. Trust me; this will not be hard to do!

Notes

* you can use frozen cranberries in this recipe too!!

Enjoy your cranberry jam on cream cheese with crackers, or use it as a glaze on pork, turkey, or chicken. It's also great on a sandwich! It gives a flavor boost to the mayo!

I absolutely love to make cranberry jalapeno jam and I love giving it as gifts, especially at Christmas! And year after year, people look forward to their Christmas jar of jam! 🥰 Before you go, tap one more homemade goodie — they’re all easy, giftable, and crazy good.

Here are more of my favorite homemade, giftable goodies:
• Apricot Jam ⭐ – sweet, tangy, and beautiful in jars.
• Christmas Jam 🎄 – bright, spiced, cranberry-strawberry classic.
• Pineapple Jam 🍍 – tropical, easy, and sunshine in a jar.
• Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce 🍖 – sweet, smoky, and perfect for gifting.
• Jezebel Sauce 😇🔥 – zesty Southern classic with kick.
• Peanut Butter Fudge 🍫 – creamy, rich, and wildly giftable. (Fast microwave recipe!)

If you liked this cranberry jalapeno jam recipe, you are my people! Please share it on your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!

If you haven't already, please look for me on Facebook and Pinterest. I share easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes there every week!

If you enjoyed a post, I'd love it if you would leave a review or a comment. It really helps my little business. ❤❤

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.

Sharing is caring!