Name: Crabapple Jalapeno Jelly
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 7 lbs ripe crabapples; 2 jalapenos, seed removed; 3 1/2 cups sugar; 2 tbsp lemon juice

Looking for something to do with the seemingly unusable crabapple trees? Try this crabapple jalapeno jelly for a sweet and spicy treat.

This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure policy here.

One of the first things we noticed upon moving here was how absolutely lousy this property is with crabapple trees. They are scattered in our woods and all over our yard. From this very window I can see 8 of them!

They make great deer food but I hate to see good, useable fruit go to waste. Crabapples are known for having a bitter taste but with a bit of sugar, they can become just as tasty as a Red Delicious.

Last year, my attemps at apple butter were less than overwhelming. I spent hours scouring Pinterest and canning books searching for a recipe that would not only work but would also be something that we could enjoy.

What I found was a recipe for Habanero Gold. Habanero Gold is a jelly that contains apricots and habarneros. I don’t have either habaneros or apricots but I do have plenty crabapples and jalapenos.

Can you make jelly without pectin?

Yes you can!

Crabapples are naturally high in pectin which means that you do not need to add additional pectin in order to achieve a propery jelly consistency. This recipe will just take a little more time than a recipe with added pectin.

What You Need to Make Crabapple Jalapeno Jelly

Crabapples
Jalapenos
Sugar
Lemon Juice

How to Make Crabapple Jalapeno Jelly

Start by picking and washing your crabapples. I like to let the apples soak in a large tub for a little while to ensure that all dirt and insects have come out. Rinse them off thoroughly and move on to the next step.

There are two ways to do this next step. One way is to place all the apples, stems removed, in a large post and cook them down until they can be mashed with a potato masher. From there, strain out all the pulp and fleshy parts using a strainer and a cheesecloth.

The way I am doing it in this tutorial is by running all the crabapples through my Black and Decker Juicer. This just takes out all the work of straining the pulp and is less clean up.

Once all the pulp is removed and you are left with just apple juice, strain off some of the foam that forms on top and pour the liquid into a pot.

Turn the heat on to medium-high and begin boiling the juice. Stir in the lemon juice and the sugar and reduce down for a few hours. This took about 2-3 hours to fully reduce down.

During the last hour, chop up the jalapenos. Remove the seeds and membranes. Add the jalapenos into the pot of jelly and allow them to simmer with the jelly for an hour.

Begin preparing your jars and lids for the canner.

Spoon the jelly into the jars, I’m using quarter pint jelly jars, place down the lids and rings.

Place the jars into a pot of boiling water, making sure that the jars are covered in water by 1″ and process for 10 minutes before removing the jars and allowing them to cool.

This jelly tastes great on crackers spread with homemade Farmer’s Cheese. Refridgerate after opening.

Yield: 1 1/2 pints