Knowledgebase
Can I substitute super hot peppers in a canning recipe and remain safe? #890923
Asked December 19, 2024, 9:32 AM EST
Hello,
I grew an abundance of hot/superhot peppers this year. I’m using the Bernardin’s Habanero Gold jelly recipe which is a safe canning recipe but I’m wondering if I can substitute the peppers in the recipe to create some variety and still have it remain safe? My assumption is that using peppers hotter than a habanero will only continue to drop the Ph but I’m uncertain and I’m looking for some guidance if this is safe practice (similar thought to hot sauce).
The peppers I’m looking to substitute the habaneros with are, Aji lemon drop, sugar rush stripy, jays peach ghost scorpion, fatalii peppers.
Thank you!
Columbia County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Stuart,
As a general rule of thumb, you can substitute one variety of fresh pepper for another in canning recipes, so long as you keep the same total volume or weight that the original recipe calls for. There is not a significant difference in pH between different fresh pepper varieties that would impact safety in canning.
I double checked the specific recipe you are using in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, Ball being the American brand name for Bernardin. I see in the notes that Ball offers suggestions on different pepper substitutions that can help you dial in the spiciness you are looking for. These suggestions would indicate that this recipe is in keeping with the rule of thumb cited above--pepper varieties are interchangeable.
Happy canning!
Jared