Pepper. Jelly didn't set

I made red pepper jelly using 4 red bell peppers (not drained) 3 jalapeño peppers 5 c sugar, 1c vinegar and 2 pouches liquid pectin.... Now I have 24jars of soup. I can use them as a marinate but I really wanted jelly. Any ideas on how to get this to jelly point? Can I recook with more sugar?

Lori Boggs
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Cathy B. October 28, 2013
There are many reasons jelly fails to set. Here are some guesses.
*It looks like you doubled the recipe? That could contribute to the loose set. Preserving recipes should not be doubled, although they can be safely halved.
*Pepper jelly needs to be at a very strong boil before the pectin is added. In my experience, most loose-set jelly attempts are the result of stirring in the pectin when the jelly is not yet at the (slightly terrifying) Boil That Will Not Stir Down.

*Commercial pectin is activated in a very specific way. It must be added at the Boil That Will Not Stir Down stage, and then can cook for only one minute. If it cooks longer, it can lose its oomph.

*Peppers are tricky. They have little or no natural pectin and often take awhile to set up. Don't give up hope, yet. Let the jars sit for a week or so -- you might be pleasantly surprised.

Feel free to send me a PM if you have more questions.

Cathy (MrsWheelbarrow)
 
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