Roasting and Preserving your Own Roasted Sweet Peppers

Roasting and preserving your own roasted red peppers is fun and economical. I bought a bunch on sale at Safeway and proceeded to can three jars of them. I used this same recipe to can Hatch chilies this week. It is simple and easy to do. 

What you need:

4 pounds of peppers

1 cup bottled lemon juice

2 cups white vinegar (at least 5% acidity)

1 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 pint jars for canning

First thing you need to do is start your water in your canner or what ever you are using as a canner. See the link below for information on equipment I recommend if you are going to get into canning.

This article is great and has all of the basic information you need to can and pickle your own veggies:

How to Quick Pickle Any Vegetable

I have used it to pickle cucumber slices at work twice and they came out great.

This is five pounds of cucumbers pickled to go with southern Hot Chicken sandwiches.

This is something anyone can do. 

Once the water is going you need to work on the peppers. Using a chef knife, cut in half,removing the seeds and veins from the insides. Wash and drain you peppers. If you are using a hot pepper wear gloves to handle the peppers. 

Once washed and drained turn on your broiler and put the peppers in one layer on a sheet pan, brushing oil on them. You may have to do it in two bunches as I did. Broil until they are charred onto and blistered. Put into a large bowl and cover and allow them to steam the skins off.

While they are steaming put the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally to mix it together.  The water should be hot now. Remove the lids from  your jars and submerge in the hot water while you prep the rest. Put the lids in  a pan of hot but not boiling water now.

Once the peppers are steamed remove them from the bowl and peal them. Be careful and I would wear  kitchen gloves. 

Remove the jars from the hot water and  put on a clean towel on the counter. Pack the peppers into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Pour in the hot liquid over the peppers, again, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  I recommend a canning funnel for this as it pretty much goes 1/2 an inch into the jar, so just fill to the bottom of the funnel. Make sure you get a clove of garlic in each jar. 

Use a chopstick to run around the sides of the jars to remove the air. Wipe the tops of the jars and cover, tightening them just hand right. A lid tool is good for getting  the covers on without too much of a mess. Put the jars into the canner and process for 15 minutes. Remove carefully and put on the counter to cool. The tops should pop down and seal. If a jar does not seal put in the fridge and use within 2 or 3 weeks. 

These are great for making soup. See my next post on how to make great roasted pepper/tomato soup with a pint of these chilies and a recipe for green Hatch chili enchilada sauce.