I love using roasted peppers in recipes. Perfect for making so many things. You can layer them into sandwiches, make red pepper butter out of them, or store them in jars. You can also freeze them.
Fresh blocky roasting peppers are coming out our ears from the garden. This spring I planted way too many sweet bell and mildly-hot pepper plants!
We knew the colorful fruits would come for 3-4 months, so we devised a plan! My husband offered to grill up the extra harvest for me each time he grilled burgers or dogs. I bought into the idea immediately…
It turned out to be very easy….especially since he did the grilling!
Prepping a Batch of Colored Peppers For Roasting on the Grill
1. First cut into quarters and de-seed the roasters! It takes 5-10 minutes.
2. Drizzle the roasting peppers in olive oil in a big bowl (enough to toss and coat the pieces) and season to taste.
I just use 4 ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- and your favorite seasoning
After over-blackening the first test batch, we learned how to adjust the flame and flip them after just the right amount of time.
The second big batch was roasted to perfection. Basting with the remaining olive oil helped keep them from blackening too much.
You can also do this in the oven:
- Cut the peppers into quarters, then remove the seeds and membranes.
- Arrange them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle with the spices.
- Bake at 450F for 20 minutes.
Three Options for the Cook:
1.) Serve roasted peppers hot, right off the grill with your favorite summer meal
grass-fed burgers, grilled zucchini, fire-roasted green peppers, and baked beans in July
2.) Freeze Them – they freeze beautifully
Once the peppers are fire roasted, I allowed them to cool completely before bagging in Ziploc (BPA-free) freezer bags. When we place hot food into any plastic bag, potentially toxic plastic chemical substances used in manufacturing the plastic (plasticizers) may leak into the food.
I filled each individual bags just enough for one meal for our family.
It’s a breeze to roast and freeze an over-abundance of peppers; the extra smoky flavor in the middle of January is mouthwatering. Whether they star in a recipe or add accent flavor, roasted peppers make the dish.
Notice that I did not go to the trouble of peeling off the skin as some folks do. They are tender and delicious just the way they are ~ in my humble opinion!
3.) Cover with salted olive oil and incorporate them into recipes
Place the peppers in a jar or lidded dish. Cover with salted olive oil and refrigerate for 4-5 days. Enjoy mixed into pasta, pureed into soups, atop pizzas, or make Roasted Red Pepper Butter.
Because of their rich and savory grilled flavors, you can eat them cold the next day for lunch, with cold cuts, cheese, olives and hard-boiled eggs. They make a great antipasto plate!
Bon appétit!
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