Roasted red peppers are great with cheese, upping the savory flavor. I love adding them to grilled cheese, mac n cheese, and nacho sauce. They blend well with pasta or pizza sauce. And great on sandwiches. I’ve always loved using roasted peppers in my recipes, but I’ve relied on store-bought jars quite a bit. Recently, I decided to oven-roast red peppers and make jarred red peppers at home. I could immediately tell they were more fresh and flavorful than store-bought ones.
Should you buy organic peppers?
I don’t insist on all organic produce, especially when buying organic costs nearly double. That being said, bell peppers are on the dirty dozen list and have high levels of pesticides detected. Buying organic makes sense if we’re taking the time to roast bell peppers at home.
Making roasted red peppers
Roasting bell peppers is mostly a hands-off job. Simply roast whole peppers for 40 minutes at 450 F, flipping them once midway. The skins will be charred and blistered.
Once out of the oven, place the peppers in an air-tight glass container. You can use a ziplock bag if you don’t have a suitable container. Let the peppers cool until they are easy to handle with your hands. The skin will be easy to peel off. Then tear the peppers in half and remove the stem and seeds. Don’t rinse the peppers because we want to preserve all the flavor.
Storage tips
Stack roasted peppers in a pint-size mason jar, drizzling olive oil between the pieces. Top the peppers with olive oil. Store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Kirkland Signature 100% Spanish extra virgin olive oil is a good quality oil at an affordable price. I also love the taste of this olive oil which is slightly pungent (spicy). Once you have eaten all the peppers, you can reuse the oil- we don’t want to throw out the precious olive oil. Pizza, focaccia, and hummus are a few options for reusing the oil.
Homemade roasted red peppers
Roasting red peppers at home is pretty easy and they are more fresh and flavorful than store-bought ones.
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers
- olive oil
Instructions
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Position rack in the middle and preheat he poven to 450 F
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Lay the whole peppers on a sheet pan. If you’re lining the baking sheet with parchment paper, check the heat rating.
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Roast for 40 minutes, turning once midway. The skins will become blistered and charred.
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Place the peppers in an air-tight glass container and let them cool. You can use a ziplock bag if you don’t have a suitable container.
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Don’t rinse the peppers! Peel the skins off using your fingers. Tear the peppers and discard the stems and seeds.
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Stack roasted peppers in a pint-size mason jar, drizzling olive oil between the pieces. Top the peppers with olive oil.
