DIY: Roasted Red Peppers

Becca here with a great way to roast your own red peppers!  The flavor is amazing, and if you come across a great deal on red bell peppers, like I did on these organic ones, you can't beat the price either.  The "hands on" time required is quite minimal too.  I read a variety of sources to figure out the "best" way to roast and then store the peppers, since I had a pretty large quantity of peppers, and used this post this most.  They can be stored in the freezer for several months, or you can remove the peel, cut them, and pack them into a jar & add a bit of oil, for the roasted red peppers you may be accustomed to buying in a jar at the grocery store.  The uses for the peppers are limitless; we like them in pastas, on pizza, in hummus, in soups, and I use them as a sort of garnish on veggies sometimes to add a bit of color.  I love having them already prepared in the freezer, it's easy to just remove the portion that you need, and convenient to have on hand. 

Roasted Red Peppers

Preheat the oven to 500.

Stand the pepper upright on a cutting board.  Holding onto the stem, cut the "good" part of the pepper away from the core and seeds.  I usually do this in 3-4 large pieces, as you can see pictured above. 

Place the peppers skin side up on a large baking sheet.  Put into the oven on the very top rack and turn the broiler on. 

Broil until the skin is nice & roasted (black) in places, like you see above.  Depending on how hot the oven is, how thick the peppers' skin is, etc. this usually takes me 12-18 minutes.

If you're going to use the peppers immediately, put them into a tightly sealed container to "sweat" until they cool so the skin will be easily removed, and then use as desired, either in a recipe or to pack in oil and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

For freezing, I stack the peppers between layers of wax, parchment, or freezer paper (whichever you have is fine!) and place them in a large zip top or other airtight container until ready to use.  Then just remove the number you need and let them sit out & defrost for a few minutes; the skin will be easily removed.