How To Peel Roasted Peppers

Peeling the skins off of roasted peppers can be a chore. One is often left picking off small bits of skin at a time, which is tedious, or peeling away chunks of pepper flesh along with the skin! Here’s an easy method that guarantees you will peel your peppers faster and not lose any tasty pepper flesh. This method can be used with any peppers; bell or chiles.

Ingredients
Firm, unblemished peppers of your choice
Olive oil

Tools
Sharp knife
Baking pan
Pastry brush
Oven with a broiler setting
Plastic bag

1. Preheat the broiler of your oven.

2. Cut your peppers in half lengthwise at the stem.

3. Remove the stems and the ribs. To remove the stem, grab the green tip and pull it up, towards you, and snap it away from the pepper body. Pinch the ribs out with your fingers. Turn the pepper halves upside down and gently tap them against the cutting board so the loose seeds fall out.

4. Brush a baking sheet lightly with olive oil. Place the pepper halves, cut side down, on the baking sheet and brush them lightly with the oil.

5. Place them about 3 to 4 inches under the broiler. After about 10 minutes, the skins will start to blister and blacken. When they are evenly blackened and blistered, remove from oven.

6. Using tongs, place the peppers in a plastic bag and seal it. Set aside. Wait 15 to 20 minutes.

7. After 15 to 20 minutes, the peppers should be cool enough to handle and the skins will easily peel off.

(Images: Kathryn Hill)