Weekend Project: Roasting and Storing Peppers

Between a bumper crop of hot peppers from our garden and the hoards of sweet peppers in our CSA, we’ve got peppers coming out our ears! This weekend, we have plans to roast the whole lot and store some away for the months ahead. Here’s what we’re thinking:

Instead of the stove top method, the best way to roast large batches of peppers is under the broiler. Keep an eye on them and turn the peppers frequently ensure even charring.

Roasted peppers freeze and defrost surprisingly well. Stack the peeled and seeded peppers with two pieces of wax paper between each layer (we think the double layer makes it easier to snag exactly how many peppers we want). The peppers thaw quickly on the counter top.

You can also store roasted peppers in olive oil and in the fridge for about two weeks. The olive oil can be left on for a silky texture or rinsed off. We’d like to experiment with infusing the olive oil with other herbs and spices to see if the peppers pick up extra flavor.

Cook’s Illustrated also mentions that you can store roasted sweet peppers in balsamic vinegar. This isn’t ideal for all preparations since the peppers do pick up the flavor of the vinegar, but we could see using these peppers in salads and dips or as a topping for bruschetta and pizza.

Any other ideas or suggestions we should try?

Related: What Are You Doing With Your Harvest?

(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)