How to Roast Peppers
Have you been picking tons of peppers before a frost/freeze hits your area like I have? Lori my friend just mentioned to me she picked a bucket of jalapeños and doesn’t know what to do with them. I had several ideas to share and here are a couple; chop them up and freeze in a freezer bag or cut in half, remove seeds and then freeze by placing in a freezer bag. Use the chopped peppers in chili, soups, fresh salsa or really anything needing some kick. The pepper halves are ready for jalapeno poppers or cut and use in your favorite recipe. You can also make my Pickled Jalapeno Peppers (found under “peppers”) or roast them, which I’m going to go over today.
How to Roast Peppers
I have done this technique with every variety of pepper I have grown, as you can see below I have a few varieties on the grill. It gives them so much flavor and they freeze well for later use. Pictures are the easiest way to describe this process.
I do this on a gas grill on high temperature, the highest heat you can get. You can also do it under the broiler in your oven. If I’m doing only one pepper I hold it with tongs over the gas flame on the stove, of course this would be way to time consuming with a bucket full or peppers!
Place clean peppers onto a hot grill. Turn when they start to char. Char all sides of pepper. I have a really hot spot on my grill and it takes seconds. I keep rotating them from the hot spot. Yes, you should stand at the grill at all times. Don’t think you can run in and do something quick; they may be completely burned when you return. I speak from experience.
After they are charred place in a bowl or a paper bag; fold up the bag or cover the bowl and let sit 10 minutes or so to cool. This will allow them to steam slightly making the skin easier to remove.
When cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the pepper, remove the stem, vein and seeds. The poblano peppers I did not remove the stem only the skin, seeds and vein by making a slit in the side, then they are ready to stuff. Do not rinse the peppers with water. You would be losing valuable flavor!
Use in a recipe, keep in the fridge for a couple days or freeze. To freeze place on a silpat pad or a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and place in freezer until frozen. Once frozen, remove, place in a freezer bag and freeze. Add the roasted peppers to soups, chili, dips, tacos, pasta etc. anywhere you want the roasted pepper flavor
