CLASSIC ROASTED RED PEPPERS

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There are a-mannnnny traditions we keep a-gooooin’ in this family. The negotiables: Homemade Soppressata and Salami – although by far my absolute fav, this isn’t an every year thing for us as I wish it would be. Homemade wine – my fav part as a kid was jumping on the grapes which, let’s be honest, would probably still be my favourite part if we made homemade vino today. Smashed Calabrese olives – if you don’t know what that means and you’re an olive lover, do yourself a favour and find out immediately.

Then you have the non-negotiables: Fresh Tomato Sauce cause are you even Italian if you don’t have a cantina full of this stuff?! Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes. And these guys – Homemade Roasted Red Peppers – both absolute delicious classics and earn a spot in the cantina or fridge every. single. year.

I ain’t gonna make this into a formal recipe or anything because, pictures. And besides, would you just look at my almost 99 year old Nonno still slaying the peeling game?! If that ain’t inspo to keep family traditions alive then you probably need better family traditions.

HOW WE DO THE ROASTED RED PEPPERS

A box full of whole shiny red peppers (long version) — Start off with a box of good lookin’ Red Peps. The long sweet ones is what ya want but hey, who am I to tell you which to get?!

whole red peppers roasting on an open BBQ — Throw ’em in a single layer on a medium heated grill/BBQ. My dad says you gotta keep a close eye to ensure they don’t burn!

aluminum tray of freshly roasted whole red peppers — They should look somethin’ like this after about 30 minutes of opening and closing the lid (to keep a close eye and ensure 0 burning is happening). You want the black char but you don’t wanna overkill.

grandfather separating peels from roasted red peppers — And now, you gather up every single family member you can get your hands on, and make them peel, peel, peel the skin off the peppers. **PRO TIP:** Do this while they’re still hot or you’ll be a hot mess and wonder why the fffffff you ever listened to a gal off the internet and started this process in the first place.

mom separating roasted red pepper peels from roasted red peppers — The peeled VS. the peelings.

big bowl of peeled fresh roasted whole red peppers — The aftermath. So fresh. So clean.

hand holding up a roasted red pepper as it's separating the insides and seeds — Now, we remove the stem and seeds. **PRO TIP:** Have a bowl of water nearby to clean your hands as often as needed – the seeds tend to stick!

a big bowl of seeds in a strainer, seeds were taken out of the roasted red peppers — The cleaned peppers and discarded stems and seeds.

big pile of roasted red peppers in their juices — The mountain of stemless and seedless peppers. **NOTE:** Do not discard the water the peppers released in the process. We’re gonna use that to keep the peppers after we package them.

hand pulling open a ziploc bag showcasing some freshly roasted pepper pieces — At this point, you can jar some right away but we freeze them in order to keep them longer. Put about five large pieces into a freezer bag (more for bigger portions) with a few tablespoons of the water.

individual ziploc bags of freshly roasted red peppers, ready to freeze for later use — All bagged up and ready to freeze!

Et Voila! A half days work to have unlimited access to Roasted Red Peppers?! Yes, please.

To Assemble When Ready to Use:

Remove bags from the freezer as you need them. Thaw in a bowl on the counter or in the fridge. Once thawed, squeeze out any water and add to a bowl. Using your hands or a fork, “rip” the peppers into smaller strings/pieces. Add salt to taste, lots of minced garlic and cover in Olive Oil. Transfer to a jar or keep in a container with a tight fitting lid in the fridge to use as desired.

PRO TIP: They’re the besssssst in sandwhiches or on pizza. But we mostly just devour ’em on their own with crackers with absolutely 0 regrets.