Pickled Bell Peppers

Oh, yes there are more peppers - they seem to keep multiplying in that bin! One of the great recipes found was for pickled peppers and adapted the recipe. This was an all day project so make sure you have plenty of time.

Recipe:

10 peppers
1 onion
2 quarts white vinegar
4 bay leaves
1 T pepper corns
3 T kosher salt
some olive oil


Directions:

Phase one: roasting the peppers. I cut the peppers in half and de-seeded them before placing them on a broiling pan. broil on high for 10 min with skins facing up. Then I put them in a large bowl and covered with tin foil (the steam allows the skins to bubble and peal faster). After about 5-10 minutes in the steam bath I took as much skin as I could off under cold water.
Phase two: pickling. bring the vinegar to a boil with the herbs, spices, onion, and salt, and cook the peppers for a few minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon, draining them well, and transfer them to clean sterile canning jars. Filter the vinegar, returning it to the pot, and bring it to a boil again; while it's heating divvy the onion rings and bay leaves among the jars. Pour the boiling vinegar over the peppers, add a tablespoon of olive oil to each jar. Then I used a chop stick to poke around the jar and remove any visible air bubbles. Then add more liquid if necessary. Process in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Put them in a cool dark place for a month, and they're ready. Expect them to keep for a year.

Alternatives:

- The onions are not completely necessary but do add flavor.
- Also, the addition of garlic would add another layer of flavor.


Uses:

Eating pickled peppers make me feel kind of fancy because they are not an everyday meal staple (like peanut butter). Try these little gems on a sandwich with cheese; part of an antipasto platter; a pizza topping with feta; mixed into steamed veggies; and many more...