How to Roast Capsicums

Many-Colored Capsicums on Display

Capsicums, also known as bell peppers, can be roasted to bring out their sweetness and concentrate their flavor. They can be roasted whole before removing the stems, membranes and seeds, or chopped into pieces and roasted in the oven. The skins should then be removed to improve the texture of the capsicums, and then they are ready to be eaten, incorporated into other recipes or preserved in oil for later use.

Things You'll Need

• Cookie sheet Sharp knife Chopping board Plastic wrap Tongs

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the whole capsicums on a cookie sheet.

2. Place the cookie sheet on the top shelf of the oven. Check the capsicums every 5 to 10 minutes or so to make sure they are not burning.

3. Watch for the tops of the capsicums to blacken and blister. Use the tongs to turn them over. Repeat this until the skin of the capsicums is shriveled and blackened all over. It should take about 40 minutes total.

4. Remove the capsicums and place them in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to trap the steam coming off the hot capsicums and wait for around 10 minutes for the steam to loosen the skins and for the capsicums to be cool enough to handle safely.

5. Remove the roast capsicums from the bowl and place them on your chopping board. Take the sharp knife and scrape the skin off the capsicums, then chop off the stems and cut out the membranes and seeds. Run the capsicums under cold water if necessary to help remove the unwanted parts.

Tips & Warnings

• The same method can be used to roast any member of the capsicum family, such as jalapenos and other spicy peppers. You can use your broiler instead of the oven but you will need to keep a close eye on the capsicums to make sure the skin blackens without burning the flesh. An alternative method is to first remove the stems, membranes and seeds, then chop the capsicums into pieces before roasting, steaming and removing the skins.

• If the roast capsicums are too hot to handle after steaming, simply re-cover them with plastic wrap and wait a bit longer.