How to Preserve Roasted Red Peppers in Oil

Red bell peppers are ideal for home preservation.

Originally found in Mexico, red peppers have been cultivated for more than 6,000 years and are now grown throughout the world. According to the Iowa State Extension Service, red peppers were initially used to enhance the flavor of bland foods. Home cooks know that preserving vegetables picked at the peak of the season is an economical way to use that vegetable when it is no longer in season. Although time-consuming, it's possible to preserve roasted red peppers in oil at home.

Things You'll Need

• Dial-gauge pressure canner
• Cookie sheet
• Tongs
• Paper grocery bag or glass bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Small bowls
• 9 half-pint jars with lids
• Saucepan
• 4 lbs. red peppers
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. oregano leaves
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, quartered (optional)
• Salt
• Jar lifter

Instructions

Roasting Red Peppers

1. Turn the oven to the broil setting.

2. Select firm, unblemished peppers for roasting and canning.

3. Place the peppers on a cookie sheet and broil until the skin blisters and blackens, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Use tongs to turn over the peppers and blacken the other side.

4. Place the blistered peppers in a paper grocery bag, close and roll down the top, allowing the steam to remain in the bag for 20 to 40 minutes. Instead of a paper grocery sack, you can place the peppers in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a wet dish towel.

5. Take the peppers out of the bag and remove the skin, stems and seeds, which should pull away easily. If the peppers are small enough to fit in the jars, leave whole, if they are not, quarter or slice them.

Preserving Red Peppers

1. Clean the jars and lids in the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle, or boil them for 10 minutes.

2. Mix lemon juice, oregano, vinegar and olive oil in a saucepan and heat to boiling.

3. Add ½ tsp. of salt to the bottom of each half-pint jar. If desired, you may also add a quartered clove of garlic to the jar.

4. Fill each jar with peppers and add the vinegar-oil solution, leaving ½ inch of headspace between the food and the top of the jar.

5. Wipe off the top of the jars to ensure there is no residue from the peppers or vinegar-oil solution.

6. Adjust the lids to the jars and tighten.

7. Dial the pressure canner to 12 lbs. of pressure, and process the jars for 35 minutes.

8. Allow the canner to depressurize when it's finished processing.

9. Remove the jars and allow them to rest for 12 to 24 hours; do not retighten the jars.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternatively, you can blacken the peppers one by one over an open flame on a gas stove.

• Adjust canning pressure for different altitudes, which can be found in the USDA home-canning chart in the Resources section.

References

• Extension Service of West Virginia University: Let's Preserve Peppers
• University of Georgia Extension: Preserving Food and Freezing Vegetables
• Iowa State Extension: Peppers

Resources

• USDA: Principles of Home Canning
• University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Peppers