Roasted Red Pepper Spread For Canning Recipes

MARINATED ROASTED RED PEPPERS CANNING RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash your jars, lids, screw bands, and canning tools in hot soapy water. Rinse well to remove all suds. Set aside to air dry on a clean kitchen towel.
• Place the jar rack into water bath canner, place jars in the canner, and add water to cover. Bring the canner to a simmer (180˚F) for 10 minutes, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.
• Rinse peppers well under clean, running water. Cut each pepper in half, and remove the stems, seeds, and ribs.
• Blister the skins of your peppers by grilling or broiling until the skins crack and separate from the flesh.
• Remove the peppers from the heat and place in a covered glass bowl to steam.
• Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and tear or cut into pieces or strips. Divide the peeled roasted peppers evenly into piles to match the number of jars.
• Heat about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, and sugar if using. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Keep warm until you are ready to use.
• Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove a jar from canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.
• Fill the jar with roasted peppers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Give your marinating brine a good stir to be sure the oil is evenly distributed. Use your canning funnel and ladle to fill the jar about halfway with the brine.
• Run your bubble popper through the jar to mix the peppers with the brine, and top off with more brine leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Run the bubble popper through the jars again to remove air bubbles.
• Wipe the rim with a damp towel to remove residue. Center a lid on the jar, place the band over the lid, and screw it on until fingertip tight. Place the jar back into the canner, and repeat with the rest of the jars.
• Once jars are all in canner, adjust the water level so it is 2-inches over the tops of the jars.
• Cover the canner and bring the water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, process both half-pints and pints for 15 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary (See Notes below).
• When processing time is complete, turn off heat, remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face, and allow the canner to cool down and settle for 5 minutes.
• Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use a jar lifter to remove the jars one at a time from the canner. Keep the jars upright, and place them on the towel. Do not tighten ring bands or test the seals yet. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24-hours to cool.
• After the jars have cooled for at least 12 hours, check to be sure lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate the jar and use within 2 weeks.
• Remove the screw on bands and wash the jars. Label, date, and store the jars of marinated red bell peppers in a cool, dark location between 50 to 70 degrees F for 12 to 18 months.
• For best flavor, let the jars sit for at least 4 weeks before opening to allow the flavors to develop. Refrigerate after opening and use up within 2 weeks. Yields about 8 half-pint or 4 pints.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SPREAD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a small food processor; cover and process until pureed. Store in the refrigerator.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SPREAD

Steps:

• Roast red peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onion under a broiler or on a grill at 425 degrees F, turning to roast all sides, until tomatoes and peppers are blistered, blackened and softened and garlic and onion are blackened in spots. Remove from heat.
• Place pepper and tomatoes in paper bags, secure opening and let cool about 15 minutes. Allow garlic and onion to cool. Peel garlic and onion. Finely chop garlic. Set aside. Finely chop onion, measuring 1/4 cup. Set aside. Peel and seed peppers and tomatoes. Place peppers and tomatoes in a food processor or blender, working in batches, and process until smooth.
• Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
• Combine pepper and tomato puree, garlic, onion, vinegar, basil, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and mounds on a spoon, about 20 minutes.
• Ladle hot spread into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
• Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil over the peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SPREAD

Steps:

• Arrange drained peppers on a double layer of paper towels; let dry.
• Process the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender, until the capers and parsley are very finely chopped.
• Add peppers and process with on-off switch until the peppers are coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess. Stop several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure mixture is evenly chopped.
• Check the seasonings and adjust as necessary.
• Serve with crudites.

AJVAR (ROASTED RED PEPPER SPREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to broil. Halve each pepper, discarding stems and seeds. Place peppers, cut side down, on an old baking sheet or one lined with foil.
• Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and score with a knife, drizzle it with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and a little salt and place it on a second baking sheet.
• Place one of the oven racks roughly 3 to 4 inches below the heat; place peppers on this rack. The eggplant should sit on a lower rack.
• Broil the peppers and eggplant, turning the peppers occasionally until they are well roasted on all sides, roughly 15 to 20 minutes. The eggplant may be done first; if so, remove it and set it aside to cool. To test eggplant for doneness press on it with a fork to make sure it's soft all the way through. I use an an outdoor grill to cook the peppers and eggplant, no oil. I make sure most of the skin on the peppers are blackened.
• When you remove the peppers from the oven, place them in a bowl, sprinkle them with a little water, and cover with a clean dishcloth. Leave it for about 10 minutes. This step steams and lifts the skins, making it easy to peel the peppers once they've cooled. (Another method to loosen skins is to place the peppers in a paper sack, fold over to close and leave it for 15 minutes).
• While waiting for the red pepper skin to lift. Use a large spoon to remove the pulp of the eggplant, leaving the skin behind. Discard the thickest seeds, but don't get nit-picky. Put eggplant in a food processor or a blender (I use a stick blender in a deep bowl) with olive oil and smashed and chopped garlic cloves. Pulse the eggplant a few times so that it's chopped with the other ingredients but not totally pureed. Put this in a bowl and set aside.
• Once peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them with your fingers or a knife. Add peppers to the food processor or blender and pulse 5 to 8 times to chop coarsely. Add the eggplant mixture to the chopped peppers, season to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar and dried chili flakes, pulse 3 or 4 times to mix.
• If you wish, garnish it with more finely diced garlic and a few scattered basil leaves. Serve ajvar with toasted bread slices drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.