Roasted Pepper Freezer Packs
Sweet peppers charred whole, steamed, peeled, and frozen flat in meal-size packs — smoky-sweet roasted peppers on demand for sauces, soups, and sandwiches all winter.
Ingredients
one batchFrom the garden
- 4 lb sweet bell or roasting peppers, washed and dried — thick-walled red and yellow ones roast best; a few hot peppers can join the pan
Steps
tap a step to dim it as you go- Set the broiler to high with a rack near the top (or light a hot grill). Arrange the whole peppers on a foil-lined sheet pan.
- Broil 15–20 minutes, turning with tongs every 4–5 minutes, until the skins blister and blacken on all sides — genuinely black in patches, not just browned; timid charring makes for stubborn peeling.
- Pile the hot peppers into a big bowl and cover it tightly (or seal them in a paper bag). Steam 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle — the trapped steam loosens the skins.
- Working over the bowl to catch juices, slip off the charred skins with your fingers, then pull out the stems and seed clusters. Don't rinse them under the tap — that washes the smoky flavor away. A few charred flecks left behind are seasoning.
- Slice into wide strips or leave as whole slabs. Pack in 1-cup portions into freezer bags with a spoonful of the collected juices, press flat, push out the air, seal, and label.