Roasted Pepper Freezer Packs

From 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.