Processing Red Peppers

I got a gracious plenty of Red Peppers this week at Farmshare.   And then I had fun.

I did share some with friends, and then I played with the rest.   I already had some washed and cut up when I took this picture.

Hey, if you can't have fun with your food, what's the point?  Really.  Just kidding, food is serious business and needs to be treated as such.  Nah.

To start with, I washed the peppers, then I cut them them up.
Like this.

 Cutting them down either by thirds or quarters.  None of this cutting around the stem business. 

Next up, I laid them on a rimmed cooking sheet and roasted them for about 10 minutes under the broiler.  Just til they started blackening a little and the skin started to bubble.

I used a hint I got from my friend Harriett when I roasted some of the peppers.  She said she would roast them and then turn off the oven and come back when they were cooled before peeling them to freeze or to use.

WOW, these were the easiest peppers I think I've ever peeled.  By leaving them in the oven, on a lower rack, not only did they cool down, but also they steamed themselves.    I didn't have to do more than just peel them when I took them out.  Easiest peppers I've ever peeled. All I used was my fingers, which are now orange in color.  Note to self, next time, use gloves, sigh.

Hey it's October and orange is the color of the month.

I placed them in a single layer on some plastic wrap and put them into the freezer.  As soon as they're frozen, I'll be putting them into a ziploc bag and that way I can take out as much or as little as I need for a recipe.

I restrained myself from eating all the roasted peppers.  I've got them earmarked for some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.  

I also cut some of them up into strips, and put them into a bag to freeze.  That way, all I have to do is pull out a handful or so at a time, dice them or leave them in strips for any recipes.  I'll use them in Fajita's or on some Chicken Quesadillas later on.  They'll also go well in Omelettes.  

I even cored a few and left them whole so I can make some Stuffed Peppers later on. 

And did I mention I made some rings and then cooked an egg inside of one for my breakfast.

This roasting and cutting up business can make a person hungry.