Pickled Roasted Red Peppers (Canning & Preserving)

These versatile peppers can be used in spaghetti sauce, as a sandwich filling, to garnish a salad, to add a twist to an antipasto platter or as a gourmet pizza topping. Find tips, tricks, & more amazing canning recipes in Ball / Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving!

Makes about four pint (500 mL) jars

4     large cloves garlic, roasted, removed      4

     from skin and mashed (see tips)

11⁄2 cups     white vinegar     375 mL

11⁄2 cups     cider vinegar     375 mL

11⁄2 cups     dry white wine     375 mL

1⁄2 cup     water     125 mL

1 cup     coarsely chopped onion     250 mL

1⁄2 cup     granulated sugar     125 mL

2 tbsp     dried oregano     30 mL

4 tsp     pickling or canning salt     20 mL

20     medium sweet red peppers, such as      20

     red bell or Shepherd, roasted, peeled,

     seeded, deveined and cut lengthwise

     into serving-size pieces (see tips)

1.     Prepare canner, jars and lids.

2.     In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine roasted garlic, white vinegar, cider vinegar, white wine, water, onion, sugar, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until garlic and oregano flavors have infused the liquid.

3.     Pack room temperature peppers into hot jars to within a generous 1⁄2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover peppers, leaving 1⁄2 inch (1 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4.     Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

TIPS

Roast peppers and garlic cloves over hot coals, on a grill at 425°F (220°C) or under the broiler until charred, turning to roast all sides. Once the skin of the peppers wrinkles and chars and garlic has charred spots, remove from heat. Place peppers in a paper bag until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes, then lift off skins. Cool garlic. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves to remove from peel.

Other colors of bell peppers may be prepared and pickled as directed in this recipe.