How to Can Marinated Red Peppers (video + recipe)

by Rebecca Gerendasy

Generally when it comes to canning I mostly put up fruit…peaches, cherries, figs, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, and the like. So I was very intrigued by Marisa McClellan’s book, Preserving by the Pint, where she goes outside my comfort zone and puts up asparagus, onions, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant – the list goes on! When we last met-up she agreed to demonstrate how to make something sweet and something savory. Today’s video, Marinated Red Peppers, is the latter. These red peppers are great in sandwiches, salads, or an addition to an antipasto plate.

One of Marisa’s favorites is to serve them with hummus and pita bread. However you decide to use them, they will taste great and add a beautiful color to a dish.

This is like taking a personal class with Marisa. Not only does she go through each step of the process, she also shares additional canning information, such as, canning safely with olive oil, what kind of salt to use and why, and the importance of bottled lemon juice.

With the abundance of peppers beginning to show up at the market, no better time to put some up for later use.

Below is a recipe from Marisa’s Book: Preserving By The Pint

Marinated Red Peppers Recipe

Makes 2 half pints. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 quart red bell peppers (approximately 11/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 11/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Prepare a boiling water bath canner and 2 half pint jars. Place lids into a small pan of water and bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Heat your oven’s broiler to high. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the peppers on the pan and slide the pan under the broiler.
3. Cook the peppers for 1 to 2 minutes per side under the broiler, until they are uniformly charred and they have slumped. Remove pan from the broiler and cover the peppers with another length of aluminum foil. Let the peppers rest of until cool enough to handle.
4. While the peppers cool, make the pickling liquid. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, Aleppo pepper, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
5. Once peppers are cool, peel away the blackened skin and remove seeds and cores.
6. Pack the peeled peppers into the prepared jars and cover with the pickling liquid, leaving a generous 1/2 inch headspace. Using a wooden chopstick, gently prod the peppers to ensure that any trapped air bubbles have been released. If necessary, add more liquid to return the headspace to 1/2 inch.
7. When jar are nicely packed, wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.