10 lbs of red bell peppers now marinate in 6 pints of olive oil, garlic and lemon juice; and an enormous apple pie for my dear's 29th birthday.

On Tuesday I learned a valuable lesson – do not attempt to can red bell peppers by yourself. I mean, you can do it by yourself like I did, but be prepared for one helluva time consuming experience. Though, I should note that I was making pie and cleaning all the while. I started with 10 pounds of beautiful red bell peppers (forgot to take a photo.) I turned on the broiler and heated up the kitchen while the giant vat of water for canning began to heat as well. Because I had so many peppers I had to char them in 2 batches, and each batch took 20-30 minutes. Once all the peppers were charred and cooled, the most tedious process in the world began. Over time (read: after many a pepper) I developed a strategy for the peeling of the skin.

At first I thought I ought to peel the whole tray; once peeled, I would slice in half and remove the seeds. The problem is that your hands get immediately slimy with all of the juices from the peppers. After even one or two peppers it is quite difficult to remove the seeds, let alone any skin that remains. By the second tray I had a plan. I would peel, slice and de-seed each pepper all at once. This proved far more practical because each step along the way also helped me remove the seeds, which were the real pain throughout. At the same time, the texture of this process is fascinating. Sometimes I really love the textures of food and cooking. Peeling peppers was a real addition to the items I have handled. Here is what remained after the peeling process:

Charred skin and oily oily juices.

I don’t know if the image does justice for the experience, but at least you can get a sense of how much I had to peel (or maybe not.) All in all it took 45 minutes to an hour. By the time I had finished peeling, the water in the big black can was a boilin’. Meanwhile I had to make this concoction of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and white wine vinegar – bringing that to just a boil. And in between small tasks I would do more dishes or work on the pie crust, which itself was a mushy and wet texture onto itself.

Once the skins were off and I piled off the roasted peppers, I could begin the process I had awaited the whole time.

After the char: 10 pounds of roasted peppers.

From a different angle.

Here I think the picture does justice for the texture and color of the peeling process. The rest was rather simple and less time consuming – pack the jars, pour on the liquid, wipe clean, liberate air bubbles, can and seal. And then using the somewhat-trustworth tongs I put the cans in the boiling water for 15 minutes. And voila.

Do they look good? I can't tell.

After all of this work I realized one fatal flaw, and I mean fatal. The recipe called for 4 pounds in three pints. I doubled the recipe but when I packed the jars I forgot this was the case. Because I packed too many peppers in each jar I did not provide enough room for the marinade. For all the paranoia around canning, i.e. botulism, I did not provide a balance in the pepper to marinade ratio. The consequences are dangerous because there is not enough acid in the jars. This mistake on my part kinda ruined the whole project. Instead of pretty jars to celebrate in the winter, the jars are in the fridge and will be there for a week. After some of the marinade is absorbed by the peppers we will drain the jars and freeze the peppers. Too much hard work was involved and this food item is way too tasty to pass up in the cold gray months ahead.

The pie on the other hand, well it turned out perfectly.

Related posts:

1. Filling up the freezer
2. Cuisines of the World potluck – Vietnam
3. Head Cheese (part I)
4. Risotto is worth the effort, trust me
5. If time is money, then we eat like king and queen

Tags: Bulk purchase, cooking, Recipes, red bell peppers, seasonal eating