Roasted red peppers, dripping with olive oil and garlic, are a sumptuous and easy way to bring out the smoky flavor of sweet red peppers. But going a step further into the realm of pickling captures the flavor while preserving the hearty vegetables for use all winter long. You can use fresh peppers harvested from your backyard garden or stock up on store-bought peppers which are inexpensive when in season, during the summer months. Spread pickled roasted reds onto French bread, use them as a topping for simple pasta dishes, slap them on a sandwich or enjoy them alone as a side dish.
Instructions
1. Roast peppers at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the skins are charred, turning every 5 to 10 minutes. Place peppers into a paper bag and let sit for 10 to 20 minutes. Once they've cooled, the skins should peel right off.
2. Peel the peppers and remove seeds. Cut into half-inch strips and set aside.
3. Combine onion, mashed whole garlic cloves, wine, vinegars, spices and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Loosely place peppers in each jar, and pour the hot liquid mixture over the peppers up to ½ inch from the top.
5. If you plan on canning these for later use, move onto the canning and sealing process (see Resources). Otherwise, once the jar contents cool down, place the lids on and let them sit overnight in the fridge before digging in. These will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refigerator--or longer if canned properly.
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