Eat it or Freeze it - Roasted Red Bell Peppers

My mother-in-law has the great habit of roasting and freezing red bell peppers. She often gifts me with bags of frozen peppers and I cannot tell you how much that has changed my life!


First of all, roasted bell peppers freeze beautifully - they keep their taste and texture like you would not believe. Secondly, they defrost very quickly, which means a lot to me! And finally, they are an incredibly versatile vegetable that has the power to add tons of flavor and beautiful color to any dish.


Here is what I do to have roasted bell peppers at any season:


I start by rinsing as many peppers as I want to roast:

I pat them dry and place them on a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil:

Then I roast them at 450F, turning occasionally, until the peppers look charred and are fork tender. That will take about 30-45 minutes.

I transfer roasted peppers to a bowl:

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (that steamy environment will will make peeling the skin out of the peppers much easier):

When peppers are cool, I peel their skin and remove their seeds:

All done:

I label freezer bags:

Fill them with about 2 to 4  peppers:

And freeze them for up to 3 month or more.

When I need them, I either transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator or to the kitchen counter top, and use it when it is defrosted. Or, if on a hurry, I immerse the freezer bags in hot water until the peppers are defrosted (that takes 10 to 15 minutes):

I will come back soon with a couple of ideas on how to use your roasted bell peppers.


The first one is a lovely appetizer that is a great alternative to the typical tomato+mozzarella+basil combo. This is my new favorite!

And the second one is an amazing and versatile roasted red bell pepper pesto that can be eaten as a dip to vegetables, as a topping to crostini, or as a dressing to meats such as salmon, chicken, lamb, pork, or beef - perfect for summer grilling! SO GOOD!