Melted Red Peppers and Garlic
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3½ to 4pounds bell peppers, all red or a mix of red, orange and yellow
- ¼pound hot red peppers (optional)
- ¼cup thinly sliced garlic, cut into slivers
- 1cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for jars
- 4 to 6sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra for jars
- ½teaspoon wine vinegar
- Salt
- Two 1-pint or ½-liter jars
Preparation
- Step 1
Stem and seed the peppers and cut them into thick strips, about ¾-inch wide.
- Step 2
In a wide skillet, combine the garlic and olive oil over low heat until the oil begins to bubble. A few handfuls at a time, add the peppers and turn to coat with the oil. When all the peppers are in the pan, add the thyme and vinegar and adjust the heat to a low simmer. Sprinkle with salt.
- Step 3
Cook until the peppers are soft and sweet and garlic has almost dissolved, about 45 minutes, shaking the pan and stirring gently every 10 minutes. Don’t stir too often or the peppers will begin to break down.
- Step 4
When the peppers are cooked, use tongs to lift them out of the pan and into jars. Strain the oil and divide between jars. Top off with extra olive oil.
- Step 5
Store in the refrigerator for up to two months. Serve on toasts, with cheese or cured meats, or add to frittatas or pasta sauce.
Private Notes
Comments
I made 2 jars full and froze one for later. These are delicious, but they will get moldy, even in the frig, if left uneaten too long.
If you sterilize the jars and lids as for canning, and pack the pepper spread into the jars while still hot, this will keep unopened in the fridge for up to a year. The olive oil will solidify, but no spoilage.
I was skeptical after reading the comments however had a large amount of red peppers and wanted to preserve them. It turned out amazing, the taste really reminds me of an old Hungarian dish with peppers called lesco (lecho). But this is oil based and with sweet red peppers that you can add enough spice with the habaneros to your liking. Delicious on almost everything! Found that I also preferred to pull off the skins but it’s easy enough once they’re cooked through and cooled.
Bland. Although to be fair I did not have a hot red pepper so I added red pepper flakes. Maybe I needed to add more vinegar? FYI: The peppers really need to be peeled after cooking and cooling, a step which is not called for in this recipe. Next time I’ll just roast them and then add the dressing. Much easier.
If you sterilize the jars and lids as for canning, and pack the pepper spread into the jars while still hot, this will keep unopened in the fridge for up to a year. The olive oil will solidify, but no spoilage.