Roasting and Canning: Peppers and Tomatoes

• Red bell peppers or any colored peppers (even hot pepper varieties)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 cup cider vinegar (or any kind like white wine or distilled white) 
• Kosher salt
• Canning jars, lids, rings - sterilized
• butter knife

1. First wash, dry and then lightly oil your sweet peppers.
2. Roast your peppers. I did mine in the oven on a sheet pan lined with foil at 450°. Admittedly my oven began to smoke and the detector went off, so you could possibly delete lightly oiling them. You could also do this over a wood or charcoal grill or gas grill. And last on the open fire of your gas stove. Turn the peppers as they blacken. And I do mean blacken. You want that charred flavor.
3. When the peppers are mostly blackened, remove them to a waiting large bowl. I covered the bowl with plastic wrap. This seals in the steam and the skins will easily remove later on. You could also use a brown paper bag - but not a plastic bag. Let the peppers steam for about 20 minutes.
4. After the peppers have cooled and steamed, take them out one at a time and remove the skins, stems and as many seeds as you can. DO NOT run the peppers under water otherwise you rob them of flavor. Place the de-seeded peppers in a clean bowl.
5. Pour in a little vinegar and toss them to coat.
6. Next sprinkle kosher salt over the peppers and gently toss them. Add in any of the pepper juice as well.
7. To each jar pour in a tablespoon of vinegar into each jar. Add the peppers to the jar and leave just a little space at the top.
8. Add in some of the pepper juice then fill with olive oil.
9. Screw the lids and rings on the jar and store in the refrigerator. If you are not doing that (if you have a lot of jars) then treat them as any other canning process.
10. Canning process: do not screw the rings on tightly. Leave a little give. Boil in a water bath for about 20-25 minutes.
11. Remove the jars and with a pot holder screw the lids on tightly. Let the jars rest and cool down and eventually you will hear a pop and the jar is sealed.

That's the blistered tomatoes which I will use in sauces once I peel the skins. They will get jarred, juice seeds and all with some lemon juice and maybe a bit of kosher salt.

This amount probably won't yield a lot of roasted peppers - may one or two jars. But it is better to use them than loose them! And it was such a beautiful day, crisp and clear and the windows open. It was heaven in my kitchen: peaceful, zen like especially with the aroma of roasted peppers. If I had done this over a roasted fire I would have definitely felt like a pioneer gal.