keeping roasted red peppers

[alexia]

How long can I keep roasted red peppers? in oil? in vinegar and oil? After I roast them, I ususally drizzle with oil and refrigerate. I prefer this neutral way of storing them as I use them in a variety of ways.

I usually only roast as many as I think will use up in 1-3 days. But when I buy them from my coop, I haven't as much control over the quantity. A few times I've thrown them out even though they still looked okay because I'd had them longer than 3 days and was worried about eating them.

What is the best way to refrigerator store peppers and for how long? I like keeping things like peppers, olives, anchovies, etc. on hand as building blocks for quick easy meals.

[Suzanne]

I usually cover them with an olive-oil-and-herb-vinegar dressing, with thin slices of garlic and fresh herbs such as rosemary and oregano. Not the least bit neutral, but good! I usually make a big batch, and keep them for months and months -- and I haven't killed anyone with them yet. I just make sure they are well covered with the oil. And they live in the coldest part of the fridge, as to all my homemade preserves and such.

[phoebe]

Suzanne,

You mentioned preserves. So do you have to keep the peppers in some sort of sterilized container or will a regular jar or plastic container do?

[alexia]

I'm admittedly confused about the issue of botullism. I do peppers in small batches so as to not have them hang about too long. I keep seeing warnings about storing garlic and herbs in oil. On the other hand, I know that even meats can be preserved in fat. So why not vegetables?

Why doesn't that apply to leaving peppers & garlic in oil? Are all the nasties that might live on the peppers killed off by the roasting? Do you blanche the garlic and herbs?

[Kimmie]

Freezing your roasted peppers in ziplock bags is also an option.

[Suzanne]

Phoebe: Plastic containers are too permeable, so I use glass jars. They are washed-out spaghetti sauce or peanut butter jars, or 1-cup canning jars I've used before -- just your regular recycled stuff. Of course I wash them thoroughly before I use them, but no, I don't sterilize them. (Well, I do for jam, but I still keep those in the fridge, not in the cupboard.)

Alexia: Perhaps my attitude is too cavalier, but I assume that the likelihood of contamination is minuscule. I may have had in my closet contaminated (bought) cans of food, but those were discarded upon discovery. I don't expect that I've got spores lurking in my kitchen. I take normal precautions to keep my ingredients and equipment clean.

As for the peppers, I wash them well before I roast and peel them, I keep everything else clean, I wash the garlic before I peel and slice it, I wash the herbs before I pick the leaves -- you get the idea. In any case, I try not to set up the conditions for growth: remember that clostridium botulinum is anaerobic. My peppers, even with the oil-and-vinegar, are definitely exposed to air (whenever I take some from the jar); of course this wouldn't stop the growth of organisms. But it doesn't encourage it, either. And I pack them in small quantities, so I only have at most a pint open at a time. To be honest, I'm much more concerned about mold, which is so pervasive and getting worse all the time, it seems.

Finally, if anything shows any signs of spoilage, IT'S HISTORY. Slam dunk into the garbage. The funny thing is that happens more with the roasted peppers that I BUY -- those really have to keep covered with brine and/or vinegar, or they mold really fast. Go figure.

[alexia]

Thanks for the feedback. As a home cook, it's really hard to know how seriously to take all the talk about contamination after all these years of cooking, using raw eggs, never having given much thought to botulism AND never making anyone sick from my cooking. I've used raw eggs in mayo, tiramisu, etc.

Are we just more contamination conscious, or is it that the production processes have become so engorged and anonymous that we're in more jeopardy today than say 30-40 years ago? I worry that having, without giving it a thought, avoided poisoning my children, may - for all my present day awareness - may poison my grandchildren! OK, I exaggerate. But I do worry that factory farming and global produce warehoused in who knows what conditions may have slipped a serious change in behind my back, though I do try to be careful where I buy my food.

Susanne, I do like to do a pepper per burner as long as I'm standing there, so I often have some, not tons, hanging about. You have reassured me that at my present rate of production I needn't fear, even if I slip in a garlic clove. I seem to be overly sensitized by cautions in cookbooks and by TV chefs - all of whom may have as much concern for lawsuits as our health.

Kimmie, the freezer is always a good last resort which I do use, but whenever possible I prefer to use produce that hasn't been frozen. (Don't like what it often does to the texture.) I think that in a pinch, I'd probably process excess roasted peppers into a roasted pepper vinaigrette sauce and then, if necessary, freeze.

I generally use my freezer for pantry storage of nuts, flours, etc. and cooking elements such as stock, a little tub of pesto, pastry & scone dough, frozen partially cooked empanadas, etc. In my family days I did make and freezemy homemade version of shake and bake chicken which was almost as good when finished off in the oven. (Harried mothers, I'll share my easy-do chicken on request.)

[Isa]

You can also roast the peppers by placing them under the oven broiler. It will save you time.


Alexia & Suzanne, you seem to both have lots of pepper knowledge. Would you have a pepper jelly recipe to share?

[panini]

alexia,
It's nice to see concern over healthy clean food preperation. If things haven't changed recently most food borne illness does occur in the home. Most of this is caused by cross contamination of bacteria and not spoilage. Hand washing usually prevents 90 % of cross contamination.
We seem to be aware more lately, but all those little tummy aches and potty problems after a meal now and then are usually a result of a little cross contamination or improper food handling.
On another subject, I'm not a believer in using excess anti bacterial products in the home. I personally believe that little ones need to be exposed to these things to build antibodies. But thats just me.
Sanitation is not all common sense but nature ususally has it's own way of warning you that something might not be good for you.

NOW! Most importantly SUZANNE, washed out speghetti sauce jars?????

[Suzanne]

Originally posted by panini
NOW! Most importantly SUZANNE, washed out speghetti sauce jars?????

Don't worry, I never, ever use the sauce as it comes straight from the jar. Couldn't possibly!

Oh, and I DO sterilize them for really long-term storage.

[panini]

'Oh, and I DO sterilize them for really long-term storage.'

My wife NEVER told me it was for long term storage