keeping roasted red peppers

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.

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?

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.)