living in the woods and making stuff

Fresh pimento peppers, with a few hot peppers as well. These peppers are at the end of the season, and nicely ripe and red!

The peppers need to be roasted to remove the skins. I broil them in the oven, placing the peppers on the top rack right next to the heat coils. I like to have the skins all the way black (the above peppers  are only partially blackened) before I put them in a bowl covered with a plate to sit for a few minutes until I can peel the skins off without burning myself. ( I usually burn my thumbs anyway.)

Once they are peeled and seeded they are ready to be placed in jars. It is helpful to rinse them and dry them gently with a clean tea towel (colored so that any stains are camouflaged).

They are nicely flat, and look lovely when stacked in the jar, topped with pickling liquid (vinegar, sugar, etc.). I got this recipe from The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. It is very simple, and can be used for sweet peppers and hot peppers!