Kitchen Know How's: Charring Bell Peppers

Over the next few days, I am going to share some kitchen know how posts. These are know hows are just simple little things that any wife and home cook should know how to do. Some of them, I have just recently learned myself. I also have a board on Pinterest filled with charts, measurements, ideas, and tips that have I saved to help me run my kitchen more efficiently ~ Kitchen Know Hows.

For years, I have watched people on their cooking shows char bell peppers on their gas stove top. They talked about the flavors its brings out in the peppers and that charring was a good way to help reduce the indigestion factor that is common with bell peppers. This was a great interest to me, because bell peppers is one of the things that cause DH to have indigestion and we eat a lot of them. The only problem was we didn't have a gas stove and I really didn't know that it could be done any other way. However, one day while watching "Pati's Mexican Table" the solution to my dilemma was solved by Pati Jinich. She said if you didn't have a gas stove you could char bell peppers under the broiler in your oven. A solution so simple, I am ashamed I didn't think of it. 

I was learning all of this as last fall as our bell peppers in the garden really started coming in. So I set about roasting peppers. It was surprisingly easy to do. It also did help cut down on some of DH's indigestion problem. 

Here is what you will need: 

• bell peppers
• a baking sheet 
• a baking pan that will fit over the baking sheet
• tongs to turn peppers with

To start with, you will need to turn the broiler on in your oven and get it good and hot. 

Wash off your peppers and arrange them on the baking sheet. When the broiler is up to temp, place the baking sheet in the oven. When the peppers turn black on the side facing up, turn them over using the tongs. When the peppers are charred black on all sides, remove them from the oven, then place the baking pan over the top of them for about 10 minutes. This helps them to sweat and will allow the thin skin on the outside to easily peeled or wiped off. 

All charred and ready to be sweated.

A pepper mostly peeled. 

When the thin skin is removed, slice the pepper in half to remove the seeds. They will come out easily by using a knife to scrap them out. 

Now the pepper is ready to be sliced and used in any dish. Or sliced to be put in a freezer container for use in the future. 

All sliced and ready to use.

Charring peppers do enhance their flavor and give the dish a hint of a smoky taste, which I like. Charring also seems to have reduce DH's indigestion a little. It is an easy thing to do and can be done when you are doing other things in the kitchen. Charring peppers is just one of those simple kitchen know hows every wife should know how to do!