Late Summer Peppers ~ Pine Mountain, Kathleen Powers

     Despite the tough growing conditions this summer it seems that many gardeners are getting a good late summer pepper crop, we have recently been seeing lots of pretty bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, hot green peppers, bright red jalapenos, and more!

    Many gardeners in Grow Appalachia grow peppers and I’m sure they have just as many wonderful ways to prepare them, however I know how easy it is to get in a rut with the way you use your fresh vegetables, and then before long you just get fed up with them all together. Peppers are easy to preserve (just chop them any way you want and stick them in the freezer), and this is always an option if you find you just can’t eat any more this summer, but there are also many delicious and relatively simple ways to prepare them fresh from the garden.

Maggie with some of the gorgeous
peppers given to us by GA participants

     My favorite way to eat bell peppers is simply to roast them on high heat and eat them; hot, cold, in pasta, on sandwiches, mixed with other fresh produce (corn, tomatoes, onions, etc.), or just by themselves.

      

Roasted bell peppers

1. Cut peppers into large chunks (slice 1 pepper into quarters), remove seeds and ribs.

2. Coat peppers generously in olive oil and spread on a tinfoil lined baking sheet.

3. Roast in a 425° oven for about 45 minutes (just keep on eye on the peppers and take them out when they are a bit blackened and quite soft).

4. After they have roasted put them in a sealed container for 15 mins. Once they are cool enough to handle slip off the skins and discard them (I don’t bother with this step, I think the blackened skin actually tastes good).

Roasted peppers will keep for several weeks in a sealed container in the fridge, or you can freeze them for later use!

• For those of you who like pickled veggies you can also do a quick pickle of your roasted peppers.
• Here is a link that David Cooke provided several months with a whole slew of peppers recipes that use a few simple ingredients each and can be prepared quickly.
• And here is a great looking stuffed pepper recipe.

Dried Cayennes also make
for great kitchen decor

Hot peppers can be roasted and added to many dishes, they can also easily be frozen, canned, or strung and hung to dry.

• Last year Maggie made a great Jalapeno pepper jelly, this link is the Ball Blue Book recipe reposted by a food blogger.
• You can also find many recipes for salsa, hot pepper sauce, and relish that use up lots of hot peppers.

So enjoy your peppers this summer (fall, already?), and if you have any great pepper recipes let us know, we always love to try something new!