roasted peppers
Sweet peppers charred until the skin blisters, then peeled to leave smoky, tender, sweet flesh; sold jarred in oil or brine, or made at home over a flame or under a broiler. Used in sandwiches, salads, dips, and sauces for their soft texture and concentrated sweetness.
Buying guidance
Jarred versions should have an intact seal and a clear, unclouded packing liquid rather than a cloudy or fizzy one. Read the label for added salt, sugar, and oil, since these become part of the seasoning of whatever they go into. The packing liquid itself is often flavorful and worth using rather than draining away by default.
Substitutions
- Fresh bell peppers, charred and peeled at home -- more work but no added brine flavor; char over a flame or under a broiler until the skin blisters, then steam under a bowl before peeling.
- Fresh raw bell peppers -- much crisper and less sweet, best used in something cooked further rather than as a direct swap in a salad.
Tips & common mistakes
Roasted peppers hold a surprising amount of liquid after peeling, even once drained -- pat them dry with a paper towel before adding them to a sandwich, salad, or sauce, or the residual moisture can make bread soggy or thin out a sauce.
Storage
Store-bought jarred roasted peppers packed in oil or brine are commercially processed to be shelf-stable before opening, but a homemade batch covered in oil at room temperature is not the same product and can support the bacteria that cause botulism -- refrigerate homemade roasted peppers stored in oil and use them within about a week.