And POOF! Just like that, summer was gone. I am fully aware that it is still technically summer but the tell tale signs are all around us: breath is foggy in the morning, cozy socks are back at the front of the sock drawer, scarves and jackets are shaken out of storage, and the produce at the farmers’ markets is taking a definite pumpkin-y turn. This, my friends, is fall.
That giant cosmic yawp you just heard came from my ever-optimistic beloved husband who views the turning of the leaves as a personal metaphor for mortality. This is the same man who spends the first official day of summer in mourning because it means that the days will grow shorter until the year ends. Poor guy. Don’t feel too badly for him, though. He lives with a compulsive baker and we all know that bread makes everything better.
Some of us, though, are not-so-secretly rejoicing. I’ve rustled up my fingerless gloves and my woolen caps for my morning strolls. I’m thrilled that I’m no longer sweating buckets near (not over, perish the uncouth thought) my canning pots. In fact, I’m upping the canning program in order to help keep warm until my husband finally acknowledges that summer has flown the coop and fires up the wood stove*.
*Firing up the wood stove is like my husband throwing the white flag of surrender and admitting that one more summer is behind him.
In the meantime, I will keep filling jars with little tastes of summer for my soon-to-be hibernating husband to put on his fresh bread. Jams and jellies are wonderful, but nothing beats cracking open a vibrant, ruby-hued jar of savoury garden goodness when the brisk wind is blowing and the sky is gun-metal grey.
Roasted Red Pepper Spread is just the thing to banish chills to the body or soul. You can’t help but smile when you see the bright red jars with flecks of basil peeking out at you. And when you open it? It’s everything wonderful about summer encapsulated in one little jar. The silky smooth, thick red pepper spread with the full taste -courtesy of tomatoes, garlic, onion, and red wine vinegar- is at home dolloped on fried eggs, spread on toast, as a pizza sauce, or as a dip (either alone or stirred into mayonnaise or softened cream cheese.)
While my poor husband may never recover from the suggestion that winter is soon to follow, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer the following tip; if you tie a simple gold, silver or raffia ribbon and gift tag around the top of the jar, it makes a beautiful and tasty (and perfectly colored) Christmas gift. Red and green and good taste. What could possibly be better?
The recipe yields around five eight-ounce jars, but can easily be doubled or tripled. I recommend an automatic doubling of this recipe if you intend to give it as gifts, because once you taste it you won’t want to part with it. That is as incontrovertible a fact as the passing of the seasons.
Roasted Red Pepper Spread Gardeners Delight Eggs
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 5 ¾ pounds sweet red bell peppers
- ¼ pound fresh cayenne peppers or other red-hued hot peppers (If you don’t like heat, use an additional ½ pound of sweet red bell peppers.)
- 1 pound plum tomatoes
- 1 small onion unpeeled and uncut
- 3 large cloves garlic unpeeled and uncut
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons packed, thinly sliced (chiffonade) of fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons sugar I prefer raw
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler in your oven. Spread the peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast under the broiler, turning frequently, until the peppers are softened and blackened all the way around, and the tomatoes, onion and garlic have some black spots on them. The more thoroughly blackened the peppers are, the easier they are to peel. Transfer the peppers and tomatoes to a paper bag, fold the top down three or four times to seal it, then let cool about 15 minutes, or until the produce is cool enough to handle. Set the onion and garlic on a cutting board to cool as well.
- When the peppers and tomatoes have cooled, use your hands to rub the skins off as well as you can. Don’t panic if a bit of the skin remains. Cut the peppers open in order to remove their stems and seeds. Rip the peppers into strips and put into a blender or food processor (in batches if necessary) and process until smooth. Pour into a stainless steel stockpot and repeat the process with the tomatoes.
- Peel the onions and garlic then finely chop both. Add this and the remaining ingredients to the purees in the stockpot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Lower the heat to medium low and continue a gentle boil, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, or until the spread can be mounded on a spoon.
- You may either refrigerate the red pepper spread at this point, or freeze it in single serving sizes, or can it to make it shelf stable.
To can the spread for long-term storage:
- Ladle the hot spread into prepared 8-ounce jars leaving ½-inch of headspace. (For information on how to do this, click here ) Use a stainless steel chopstick or butterknife to remove any air bubbles. If the level of the spread lowers after air bubbles are removed, you can add more hot spread.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth, put the lid in place, and screw on the rings until fingertip tight. Place on a rack in a canner, cover with hot water, and bring to a boil with the lid on the canner. Once the water reaches a full rolling boil, begin a 10-minute timer (15 minutes for pints). When the timer is done, remove the lid from the canner, turn off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes before carefully transferring the jars to a towel or rack on the counter to cool, undisturbed.
- When the jars are completely cool, remove the rings for storage, wipe the jars clean and label. Store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and #hashtag it #foodiewithfamily so I can check it out!
Would you like another good reason to have this on your shelves? I gotcha covered! This is my current favourite breakfast.
Roasted Red Pepper Spread | Gardener's Delight Eggs
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 flour tortilla cut into quarters or rounds (with a biscuit or cookie cutter)
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Red Pepper Spread see recipe above
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Fresh basil thinly sliced (chiffonaded)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Crack the egg and slide it onto the skillet near one edge. Place the tortilla rounds or wedges along the other side of the skillet. Flip the tortilla rounds when they begin to lightly brown. Toast the other side and transfer to a serving plate.
- Cook the egg, flipping once if desired, to your preferred doneness. Use a spatula to place the fried egg on top of the toasted tortillas. Top the egg with the Roasted Red Pepper Spread. Sprinkle with fresh basil, if desired.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and #hashtag it #foodiewithfamily so I can check it out!
Reader's Thoughts...
Cate says
Wow. Love this recipe. Made it twice in the past month so I don’t run out in the winter!!
Thank you SOOO much for all your recipes. I use them often.
And that canning book….what can I say….except that it’s a real gem and if you don’t have one you’re missing out. Let me tell ya!
Rebecca says
Oh my goodness, Cate! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love both it and the cookbook!! I appreciate your endorsement!
Beverly Hitchcock says
Do you have to put the sugar in? I have a jam and jelly business and one of my customers is requesting a savory hot pepper jelly jam type of spread.
Rebecca says
Hi Beverly- I would definitely add it in there. It’s still very much savoury with it!
Judi says
Great posting – have 15+ lbs of red peppers waiting to be turned into this savory sauce… I found the best results come when roasting the peppers, et al, in the wood cookstove – that smokey flavor really makes the sauce sing! And I’m liking the addition of the hot peppers – adds that special sumptin-sumptin! Although this autumn is dawdling (still have tomatoes in the garden here in NW CT), I have been putting up dozens of jars this year – jams, pickles, salsas…Like you, I need something special to put on the bread when it comes outta the stove!
Linda says
Hi I was very excited to try your recipe today….. I was roasting the peppers and looking for the recipe !!lol and my best friend called me and was frazzled (she has her daughters wedding on Saturday) anyway I ran out to help her and left the peppers to cool in the bag…Came home 4 hours later started laundry, and cut and skinned the peppers …found the recipe and cursed…because I forgot to roast the garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Then the husband came home and didn’t feel well so thats all i got done…..ugg !!! My question for you is can I freeze the peppers because I am crazy busy until Sunday or Monday now and will try to finish the recipe then. What do you think will be best?
Tracy Lawson says
This looks really delicious! I need to make some for sure, I’m thinking that this spread could go on a number of yummy things!
TiffH says
Ahh… if only I knew how to can and I didn’t despise bell peppers. But it looks delicious.
Rebecca says
Well, the canning I can help you with, for sure, TiffH. The despising bell peppers, not so much, sadly.:-)
Bev Weidner says
I could go snorkeling in those jars of sauce.
Rebecca says
I do believe I could, too… Looks like you’ve been Red Pepper-ing lately, too!
Melissa says
Top of my list, along with all my other canned essentials, when I get my kitchen delivered. Promise.
Rebecca says
I can’t wait to hear how you like it. Can’t wait. Nibbling nails. Nails covered in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, that is. I tell you it makes everything palatable.