Homemade Jarred Red Peppers
After the I Quit Sugar 8-Week Program, I had developed a new level of love for cooking things from scratch, and my tastebuds had changed enough that I actually didn’t find eating really low sugar that difficult. Sugar was in a lot of processed foods, but I found a few low sugar options and made as much as I could from scratch.
But what surprised me was that sugar was not the hardest thing to avoid. The more I turned to savoury foods, the more I discovered that vegetable oils are far far harder to avoid than sugar. Especially here in England, where rapeseed (canola) oil is held up as a healthy option, enabling food manufacturers to slap “low fat” on a load of products, is cheap to use, and so is used in everything.
Even products that say “olive oil” on them are often only 10-20% olive oil, with the rest being rapeseed or another vegetable oil. Spreads, crackers, dips, olive oil based mayonnaise, bread, curry pastes, sauces and of course, marinated vegetables like olives or red peppers.
And since we try to avoid vegetable oils as much as possible, given their links to various diseases, their often being rancid in the bottle and their hyper-processing, we tend to keep them to a minimum in our house (since they are likely present in our food when we eat out or buy occasional ready-made foods). We cook and bake instead with olive oil, organic butter or coconut oil.
I love having cooking shortcuts on hand in my kitchen. I make a big batch of homemade pesto (another common vegetable oil culprit) and freeze in ice cube trays so I can just grab a couple to stir into hot vegetables and pasta straight from the freezer. I take 30 seconds to make a jar or homemade olive oil or butter mayonnaise for the week when prepping a dinner. I buy frozen vegetables like sliced peppers, peas, sweetcorn, pre-chopped spinach and florets of cauliflower or broccoli to save money and prep time. I sometimes use frozen fruit smoothie packs to blitz with some fresh greens and coconut water or milk for a quick smoothie without having to prep and chop fresh fruit. Sometimes I mix up a jar of sugar free wholegrain dry ingredients for pancakes or muffins or waffles so all I have to do is mix in some wet ingredients, stir and cook. I freeze prepped and/or cooked portions of treats or meals for last-minute needs. I make a batch of Sarah Wilson’s hands off sauerkraut to keep in the fridge for the month ahead. I make a big batch of yogurt once a month to mix with frozen berries for a quick pudding or breakfast or pancake/waffle topping in moments. If I’m feeling lazy or tired I might buy pre-minced garlic or ginger (as long as I’m happy with the ingredients – ideally only garlic and ginger!). I buy wholegrain plain or salted rice cakes and Shredded Wheat or porridge oats for quick snacks or breakfasts.
I keep my eyes peeled for veg oil and sugar free products in the supermarket I can buy and keep on hand that I needn’t bother making (simple hot sauce, mustard, olive oil and vinegar (instead of sugary dressings), full-fat yogurt (I make this but you can easily get some whose only ingredient is milk), organic butter (instead of margarine), no-added-sugar nut butter, pre-mixed salads (wash these thoroughly even if they say pre-washed), sliced fresh or frozen veggies…).
One that I like to have on hand that can add flavour quickly and easily in lots of dishes is jarred red peppers. Unfortunately, even the ones that say olive oil on them tend to have a veg oil listed in the ingredients. But since discovering how easy it is to make, I find that it is well worth a few minutes of effort.
Red peppers are one of the best sources of vitamin C, making them perfect for back-to-school and flu seasons. Forget orange juice when you are sick – red peppers are going to help your immune system far more than orange juice ever will, and won’t include the sugar crash that leaves you feeling worse a few hours later! You can use these just like any jarred grilled red peppers in any recipe that includes them. They are lovely in salads or sandwiches, but also yummy blitzed into soups (with tomato is yum), dips (red pepper hummus is delish) or sauces (great in chilli).
My favourite? In a sandwich with grilled (broiled) halloumi or hummus and a big handful of rocket. Or on top of toast with some scrambled eggs and bacon or avocado for breakfast. Yum.
Make vegetable oil free jarred red peppers at home in no time. Far healthier, cheaper and tastier than the shop-bought version. Sugar, gluten and dairy free. Low carb, vegan, paleo.
- 2 large red bell peppers (per jar)
- enough olive oil to fill the jar(s)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, optional
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Halve and de-seed the red peppers and lie face down on a foil-lined grill (broiler) tray. Grill (broil) on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the pepper skins are blackened and the peppers are softened all the way through. Transfer to a bowl while hot and cover with a lid, plate or foil. Leave the peppers to steam for about 10 minutes.
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When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off the peppers and slice each half into 3-4 thick strips. Place in a clean jar and top with olive oil. Stir through mustard seeds and peppercorns if using, then seal with a lid and store in the fridge.
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(If the peppers don't feel really soft when you peel them, pour the olive oil and peppers, along with the seeds and peppercorns, into a large saucepan and simmer for a few minutes until softened, then pour into the jar and seal with the lid.)
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