Bell Pepper Paste for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   To make this bell pepper paste for winter, use sweet bell peppers, preferably bright red or orange — that way the sauce comes out prettier. You'll also need onion, salt, sugar, and a little vinegar. For simmering, add half a cup of water.

2. Step 2:

   

   Before cooking, wash all the vegetables and peel the ones that need it. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seed pods. Peel the onion and chop it however you like — how you cut the vegetables doesn't matter, since it'll all be blended in the end.

3. Step 3:

   

   Chop the pepper just as roughly. You can roast it first and peel off the skin — then the sauce-paste comes out really tender. But that takes a lot of time, so these days this recipe mostly uses an immersion blender — not a bad substitute at all, I have to say. You can't feel the tiny bits of skin one bit.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put the prepared vegetables in a saucepan or Dutch oven — preferably nonstick or heavy-bottomed, since that kind of pot is best for winter preserves. Set it on the stove, add a little water, and cook covered over low heat until the pepper and onion are soft — about half an hour is enough.

5. Step 5:

   

   Now blend the vegetable mixture with an immersion blender, or use a countertop blender or any other chopper. Adjust how fine you blend it to your taste — some people like to leave small pieces.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add salt, sugar, and a little vinegar or citric acid to the sweet pepper paste, if you like, and bring it back to a boil. Cook at a gentle simmer until the sauce reaches the thickness you want.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour the finished sweet pepper paste into sterile jars prepared ahead of time and seal them with boiled lids. Put the sweet pepper preserve under a warm towel or blanket until it cools completely. It can be stored at room temperature.