Pepper paste is widely used in Armenian cooking. This homemade version is so much more flavorful and pure than the ones sold in jars. Whenever my mom would give me a recipe that contained tomato paste, I would ask her if I should add pepper paste. She’d say “Yes … of course” because she assumed I would already know that tomato paste and pepper paste go hand in hand. Now, I don’t even ask. Whenever she gives me a recipe that calls for tomato paste, I will add pepper paste next to it! The local produce store where I buy my red bell peppers call me “the pepper lady” because when they are in season and cheap I buy them in large quantities.
You will need about 15 pounds of red bell peppers.
Cut each bell pepper into quarters and remove the seeds.
In a large pot add the water.
Add bell pepper halfway up, and add the salt.
Add more bell peppers all the way to the top.
Cover with lid and cook on high heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove the bell peppers and repeat the process with the rest of the peppers.
Open the lid once in a while and give it a toss to prevent the peppers from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Peel away as much of the skin as possible.
Set the peeled peppers aside in a bowl or colander.
Add some of the peppers into the food processor and process till creamy.
Process till smooth and repeat with the rest of the peppers.
Empty the content into a baking pan and bake stirring occasionally.
Continue to bake on low heat and stirring occasionally.
Continue to cook until the water is absorbed and a mark is left from the spoon.
Empty the paste into clean, dry jars. Top with olive oil to prevent any molding.
As an alternative, you can also bag them in freezer safe bags and freeze them.
Pepper paste is widely used in Armenian recipes side by side with tomato paste. It also makes an excellent appetizer topped with dried mint and olive oil.
Leave a Reply