Sour Red Bell Peppers!

As I was growing up my family always had something “sour” with every meal…sometimes it was a leafy salad, sour pickles, sour red beets or sour red peppers… The acidity in these prepared vegetables was always vinegar… This sour side dish was eaten with the meal, not before or after, it was a part of the main course.  Sometimes it was served on the side on a separate plate, but most of the time it was served on the same plate with the main course.  This of course is a part of our Austrian/Hungarian heritage.

Today I want to share a Sour Red Bell Pepper recipe that we often made and just kept in the refrigerator until  gone.  It is good to know that it will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or longer, however it never made it that long in our family.

Here is the very simple recipe….

Sour Red Peppers

4 red bell peppers

4 cups water

8 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 ½ Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

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2 cloves of garlic – cut into halves

5 Tbsp olive oil.

Wash and take the seeds and veins out of the peppers then cut them either in halves or quarters and set them aside.

Heat the four cups of water in a saucepan until it boils, then add the vinegar, salt and sugar.

Add the prepared pepper and submerge them in the boiling vinegar water mixture

Simmer the peppers for about 15 to 20 minutes.

The pepper has to be crisp, do not let it become mushy….

Place peppers into a large, clean jar and pour the hot vinegar mixture over the peppers until they are completely covered.

Add the garlic cloves and lastly add the olive oil to cover and seal. The olive oil seals the liquid and the peppers to become an anaerobic environment for the peppers where spoilage is slowed.

Add the lid on top of the jar and refrigerate at least one day before serving to allow the acidity to penetrate the peppers.

Peppers will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator…sometimes longer.

Serve as a condiment or a salad.

Note: Use all colors of peppers, red, yellow, orange, however, the green peppers lose their color and do not look as appetizing as the other colors.

 Sour peppers are wonderful when chopped and added to a black bean soup or any soup that requires a touch of acidity to compliment its flavor.

Or,  make an open-faced sandwich with them  placing first the sour pepper on the bread then any kind of meat and cheese and ending with a slice of apple or pear, and dribble some balsamic vinaigrette over it……my very favorite lunch.

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Do you have a family tradition

that is particular in the way you eat your meals?

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