How to Make Red Pepper Paste

Let me show you how to make red pepper paste! This pepper paste is easy to make and so so delicious. It can be used many different ways and is a great way to preserve peppers!

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I always grow peppers in my garden. A few seasons ago, my plants were struggling for some reason…

I had made peace with the fact that we wouldn’t be eating many peppers and that I wouldn’t be able to preserve peppers in vinegar and salt like I always do until, as if called by the garden gods, my neighbor rolled down my driveway with a gigantic box of red bell peppers! 

How to Make Red Pepper Paste…

They were soooo red and ripe (you’ll see in the picture below) that I knew I had to process them right away. I called my mama and she said “make red pepper paste!” And so I did and my life changed forever.

Making red pepper paste is an amazing way to preserve a large number of peppers. It’s an easy recipe and you can use it in so many ways. You can spread it on bread, or make pasta sauce with it, or use it when cooking and add it to different dishes. Kind of like you’d use basil pesto or cilantro pesto. 

Do I have to Use Red Bell Peppers?

No! You can make this pepper paste with different kinds of peppers and it can be made spicy or not. It’s ok to use green peppers (obviously the paste will turn out green…), it’s ok to use a combination of green and red peppers… Really, any kind of pepper will do!

Another point to make is that this is a great dish to choose all the not-so-good-looking peppers for. If you grow peppers, or if you find peppers that are still good to eat but maybe have spots on them or not-so-good parts, you can simply cut these parts off and use just a part of the pepper. Since we are going to blend it all in the food processor, it doesn’t matter.

Ingredients…

• Peppers
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Cumin
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Optional – if you want to make your pepper paste spicy, add fresh jalapenos or dried Jalapenos or Cayenne peppers or powder. Chili peppers work well too.

Kitchen Tools…

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Mixing bowl
• Food processor
• Wide, shallow pan
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Jars

Red Pepper Paste Recipe…

Step one – prep the peppers. Start by washing the peppers well, then cut around the stem and remove it. Cut the peppers into large pieces (half or quarter them), and remove the seeds.

Step two – process the peppers. Add the peppers and garlic cloves to the bowl of the food processor and process for a couple of minutes.

Step three – cook the peppers. Place a pan on the stovetop and add oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and let the oil heat for a couple of minutes. Add the pepper/garlic mixture, stir, and bring to a soft boil. Let boil for five minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low for the rest of the cooking.

Add the cumin, salt, black pepper, and any additional spices you like. Stir the spices in. Keep stirring frequently. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the paste is reduced to your desired consistency.

Turn the heat off and let the paste cool for a few minutes. Then, taste and correct seasoning. Give it one last stir before letting it cool to room temperature.

Storing Red Pepper Paste…

• In the fridge – this red pepper paste will last in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Let it cool to room temperature and then transfer it to jars or any fridge-safe container of your choice.
• In the freezer – this red pepper paste is a great way to preserve peppers because it freezes very well! I like freezing it in half-pint jars (use freezer lids) but you can use any freezer-safe container you’d like or even zip-lock bags. Some people like to freeze it in ice cube trays. If you do that, remove the cubes after the paste is frozen and store them in a zip-lock bag. When you’re ready to use your paste, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours or so.

Using Red Pepper Paste…

• In a sandwich – I love using it in sandwiches. I’ll make a sandwich with mayo, red pepper paste, lunch meat, and tomato or cucumber slices. It’s so good (make sure to use the best bread you can put your hands on!). You can also add it to a burger or any other sandwich.
• In pasta sauce – Another great way to use it is to make a simple Alfredo pasta sauce and add a few spoons of this red pepper paste to it. It gives it a wonderful taste and a fun color. 
• With casserole – When I eat my zucchini casserole, I always add some red pepper paste on the side to go with it. They work so well together! Add a fresh salad and you have yourself an amazing and very healthy vegetarian meal right from the garden. 
• On crackers – a good cracker, cheddar cheese or feta cheese, or this amazing goat cheese, olives on the side, and a jar of this red pepper paste. A good movie and a comfortable couch. There can not be a better summer night. Period.
• As a sauce for pizza – please try replacing the traditional tomato sauce with this red pepper paste. Please. I beg you.

Kitchen Notes…

• If you add any sort of fresh vegetable or different types of fresh peppers, make sure to process them with the red peppers.
• try using garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves. Learn more about garlic scapes here.
• As far as seasonings go, I kept it simple here and gave you the basics. The sky is the limit and there are no rules! Use whatever seasonings you feel like trying.
• Serve this red pepper paste warm, at room temperature, or cold! I prefer it cold but it’s amazing anyway.
• There is no need to boil the peppers first or remove the skins (unless the texture is bothering you) no matter how large or small the peppers are. Simply throw them in the food processor.
• As far as canning this paste… I’ve never tried it and not sure that it’s possible.

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I hope you liked this How to Make Red Pepper Paste tutorial! Remember that you can try to make this with different kinds of peppers and different combinations of seasonings. Here is a similar recipe for making pepper paste but with hot chili peppers in case you want to try a spicy version. 

More Delicious Pepper Recipes and Tutorials…

• Mediterranean Stuffed peppers
• How to Can Roasted Red Peppers
• Roasted Pepper Salad
• Candied Jalapenos
• How to Can Hot Peppers
• How to Roast Poblano Peppers

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