When making stuffed bell peppers, do you blanch the peppers first?

[Linda0818]

I always have, for 5 minutes, then into an ice bath they go. However, to be honest, I'd like the peppers - once they're done baking and ready to eat - to be more on the firm side. Not necessarily crunchy-raw, but I'd like them to have more of a bite.

Should I maybe blanch for less time? Like maybe 2 and 1/2 minutes instead of 5? Or not blanch at all? I've never not blanched my peppers, so I don't know how they would turn out if I stuffed them raw before baking in the oven. And mine bake for at least 45 minutes to an hour, since my stuffing consists of raw ground meat and rice. I don't really want to change that, meaning cooking the meat before stuffing the peppers, because I like the texture of the beef/rice mixture after it's baked, plus the flavor the fat from the ground beef gives the pepper dish as it cooks. Just in case anyone would suggest cooking the meat first. I don't want to do it that way.

How do you do yours? And how do I make it so that the finished product isn't as soft?

Danke!

 

[Andy M.]

I never blanch. If you're stuffing peppers with meat and rice the pepper should cook completely by the time the meat and rice are done. The peppers are the outer layer of the dish. Heat has to penetrate the pepper and travel to the center of the stuffing to cook the meat and rice. All that time the peppers are cooking.

 

[Linda0818]

I never blanch. If you're stuffing peppers with meat and rice the pepper should cook completely by the time the meat and rice are done. The peppers are the outer layer of the dish. Heat has to penetrate the pepper and travel to the center of the stuffing to cook the meat and rice. All that time the peppers are cooking.

Perfect! Thank you so much. Making them for Sunday dinner this weekend and, for the first time ever, I'm going to go ahead and stuff them raw.

Thanks for the great explanation

 

[medtran49]

My DH uses a plumber's torch outside to char the skin so we can remove it. The skin has a bitter taste to both of us so we prefer it gone.

Using the plumber's torch just barely softens the pepper versus charring under the broiler. The pepper will still stand up by itself with no problem after being torched.

 

[Linda0818]

My DH uses a plumber's torch outside to char the skin so we can remove it. The skin has a bitter taste to both of us so we prefer it gone.

Using the plumber's torch just barely softens the pepper versus charring under the broiler. The pepper will still stand up by itself with no problem after being torched.

That's a pretty good idea. Although, honestly, the skin doesn't bother me.

The only time I remove the skin is after I've blackened it in the oven to make roasted red peppers for another recipe.

 

[HeyItsSara]

i don't think so. i do sautee the meat first and truthfully i'd prefer not to do that ahead of time either.

 

[caseydog]

I don't blanch the peppers, either.

CD

 

[Linda0818]

i don't think so. i do sautee the meat first and truthfully i'd prefer not to do that ahead of time either.

I never cook the meat first. In a bowl, I just mix the ground beef with the cooked rice (generally just standard white rice) and add salt, pepper, a few other seasonings and the chopped tops of the peppers that I have cut off, as well as diced onion. Then I mix in a few tablespoons of soup (from a can of condensed tomato soup) to moisten the entire mix, then stuff it all into the peppers. I pour the rest of the soup over top of the peppers after adding a small amount of water to thin it out some. And that's it.

I know some people like to use tomato juice or some other type of tomato sauce. But I've just always liked the flavor the condensed tomato soup gives the peppers.

But yeah, since I stuff the peppers with a raw ground beef mixture, after blanching the peppers first (which I'm not going to do this time) and having to bake the peppers long enough to thoroughly cook the ground beef, that's probably why my peppers become too soft.

Not blanching the peppers first sure would save me a big step.

 

[caseydog]

I never cook the meat first. In a bowl, I just mix the ground beef with the cooked rice (generally just standard white rice) and add salt, pepper, a few other seasonings and the chopped tops of the peppers that I have cut off, as well as diced onion. Then I mix in a few tablespoons of soup (from a can of condensed tomato soup) to moisten the entire mix, then stuff it all into the peppers. I pour the rest of the soup over top of the peppers after adding a small amount of water to thin it out some. And that's it.

I know some people like to use tomato juice or some other type of tomato sauce. But I've just always liked the flavor the condensed tomato soup gives the peppers.

But yeah, since I stuff the peppers with a raw ground beef mixture, after blanching the peppers first (which I'm not going to do this time) and having to bake the peppers long enough to thoroughly cook the ground beef, that's probably why my peppers become too soft.

Not blanching the peppers first sure would save me a big step.

I don't pre-cook the meat, either.

CD

 

[Linda0818]

I don't pre-cook the meat, either.

CD

Good to know I'm not the only one. But yeah, I make the peppers the way my mom used to make them. Just like with cabbage rolls, I always stuff the peppers and the cabbage with raw meat and rice.

 

[caseydog]

Good to know I'm not the only one. But yeah, I make the peppers the way my mom used to make them. Just like with cabbage rolls, I always stuff the peppers and the cabbage with raw meat and rice.

I don't remember how my mom made stuffed peppers. They were dry and under seasoned... that how she cooked everything. I don't put rice inside my peppers, which is not normally what people do.

CD

 

[Linda0818]

I don't remember how my mom made stuffed peppers. They were dry and under seasoned... that how she cooked everything. I don't put rice inside my peppers, which is not normally what people do.

CD

I imagine not everyone uses rice, but my mom always did. So it's just one of her things that I picked up.

 

[dragnlaw]

I've done them both ways and yeah, would prefer the peppers with more crunch. I did then, just recently, try them raw. They were much better. The do not freeze well though as the peppers immediately revert to the same as parboiled.
But certainly worth trying to find out if you like them.

and yes, I have had recipes using both raw meats and cooked.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I don't blanch the peppers first. For me, I prefer them a bit on the firm side. I stuff mine with black beans, rice, canned tomatoes, shredded cheese, and a Tex-Mex seasoning blend.

 

[taxlady]

I never even heard of blanching the peppers first. But, I don't particularly like stuffed peppers, so I don't make them anymore. When I used to make them, both as a vegetarian and as a meat eater, it was unusual to see coloured bell peppers. In fact, the only colour available other than green was red and they were a lot more expensive than the green ones. Maybe I'll try making some with peppers that are not green.

 

[msmofet]

I precook the filling (meat, onions, rice, etc.) and use raw peppers. I put tomato sauce or homemade salsa in the filling and in the pan to keep it moist. Bake in oven (covered for half the time) till peppers are tender. When I first started making stuffed peppers, I started with raw everything. But by the time the filling (meat and rice) were cooked, the peppers looked like socks that lost their elastic and were collapsed around the bottom. Then I saw a TV/interview segment with Richard Simmons, and he suggested cooking the filling, and I have been doing it that way since. Works good for me because I like my peppers tender, crisp.

 

[dragnlaw]

In fact, the only colour available other than green was red and they were a lot more expensive than the green ones.

It true, one never saw the Orange or Yellow. The red were more expensive and still are! Perhaps as they have to wait for the greens to turn?
Also the first time making it I was following a recipe from Joy of Cooking. They were par-boiled for quite a while and were really difficult to fill. The rice was raw and I don't remember the meat, raw or cooked.

Edit for my previous post. TTT I don't care for the skin on the peppers, I agree that they have a tendency to be bitter or it's a texture that's not pleasant - don't know which for sure.

 

[Linda0818]

I never even heard of blanching the peppers first. But, I don't particularly like stuffed peppers, so I don't make them anymore. When I used to make them, both as a vegetarian and as a meat eater, it was unusual to see coloured bell peppers. In fact, the only colour available other than green was red and they were a lot more expensive than the green ones. Maybe I'll try making some with peppers that are not green.

Stuffed peppers using red, orange or yellow peppers are delicious as well. The peppers are sweeter, since green peppers tend to be slightly more bitter than the colored varieties. When stuffing peppers, though, I do prefer the green.

 

[Kathleen]

I don't blanche peppers, cook meat or veggies. I do cook the rice I use in my peppers.

 

[medtran49]

Besides Craig using the torch to char the peppers, I precook or at least par-cook the fillings, especially rice. I made a bouef bourguignon filling once and that came out really good, used a wild rice blend IIRC.