The Best Roasted Red Peppers From A Jar: Our Taste Test Results

Roasted red peppers have become a pantry staple in many of our kitchens, gracing everything from hummus to bruschetta and pureed soups. Though it doesn't take a professional chef to make them at home, it does take some time to get that nice char (even if you make it the easy way, on a gas stove). And since most of us are short on time these days, the jarred version can come in awfully handy.

We conducted a blind taste test of 13 different brands of roasted red bell peppers, ranging in price from $2.50 to $6.69. Because the jarred version is preserved in an acidic brine, the flavor is different from a homemade roasted pepper. You lose a little bit of the char and gain some tang when you soak it in the brining liquid. For that reason, there's actually quite a difference in flavor between brands. While some are super smoky and charred, others are almost pickled. Depending on what you're using the peppers for, you may want to be careful what you buy.

Read through our comments below to see which brand will suit you best.

As always, our taste test is not influenced or sponsored by the brands involved.