Over here in the Willamette Valley, those of us who have been growing sweet bell peppers have been dealing with abundance. Even now, the third week of October, those prolific plants are taunting us: I’m still producing … what are you gonna do about that?

Of course, even you Central Oregon folk are benefiting from the bounty, either directly through your weekly farmers markets or indirectly in the produce section of your favorite grocery store. So many peppers, yet so little time to deal with them.

Well, I say roast ’em! Then freeze ’em. That’s the solution to taming an abundant pepper population.

Besides, I love the smell of roasting peppers — whether they’re resting on a baking sheet in my oven, pierced with a fork and suspended over a gas burner on my stove, or dangling above glowing mesquite coals on a grill. Whatever method, the result should always be the same: a lovely layer of bubbled and charred skin.

Once they’ve achieved that blackened state, just leave them be until they’re cool enough to handle and then simply scrape away the paper-thin charred exterior, giving not a second thought to the few stubborn bits of blackened skin still clinging to the flesh — which actually provide the subtle note of authenticity to the process.

This is the point when I cut into them and remove the seeds and stem. If you have a lot of sweet bell peppers to roast, then when you’ve done so, simply lay them flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer until they’re frozen. Once firm, they can be placed in a re-sealable freezer bag and put back in the freezer for months and months and months.

With roasted peppers in the freezer you can make so many wonderful sauces, spreads and soups through the entire autumn, winter and spring. Until you run out, of course.