Where was I today? Driving down the street in Haro (pronounced ah-row), a small hub town in the northern La Rioja wine region. It was about 4:00 p.m. I look to my left and say to my husband, “Stop! Pull over, quick!” I jump out and walk over to an open garage. In it are six ladies, ranging from 40 to probably 70 years of age. They had an impressive operation in action roasting what they told me were piquillo peppers.

I just walked right into the garage. They all looked at me curiously, wondering what the heck I was doing. In my broken Spanish, I explained it was very interesting to me and that I’d never seen anything like their contraption. I was immediately welcomed and got the tour.

These ladies grow the peppers then roast and jar them to sell each fall. They are washed then placed in a metal cylinder over a very hot fire which is continuously cranked to evenly roast the peppers tossed about inside.

Emptying the Contraption

Next, two women peel the charred skin and remove all seeds. They made sure to tell me not to use any water as it washes away the flavor. The final prep stage is to slice them.

Sliced Peppers Awaiting the Jar

Stumbling upon this operation definitely made my day!