Red Pepper Paste  Garmir Bgh-beghi Madzoug Armenian Red Pepper Paste 175°F Oven Makes 2 cups
In Syria, red peppers were harvested in the fall, ground and dried in the sun to preserve them. The paste was packed into jars and stored. Red pepper paste can be used like tomato paste to thicken and flavor dips, stews, marinades. It's also just good on bread. The original recipe for Hamime most probably used this paste as its base.

1. Wash the peppers; halve lengthwise, seed, and remove the membranes.
2. Coarsely grind in a food processor, to yield about 10 cups.
3. Toss with 3 Tablespoons coarse salt and spread out on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
4. Preheat the oven to 175° F.
5. Place the trays in the oven and allow the peppers to dry, about 6 hours.
6. You will have about 2 cups.
7. Place half the peppers in a double thickness of cheesecloth and squeeze hard to emit excess moisture. Repeat with the remaining peppers.
8. In a food processor, blend the peppers with the sugar and half the oil.
9. Add coarse salt to taste; the pepper paste should taste slightly salty.
10. Pack into 2 dry, small glass jars.
11. Top with the remaining oil, close tightly, and refrigerate.
12. Let the pepper paste mature for about a week before using.

You can vary the mix of sweet & hot peppers depending on taste and the heat of the peppers.
To avoid mold, always keep the paste covered with oil. If mold develops, simply remove it and discard; the remainder of the paste will still be good. To store in the freezer: Individually wrap one-tablespoon dollops of paste in plastic. Place all in a freezer bag, press out air, and store in the freezer.