Puerto Rican Sofrito

Cooking timeline

1. 0:00
   Wash

   Wash the green bell pepper, Cubanelle peppers, ají dulce, cilantro, and recao thoroughly. Pat everything dry.

2. 0:05
   Prep the Onion

   Peel the Spanish onion and cut it into large chunks.

3. 0:07
   Prep the Bell Pepper

   Remove the stem, seeds, and white membrane from the green bell pepper. Cut into large chunks.

4. 0:09
   Prep the Cubanelles

   Remove the stems and seeds from both Cubanelle peppers and roughly chop.

5. 0:11
   Prep the Ají Dulce

   Remove the stems from all 15 ají dulce peppers. Split them open and remove most of the seeds.

6. 0:14
   Prep the Garlic

   Peel 10 to 12 garlic cloves.

7. 0:16
   Prep the Cilantro

   Use the cilantro leaves and tender green stems. Trim away the dry or thick ends at the bottom.

8. 0:18
   Prep the Recao

   Use 8 to 10 recao leaves and roughly tear them into smaller pieces.

9. 0:20
   Divide

   Divide all of the ingredients into about 3 smaller batches so the blender is not overloaded.

10. 0:21
    Blend

    Add some onion and peppers to the blender first and pulse until they begin releasing liquid. Add the garlic, cilantro, and recao and continue pulsing until finely blended, thick, and spoonable.

11. 0:25
    Adjust If Needed

    Avoid adding water unless the blender needs help. If necessary, add only 1 tbsp water at a time.

12. 0:27
    Combine

    Pour all of the blended batches into one large bowl and stir thoroughly so everything is evenly distributed.

13. 0:29
    Freeze

    Spoon the sofrito into covered ice cube trays or an airtight freezer container. Freeze until completely solid. If using ice cube trays, transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag or container for easy portions.