Adjika for the winter - general principles of preparation
Classical adjika is a spicy seasoning that was born in sunny Abkhazia. It is prepared from salt, spices and vegetable puree and has a pasty consistency. Real adjika is just salt that has been ground with other spices. It is widely spread in the south. This is because classical adjika is a very good preservative. The meat marinated in adjika may not deteriorate for several days.
However, what we understand by the word adjika today is a modified version of the classic seasoning, which has become widespread in Armenia, Georgia, Russia and many other countries. The hostesses serve her to the table not only in the season when the tomatoes are fleshy and filled with juice, but they also harvest adjika for the winter.
Usually adjika is bright red, but if unripe hot green pepper was used during cooking, then adjika itself will have a green tint. Initially, tomatoes were not part of this seasoning. As it spread, the initial acute adjika was diluted with vegetable puree. The most popular was the use of tomato puree, as it gives the sharp base a slight acidity and a unique aroma. In addition, tomatoes lend themselves well to heat treatment, which allows you to preserve and harvest adjika for the winter. Based on personal gastronomic preferences, it is possible to harvest adjika for the winter on the basis of hot pepper or on the basis of tomatoes or other vegetables, such as zucchini.
Classical adjika was previously prepared on two flat stones. All ingredients were ground into fine powder or paste, depending on the season and purpose (seasonal adjika to the table or adjika for the winter). This process was long and laborious, however, classical adjika is not required so much, so this method justifies itself.
Today, the “correct” adjika is prepared using a coffee grinder, which allows you to mix the components in a matter of seconds. For the preparation of adjika, which includes vegetable purees, a meat grinder or blender is usually used.
Regardless of the recipe chosen, there is one rule: all ingredients must be not only perfectly fresh, but also ripe, in order to have a rich taste and deep aroma. It is for this reason that adjika for winter is usually harvested in late summer or early fall.
Recipe 1: Adjika for the winter "Classical"
Ingredients
• About a kilogram of walnuts
• 4 heads peeled garlic
• 4-5 pods of hot pepper
• a couple of tablespoons of wine vinegar.
• To the taste of hops suneli
• Saffron to taste
• Coriander seeds or fresh cilantro
Cooking method
Hot red pepper must be washed, remove ponytails and seeds. Grind pepper with a coffee grinder or blender. Grind walnuts and garlic, mix them thoroughly with red pepper. Add coriander or chopped cilantro, suneli hop, saffron. Mix everything thoroughly, add wine vinegar, mix again and arrange in banks.
Such adzhika for the winter does not require sterilization and heat treatment, as it is made from products that practically do not deteriorate, and also are preservatives. This adjika is perfect for meat and fish dishes, used as a marinade, as well as a dressing for the first dishes.
Recipe 2: Adjika for the winter "Home"
This adjika for the winter is not spicy and is great for dishes from meat, fish, as well as potatoes. It perfectly matches the taste of the first courses.
Ingredients
• 2-3 kilograms of plum-shaped tomatoes
• 300 gr onions
• Peeled garlic - 4-5 heads or about 200 grams
• Half a kilogram of sweet carrots
• Half a kilo of red bell pepper
• 3-4 pods of red hot pepper
• A glass of sunflower and corn oil
• A glass of granulated sugar
• Salt - 4 tbsp.
• A glass of vinegar 6%
Cooking method
Bulgarian and red pepper wash, cut, clean from seeds. Tomato sliced and peeled. Peel the onions and carrots. Twist all the vegetables through a meat grinder. Grease the walls of the pan with oil, simmer on the stove for 30 minutes. Pour in vegetable oil, add vinegar, sugar and salt and keep on fire for another hour, not forgetting to stir it regularly. Sterilize jars and lids. Ready adjika spread on banks and twist. Turn the jars upside down, cover with a blanket and let them cool.
Recipe 3: Adjika for the winter with horseradish
Adjika with horseradish is a long-liked option for everyone to prepare adjika for the winter. This recipe is so popular because it does not require boiling. Thanks to horseradish, such adjika is ideally suited for dishes of meat, sausages and even jellied meat.
Ingredients
• 2-3 kilograms of plum-shaped tomato
• a couple of kilograms of red bell pepper
• several heads of peeled garlic
• 200-300 gr horseradish root
• A glass of sugar
• A glass of apple cider vinegar
• A pair of tablespoons of salt
Cooking method
All vegetables must be thoroughly washed and cut into pieces. Twist tomatoes, peppers and garlic in a meat grinder. Twist the horseradish in a meat grinder. In order not to shed tears during horseradish twisting, and all the sharpness remained in the dish, you should put a plastic bag on the meat grinder, where the twisted horseradish will fall. In a pan, mix all the vegetables, add sugar, salt, vinegar and vegetable oil. Sterilize jars and lids. It is recommended to take small jars, since the consumption of seasoning is small and the adjika can disappear in large jars. Put adjika on the bank and tighten.
Adjika for the winter with horseradish is recommended to be stored in the refrigerator, as it is not subjected to heat treatment and can sour in heat. Preservatives are horseradish, salt and vinegar, which allow you to store adjika in the cold for up to 6 months.
If acute adjika is preferred, then bell pepper can be replaced with hot pepper. It is necessary to reduce the amount of salt, but not by much.
Such adjika for the winter is not only tasty, but also very useful, it helps to resist viruses and strengthen immunity.
Recipe 4: Adjika for the winter with apples
For adzhika for the winter with apples, it is necessary to take only apples of sour varieties, since the sweet taste of adzhika is not entirely appropriate. In addition, the acid in apples helps keep the adjika fresh longer. Adjika for the winter with apples goes well with chicken, pork, offal, as well as regular potatoes. Adjika dishes are very aromatic, with a bright taste.
Ingredients
• About 3 kg of plum-shaped tomatoes
• Kilo and a half sour green apples
• About a kilogram of bell pepper
• A kilo of sweet carrots
• 200-300 gr peeled garlic
• 3-4 pods of red hot pepper
• A glass of vinegar 6%
• A glass of sunflower or corn oil
• A glass of granulated sugar
• A quarter cup of salt.
Cooking method
Peel the apples, remove the tails and core. Peel the Bulgarian and chilli peppers, remove the stem and seeds. Wash and cut the tomatoes, remove the core. Wash, peel and chop the carrot. Apples, tomatoes and carrots chop. Grease the pan with vegetable oil. Put the resulting mashed potatoes in a saucepan and keep on low heat for 45 minutes. Pour sugar, salt and vinegar. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Pour in vegetable oil. And boil another 10 minutes. Vegetable oil must be added as a last resort, since salt and sugar are poorly soluble in oil. Sterilize jars and lids. Spread the adjika over the cans and screw. Cover with a warm blanket until cool.
Recipe 5: Adjika for the winter of plums
This recipe is perfectly suited for red meat dishes, since adjika for the winter of plums resembles sauce rather than seasoning. She is also very good with rice.
Ingredients
• A kilogram of ripe plums
• A couple of heads of peeled garlic
• Half a glass of granulated sugar
• 2 pods of hot pepper
• A small jar of tomato paste or 2-3 fresh tomatoes
• A tablespoon of salt
Cooking method
Ripe plums must be carefully sorted, washed well, cut in half and pitted. Wash the hot peppers, dry and cut off its tails. The sharpness of adzhika depends on the amount of bitter pepper, therefore, if desired, it can be increased or decreased. Garlic should be peeled. Each clove cut in half and remove the core. If this is not done, then adzhika may have an unpleasant aftertaste, and so garlic will give only a pleasant and delicate flavor. Scroll through the plums, pepper garlic through the meat grinder. If fresh tomatoes are used for cooking, they should also be twisted in a meat grinder, and then filtered through gauze or a colander with a fine mesh. This is necessary so that the bones do not spoil the appearance of adzhika. Smear a pot or cauldron with vegetable oil, mix all ingredients, cook for 20-25 minutes until adjika thickens. It is necessary to stir constantly so that the adjika does not burn and cook evenly. Sterilize jars and lids. Spread the finished adjika to the banks and tighten. Keep cans warm until cool.
Recipe 6: Adjika for the winter of zucchini
Adjika for the winter of zucchini - this is not a very spicy seasoning. It can be either a supplement to meat or an independent dish, more like a vegetable caviar. It goes well with side dishes such as potatoes, pasta and rice.
Ingredients
• 2-3 kilograms of peeled zucchini
• One and a half to two kilo fleshy tomatoes
• A pound of sweet carrots
• A pound of red pepper
• 5-6 heads of peeled garlic
• A glass of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• Half a glass of sugar
• 3-4 pods of hot pepper
• Half a glass of vinegar 6%
Cooking method
Zucchini must be washed, peeled, cut into large pieces. Tomatoes must be washed, cut, cut the core. Bulgarian and hot peppers must be cleaned of seeds, as they are hard and do not become softer during heat treatment. In addition, they can cause the bank to swell in winter. All vegetables must be minced and cooked in an enameled pan for 40-45 minutes. The volume is respected approximately twice. Add salt, sugar, vinegar. Banks and lids must be sterilized. Spread the adjika over the jars, let them cool under the covers. Such adjika can be consumed in a couple of weeks, however, the fullness of taste will appear only after a month.
Recipe 7: Adjika for the winter of eggplant
Ingredients
• A couple of kilograms of meaty tomatoes
• Kilo of ripe eggplant
• Kilo of sweet bell pepper
• 2 heads peeled garlic
• 2- 3 pieces of hot pepper
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• spoon of sugar
• Half a cup of sunflower or corn oil
Cooking method
All vegetables must be thoroughly washed, sweet peppers must be cleaned of seeds, and the core of the tomatoes cut. If this is not done, the banks may swell in the winter. Eggplants pierce in several places with a fork and put for 20 minutes, baked in a preheated to 200 degrees oven. Twist the sweet pepper in a meat grinder or in a blender. Heat the vegetable oil in an enamel pot and add sweet pepper to it. Fry a couple of minutes until all the liquid boils away. Twist in a meat grinder or blender tomatoes. Add tomato puree to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Peel the eggplant. Twist the remaining pulp in a meat grinder or in a blender. Add the eggplant to the pan, bring to a boil and keep on low heat for 10 minutes. Pass the garlic through the garlic squeezer and add it along with the spices to the pan. Banks are well washed and dried in the oven (or sterilized). Spread the adjika over the cans and screw. Turn the jars upside down, cover with a blanket and let them cool.
Adjika for the winter - tricks and tips
Depending on the recipe and the degree of severity, adjika can be both a seasoning and a full-fledged independent dish that can be spread on bread or consumed as vegetable caviar. It all depends on personal gastronomic preferences. Bitter pepper affects the sharpness of taste, therefore, by increasing or decreasing its quantity, you can adjust the sharpness. The consistency depends on the cooking time, as well as the variety of tomatoes. It is best to take plum tomatoes, as they are more fleshy, cooking time can be reduced, thereby retaining the beneficial vitamins.
For the preparation of adjika for the winter, it is preferable to use red Bulgarian and bitter peppers, since then the dish will have a bright red, saturated color, however, you can take pepper of any color, green and even white. It will not affect the taste of the dish in any way, only the color will be slightly paler.
Cooking adzhika better to do with gloves, because then for a long time you have to wash your hands from the smell of garlic and horseradish. If you accidentally touch the eye after cleaning a hot pepper, it will irritate the mucous membranes and burn. Even if several hours have passed after cooking, the particles of pepper remain on the skin for a very long time.
In winter, when the next jar of adzhika is just opened, you can add some fresh greens, then in winter there will be a summer mood on the table.
Everyone knows that adjika goes well with dishes such as meat, fish, poultry, but rarely anyone tried to eat adjika with cottage cheese and melon. It turns out really interesting taste.
There are a lot of recipes for adjika. To understand which one you like more, you can only try them all. When the perfect recipe is found, the adjika becomes a favorite addition to the table, and the adjika reserves for the winter quickly run out.
