The best recipes for making adjika with apples and tomatoes for the winter

A delicious and healthy snack for the winter – adjika With ripe apples and red tomatoes, it makes a wonderful sauce for meat dishes. This savory preserve not only has excellent flavor and aroma, but also a host of other benefits.

Features of the dish

Despite the established adjika recipe, cooks and housewives often prefer to prepare this condiment with the addition of apples. The apple perfectly complements the spiciness of the condiment, making it not only piquant but also slightly sweet. It's also worth noting that the tomato in adjika not only gives it a pleasant reddish hue but also adds juiciness.

It's worth knowing: real adjika is a thick paste that has a long shelf life thanks to its strong composition, which includes a large amount of hot pepper and salt (a preservative).

Prepare the necessary ingredients

Adjika sauce requires a simple set of ingredients that almost any home cook can find in their kitchen. The standard recipe always calls for garlic, which should be used generously, accounting for about 70% of all dry spices. Apples will impart that beloved sweet and sour flavor. Juicy and ripe tomatoes make a wonderful base.

Authentic adjika sauce requires fresh hot peppers, about 20% of which is needed. Salt should be only 5%, along with the same amount of ground black pepper.

How to make adjika with apples and tomatoes for the winter

Of all the recipes, this one is the most beloved by experienced cooks. It's ideal for winter, when you especially want to season meat with sweet and sour adjika. This homemade seasoning is quite tangy, with a slightly sweet flavor.

The ingredients you'll need are tomatoes—you'll need about three kilograms. The best apple varieties are white filling or Antonovka—2-2.5 kilograms, 10 young carrots, and 5-6 hot chili peppers. You'll also need dried dill or parsley, 5-6 heads of garlic, about one cup of granulated sugar, 200 milliliters of sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and salt to taste.

It's worth knowing: to ensure adjika lasts a long time, it's recommended to sterilize the jars using any convenient method before sealing.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. First, peel and core the apples. Carrots are simply peeled. Seed the hot peppers. For those who appreciate a spicy adjika, it's best to leave the seeds in the peppers.
2. Grind the vegetables and herbs—either using a meat grinder or a blender, whichever you prefer. Place the mixture in a heavy saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 1 to 2 hours.
3. Crush the garlic with a garlic press. Once the vegetable mixture has simmered long enough, add salt, sugar, pepper, oil, and vinegar, and add the crushed garlic. Continue simmering the adjika for another 10-15 minutes.
4. Fill the prepared jars with adjika, close and roll up.

Boiled with carrots and vinegar

Carrots give adjika a beautiful golden hue. They also add a touch of sweetness and richness to the dish.

For carrot adjika, you'll need 1 kilogram of ripe red tomatoes, preferably soft ones. It's recommended to use young, juicy carrots; the ratio is the same as the ratio of tomatoes: 1:1. The recipe also includes 10-12 onions and half a kilogram of sweet bell peppers. Apples are a great addition to the dish—you'll need 10 of them. Additional ingredients include 4-5 heads of garlic, 2 chili peppers, oil, vinegar, salt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Recipe:

1. Puree the vegetables and fruits, place them in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Bring the vegetables and apples to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes.
2. Then add butter, sugar, salt and cook the dish for half an hour.
3. At the last stage of preparation, 2 tablespoons of vinegar are added.
4. The seasoning is distributed into jars and sealed with lids.

Spicy, with hot pepper

Fans of the popular spicy Caucasian cuisine will definitely appreciate this adjika with the addition of red chili peppers. It's the hot peppers that give this seasoning its truly potent and fiery flavor!

The main ingredient is pepper, which should be hot. Chili peppers are suitable – about one kilogram. For a potent seasoning, you need garlic – five heads will be enough. Apple will add a tart flavor; five to six of the sweet and sour variety will suffice. The necessary spices are coriander (a couple of tablespoons), 100 grams of salt, preferably rock salt, hops-suneli, and walnut powder. And, for better preservation, add two tablespoons of 9% table vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Cooking steps:

1. Before cooking, it's recommended to place the red hot peppers on a windowsill for three days. This allows them to dry slightly. Then, remove the seeds and roots. Blend them together with the garlic cloves and apples.

Important: if you want a very spicy adjika, it is better not to remove the seeds from the hot pepper.

2. Crush coriander seeds and khmeli-suneli in a mortar. Depending on your personal preference, you can add some dill, fennel, and saffron seeds.
3. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, then add salt and vinegar. The result is a thick, tangy paste that can be used as a base for other types of adjika.
4. Distribute the seasoning into sterilized jars and seal with lids. It's best to store this adjika paste in a cool, dry place.

Recipe without vinegar

Adjika without vinegar is no less popular. Its taste is virtually identical to that of the vinegar-free variety. Peppers, preferably strong ones, and hot chili peppers are essential ingredients in adjika. You'll need about 200 grams of each. Sweet tomatoes make adjika juicy and give it a reddish hue; you'll need 2-3 kilograms of them.

Additional vegetables: sweet bell peppers (about 1 kilogram), 10 young carrots, 200 grams of garlic cloves. Apples, ideally sweet and sour (1 kilogram). For the seasoning, you'll need 200 milliliters of vegetable oil, 2-3 tablespoons of rock salt, 100 grams of sugar, and herbs.

Preparation:

1. Grind the prepared and peeled vegetables and apples through a meat grinder. Pour the mixture into a stainless steel saucepan or cauldron, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 hours. It's best to leave the lid off while cooking to allow excess liquid to evaporate.
2. Add sugar, salt, vegetable oil, finely chopped hot pepper and herbs. Mix thoroughly. Cook for about 20 minutes.
3. Pour the prepared seasoning into clean jars and roll up the lids.

With the addition of wine

Wine imparts a pleasant, spicy, and sophisticated note to adjika—it's simply finger-licking good! This adjika is a wonderful complement to game or poultry dishes. The classic recipe always calls for tomatoes. The tomatoes should be ripe and soft—you'll need 10-12. They also make a wonderful addition to adjika. Antonovka apples or white filling (4-5 large fruits).

For a piquant flavor, we recommend adding 1-2 chili peppers or jalapeños. Dry or semi-sweet red table wine is suitable; one glass is sufficient. In addition to salt (3 tablespoons) and sugar (200 grams), spices such as hops-suneli, saffron, and coriander are also helpful; add them to taste.

Recipe:

1. Puree the tomatoes and apples until smooth. Then, pour them into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
2. Add additional ingredients: finely chopped hot pepper, wine, salt, and sugar. Simmer for another half hour.
3. The finished adjika is poured into clean jars and sealed with lids.

Method without preservation

Preparing adjika without canning is virtually identical to canned methods. There are just a few things to keep in mind:

• If a decision has been made to prepare adjika without rolling it up, the jars should be washed and wiped clean beforehand;
• It is recommended to store the seasoning in the refrigerator;
• Chili peppers or jalapeños are ideal for preserving the product. Garlic and vegetable oil also work well.

Preparation without cooking

This recipe, without any heat treatment, greatly simplifies the preparation of adjika. To make it, you'll need standard adjika sauce ingredients. You can choose your favorite from the recipes listed above and prepare adjika using the cold method.

It's worth noting: the no-cook method involves putting all the ingredients through a blender and mixing them into a smooth paste.

Mix the ingredients thoroughly with a wooden spatula, cover with a lid, and leave on the counter for 2-3 hours. Then mix again and pour the adjika into sterile glass jars.

In a multicooker

Modern housewives prefer to cook adjika not only on the stovetop but also in a slow cooker. This method is unique in that the "Stewing" program is selected, and the vegetable mixture is simmered for 60 minutes, after which spices and garlic are added.

Multicooker - An ideal option for busy housewives, as the adjika will be cooked at a specific temperature and for a specified time.

The flavor of the seasoning is just as good as that prepared on a gas stove. Another bonus of this method is that it eliminates the risk of the adjika burning.

Raw, with added garlic

Making apple adjika without any heat treatment is quite simple. First, gather all the necessary ingredients from the recipes listed above. Recommended apples for this recipe are Antonovka and White Naliv. The best garlic variety for adjika is domestic, preferably from your own garden.

The secret to this seasoning is to thoroughly grind the ingredients until smooth. It's recommended to add vegetable oil and vinegar to the mixture. The raw adjika, just like the heat-treated version, is distributed into sterile jars and stored in the refrigerator.

Sweet

Fruits such as plums and apples give adjika its slightly sweet flavor. Additional sweetness is achieved with carrots and sugar. Sweet adjika is recommended as a dressing for borscht and stews, and also as a sauce for meat or mashed potatoes.

To make sweet adjika, you'll need red tomatoes—approximately 2-2.5 kilograms. It's best to choose soft, sweet-and-sour apples; about 600 grams will be enough. You'll also need 3 large carrots, 2 heads of garlic, 1 red hot chili pepper or jalapeño, and sunflower oil. Dry ingredients: 1 tablespoon of khmeli-suneli, 350 grams of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Blend the fruits and vegetables until smooth. Add the spices, salt, and pepper, and pour in 4 tablespoons of oil. Cook the adjika for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Seal in sterile jars.

With plums

Plum adjika will be an original appetizer for game, poultry, potatoes, buckwheat porridge with a side dish.

You'll need 1 kilogram of sweet plums, 10 apples, 500 grams of tomatoes, 100 grams of garlic, and 2 hot peppers. You should also prepare salt, pepper, sugar, and oil to taste. First, remove the pits from the plums and apples. Grind all the ingredients and place them in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2.5 hours.

Once all the vegetables and fruits are cooked, add butter, salt, and sugar. Boil for 20 minutes and then jar.

With eggplants

For this delicious adjika appetizer, you'll need: 3 kilograms of fresh tomatoes, 10 bell peppers, 5 juicy apples, 3 heads of garlic, and 2.5 kilograms of eggplant. You'll also need 2 jalapeños, 3 tablespoons of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. For the adjika, you'll need 2 tablespoons of unrefined sunflower oil and 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar.

Puree the vegetables and apples, except for the eggplant, and bring to a boil. Cut the eggplants into small pieces and add them to the pan once the other ingredients have boiled. Cook for half an hour. Finally, add the butter, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Seal the adjika in sterilized jars.

How to store properly

To prevent adjika from fermenting and molding, it's recommended to store it in a cool, dark place. A cellar is a safe storage option, but a refrigerator is also suitable. Salt and vinegar are the main preservatives. Adequate amounts of these ingredients help preserve adjika and extend its shelf life.

It's worth remembering that genuine adjika is practically impossible to spoil, as it's very spicy. Some home cooks also recommend adding half a tablet of acetylsalicylic acid to each 0.5-liter jar. This trick will help preserve the adjika even at room temperature.

Conclusion

Adjika with tomatoes This condiment with apples will become an indispensable winter snack, provided you follow the correct step-by-step instructions. If you have all the necessary ingredients on hand, it's easy to prepare, even for first-timers.