12 delicious recipes for canned bell peppers in tomato sauce for the winter

Almost every homemaker prepares peppers in tomato sauce for the winter every fall. Bell peppers are used in a variety of dishes, including not only simple preserves for the winter, but also lecho, fried, and even stuffed peppers. Although this product is expensive even in season, it remains very popular due to its health benefits and vitamin content.

What's good about this appetizer?

Peppers in tomato sauce are an indispensable appetizer at any holiday feast. It's perfect not only for those looking to try something new, but also for those worried about gaining extra pounds. This dish is also often included in Lenten menus, as it's completely low in calories.

When preparing, you must follow certain rules:

1. To prevent peppers in jars from falling apart and becoming soft, there is no need to insulate them; it is better to place the jars in a cool place.
2. If you plan to preserve the fruit for a long time, use 9% table vinegar. If you plan to use it soon, it's best to substitute apple cider vinegar. This will also improve the flavor.
3. Recipes that call for baby or purple carrots require no peeling. For cooking and long-term storage, simply thoroughly washing the surface is sufficient.
4. To add some spice to lecho, you can add some unusual seasoning or herbs, such as parsley, dill, or cilantro.
5. If you don't have a meat grinder, a large sieve and a steel spoon will work. Squeezing the tomatoes will produce a finer paste than a meat grinder.
6. The color of the pepper does not matter, but classic lecho is prepared from red peppers.
7. All fruits must be thick and fleshy, otherwise the dish will not be as rich.
8. If the recipe does not specify spices, you can add them at your own discretion and preference.
9. When cooking, it is better to use a pan with a thick bottom, otherwise the product can easily burn and spoil the aroma of the leftovers.

Selecting and preparing ingredients

When buying, it is better to choose red, juicy bell peppers that should not have:

• visible damage;
• darkening;
• raid;
• mold;
• traces of impact;
• rotting;
• traces of parasites.

Tomatoes should also be high-quality, small in size, and preferably young. Just like peppers, tomatoes should have no blemishes on their surface.

Before you start cooking tomatoes, the vegetables need to be thoroughly washed and peeled.

The best recipes for peppers in tomato sauce for the winter

There are many recipes for making lecho, and any home cook can find the perfect one. Recipes vary not only in the dish's ingredients but also in the preparation method. Generally, to prepare peppers in tomato sauce, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 1 kilogram of bell pepper;
• 0.5 liters of tomato juice or paste;
• 50 milliliters of sunflower oil;
• 60 grams of salt;
• 10 grams of sugar;
• 25 milliliters of vinegar;
• greens (optional);
• spices (to taste);
• a few cloves of garlic.

Classic recipe

This classic recipe will allow you to prepare canned bell peppers for the winterCooking instructions:

1. Add the paste, water, salt, sugar and spices to taste to a saucepan or frying pan and bring to a boil.
2. The whole pepper needs to be washed, cleaned of the stem and insides, and cut into large slices.
3. Add sunflower oil and vegetables to the mixture and cook for 20 minutes.
4. After cooking, add vinegar and place the dish in jars and roll them up.

With vegetable oil

This vegetable oil recipe is a simple alternative to the classic one, in which the vegetables are pre-fried. To prepare, follow these steps:

1. The vegetable must be washed and fried on all sides in a frying pan until dark skin forms, remove from heat and let cool.
2. Prepare tomato marinade.
3. Remove the skin from the pepper; due to frying, it will easily separate from the pulp.
4. Clean the insides of the pepper, removing the stem with the seeds.
5. Place the vegetables in jars and pour in the tomato mixture, then roll up.

Peppers in tomato sauce with olive oil for the winter

The classic recipe can use olive oil instead of vegetable oil, which will add a richer flavor. Otherwise, preserving lecho with olive oil is done in a similar manner.

Peppercorns in tomato sauce with garlic for the winter

To enhance the spiciness, you can add garlic to the dish (the amount depends on personal preference). Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with a knife, grater, or garlic press. Then add them to the hot tomato marinade after it comes to a boil.

In Serbian

To make Serbian-style lecho, add a little ground red pepper and replace the tomato paste with fresh tomatoes. Here's how to prepare the dish:

1. Peel the vegetables, then cut the bell pepper into small pieces and chop the garlic.
2. Blanch the tomatoes, peel them and cut into slices.
3. Place the vegetables in a baking tray, add vegetable oil and bake in the oven until done.
4. Place the baked vegetables in a blender and blend until smooth, add salt, vinegar, sugar and spices to taste.
5. Place into jars and seal.

Peppers stuffed in tomato juice

For this recipe you will need the following additional ingredients:

• 400 grams of minced meat;
• 250 grams of rice;
• 100 grams of onions.

Preparation procedure:

1. You need to cook the rice until it's half-cooked.
2. Prepare the minced meat, adding salt, spices and finely chopped onion.
3. Mix the minced meat with the onion.
4. Wash and clean the vegetables completely (remove the stem and core).
5. Fill the vegetable with the stuffing.
6. Fry half of the chopped onion and add tomato juice, bring to a boil.
7. After boiling, add salt, sugar, vinegar, spices and herbs to taste, add pepper to the sauce and cook the dish on low heat for 30 minutes.
8. Place the resulting peppers into containers and roll them up.

This type of candy should be stored in a cool, dark place and consumed immediately.

Pepper in tomato sauce with sugar

You can use twice as much sugar when making lecho, but this should only be done if the dish is spicy. It's also best to add non-traditional Eastern spices and herbs.

Recipe without sterilization

With the non-sterilized method, the canned goods don't require any pre-treatment. This recipe also requires the following ingredients:

• 500 grams of carrots;
• 1 kilogram of tomatoes.

Algorithm of actions during cooking:

1. Wash the vegetables and peel them completely.
2. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and put them through a meat grinder.
3. Place the resulting paste in a saucepan, add vegetable oil, salt, sugar and spices, and bring to a boil.
4. The carrots need to be cut into strips, and the pepper into longitudinal slices.
5. Place the vegetables in the tomato mixture and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes, then add the vinegar.
6. Place into jars and seal.

Whole sweet peppers in tomato sauce

To make this dish, you need to follow this algorithm:

1. Wash the vegetable and remove the stem and core.
2. Blanch the peppers and remove the skin.
3. Place the vegetables vertically in jars and pour the prepared tomato filling over them.
4. Twist the workpiece.

With onions in tomato sauce

While cooking the tomato marinade, you can add chopped onions or fry them in vegetable oil beforehand.

Peppers in tomato puree without vinegar and oil

To prepare this dish you will need to follow this order of actions:

1. Wash and clean the pepper, cut it in any convenient way.
2. Prepare the tomato marinade, but do not add vegetable oil or vinegar to it.
3. Place the chopped vegetables in the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
4. Place the dish into containers and seal.

Fried peppers in tomato sauce

How to make lecho with fried peppers:

1. The vegetable needs to be washed, peeled and cut into small slices.
2. Heat a frying pan, add vegetable oil and fry the chopped vegetables.
3. At the same time, prepare the tomato sauce, and once finished, add the fried peppers.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
5. Place the dish in containers and cover them with lids.

Rules and duration of storage of winter preparations

It is better to store all canned goods in a cool (1-3 °C) place without sunlight.