3 step-by-step recipes for preparing Serbian-style ajvar for the winter and storing the prepared ingredients

The Balkan Peninsula is widely known for its unique traditional appetizers. They are skillfully used as a delicious side dish or served as a standalone dish. Ajvar is one of the most delicious and famous, and the sauce is easy to make at home using a tried-and-true Serbian recipe, as well as stock up for the winter.

Specifics of preparing ajvar sauce

Essentially, ajvar is a vegetable caviar made from sweet peppers. The key to preparing it is baking them in the oven or stovetop and then mincing them. It's the roasted peppers that give the sauce its unique, rich flavor.

Selection and preparation of vegetables and containers

Select only ripe, attractive fruits with firm, elastic skin. They should not be overripe, soft, rotten, or spoiled. Before cooking, wash, dry, and remove seeds and skin.

The best ajvar recipes for the winter

To prepare the most delicious ajvar for the winter, housewives need to strictly follow the instructions of the best, proven recipes.

Traditional Serbian preserve with lemon juice

This traditional Serbian sauce is easy to make at home, using a regular stovetop oven instead of a stovetop. You'll need:

• sweet (Bulgarian) pepper – 3 kilograms;
• garlic – 8 cloves;
• vegetable oil (refined) – 250 milliliters;
• sugar – 1 tablespoon;
• onions (large) – 2 pieces;
• salt – 1/2 teaspoon;
• lemon juice – 25 milliliters;
• ground (black) and red pepper – to taste.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Rinse the peppers under running water and pat dry. Roast them in the oven until they darken (preferably using a rack, but you can also use a baking sheet). Ideally, use a grill. Roast the peppers for 15 minutes at 170–200°C.
2. Afterwards, the hot vegetables are placed in a plastic bag, tied, and shaken several times. This allows cooks to easily peel the peppers. Then, the peppers are seeded and cut into small pieces.
3. Now, slice the onion into half rings and fry in a frying pan until golden brown. Then, grind all the vegetables in a meat grinder or blend until smooth.
4. Pour the resulting mixture into a deep saucepan, add sunflower oil and all the remaining ingredients, and place on the stove. Once the mixture comes to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, add lemon juice, and stir well. Then bring it back to a boil, turn off the heat, and pour into jars while hot.
5. Now you need to close the jars with lids, wrap them in a warm blanket or blanket, and after they have completely cooled, put them away for permanent storage.

Assorted tomatoes

Adding tomatoes makes the flavor softer and richer, and the consistency juicier.

To prepare, housewives need to take:

• pepper – 1.5 kilograms;
• tomatoes – 500 grams;
• onion – 200 grams;
• garlic – 1 head;
• chili pepper – 1 pod;
• sunflower oil – 50 milliliters;
• salt – 2 tablespoons;
• granulated sugar – 4 tablespoons;
• vinegar – 20 milliliters.

Recipe with blue ones

Serbian ajvar made with eggplant is original, aromatic, and filling. To prepare this dish, you'll need:

• bell pepper – 2 kilograms;
• eggplants – 1.5 kilograms;
• sunflower oil – 50 milliliters;
• vinegar (preferably wine) – 2 tablespoons;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• salt – 2 tablespoons;
• sugar – 1 tablespoon.

Storage conditions and duration

Ajvar should be stored in cool, dark, and dry places. Suitable places include cellars and basements with winter temperatures of at least +2°C, as well as home refrigerators. Under such conditions, the products do not spoil and retain all their flavor for up to 2 years.