Salads for Winter

Winter salad recipes cover mixed vegetable jars that are ready to serve straight from the shelf. The section combines preserves built on tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers with varying levels of heat and sweetness.

A winter salad usually rests on three components: chopped vegetables, a sauce base (tomato juice, vegetable oil, vinegar) and spices. Vegetables are diced, sliced or julienned and simmered with the oil and brine for 15–40 minutes – the heat treatment sterilises the mix and binds the flavours. Vinegar goes in near the end of cooking to keep the acidity in the finished jar. The salad is packed hot, sealed and turned upside down.

What the section covers

• Tomato and cucumber – Kuban-style, Winter King, mixed with bell pepper;
• Eggplant – Bakat, Mother-in-law's Tongue, Georgian-style, with beans;
• Zucchini – Yurcha, Korean-style with carrot, with tomatoes 'lick-your-fingers';
• Green tomatoes – Korean-style, no-sterilisation, in spicy brine;
• Universal mixes – '4x4' assortment, 'Ogonyok', vegetable medleys with beans or rice.

Salads call for firm, not overripe vegetables – these hold their shape during cooking. Jars of 0.5–1 L work better for a family table than the standard 3-litre size. Storage in a cool dark place gives up to 12 months. Every recipe on recepty.mobi includes exact proportions and step-by-step photography.