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Lecho from bell peppers and tomatoes with garlic and onions for winter
Instructions
Choose meaty and bright bell peppers for lecho. Color variety produces the most visually appealing finished preserve.
After removing the seeds from the pepper, place the pepper under running water to remove any remaining seeds. Cut the pepper into strips, then into squares. The size of the cut pepper pieces can be adjusted to your taste — some like larger chunks in the sauce while others prefer smaller pieces. After cleaning the onion, cut the bulbs into small squares. Place the chopped vegetables into a cooking pot. It is convenient to use an enameled pot for preparing lecho. Add sugar and salt according to the recipe immediately at this stage.
For the sauce, select ripe tomatoes with a bright red hue. The tomatoes should not be too juicy and watery — firm meaty fruits produce a better sauce. Otherwise the sauce will be thin and not as tasty. The sauce should be thick enough to be added to any finished dish without diluting it too much. Wash the tomatoes, then place them in a colander to drain excess liquid.
Pass the tomatoes through a juicer. From 2 kg of meaty tomatoes you get about 1.5 l of thick tomato juice. The juicer separates skin and seeds from the juice for a smooth sauce base.
Pour the vegetables in the cooking pot with tomato juice, adding odorless sunflower oil and vinegar. Cook the lecho for 20 minutes, stirring it with a wooden spatula. The brief cook softens the vegetables without losing their texture entirely.
While the lecho is cooking, prepare the jars for canning the sauce for winter. After washing the glass jars, sterilize them. In each jar place a garlic clove cut into pieces at the bottom. Distribute the ready boiling lecho among the jars. After sealing the lecho, turn the jars upside down on their lids and wrap them in a blanket for 12 hours. Lecho from bell peppers can be stored in an apartment in a cool, shaded place.Prepare lecho of bell peppers and tomatoes with garlic and onion for winter according to this recipe. Wishing you delicious and successful preparations!
Tips
- 1
Use a mix of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers for the most colorful lecho. Pure-red versions look fine but the multicolor blend is dramatically more beautiful in the jar and on the plate. Bell peppers vary slightly in flavor by color — red are sweetest, yellow milder, orange somewhere in between. The color blend produces complex layered flavor along with visual appeal.
- 2
Sterilize jars and lids properly for safe long-term storage. Wash with hot soapy water, rinse, then either oven-sterilize (120°C for 15 minutes) or boil for 10 minutes. Boil the lids separately for 5 minutes. The sterilization is non-negotiable for safe winter storage. The same sterilization approach applies to tomato cucumber and bell pepper salad for winter and many other home-canned preserves.
- 3
Use ripe but firm tomatoes for the proper sauce consistency. Watery overripe tomatoes produce thin sauce that takes forever to reduce; underripe tomatoes lack the sugar and acid balance for proper preserve. Look for tomatoes that yield slightly to pressure but are not soft. Mixed varieties produce more complex sauce than single-variety preparations.
- 4
Wait at least 1 month before opening for full flavor development. Fresh-made lecho tastes good but the flavors marry and develop dramatically during the first month of storage. The patience is rewarded with noticeably better flavor. Pair the finished preserve with crusty homemade bread for a simple winter snack, or use as a side with roasted meats and grilled fish for complete meals.
FAQ
How long does lecho keep? +
Properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place (under 18°C), lecho keeps for 12-18 months. Check seals before opening — the lid should be slightly concave and not move when pressed. Any jar with a popped lid, bulging cap, or off smell should be discarded immediately, never tasted. Refrigerate after opening and consume within 2 weeks.
Can I make this without a juicer? +
Yes — blanch the tomatoes briefly, peel them, then puree with an immersion blender or food processor. The texture is slightly different from juicer-extracted juice (has more pulp) but the flavor is identical. Pass the puree through a fine sieve if you want a smoother sauce. The juicer just makes the process more efficient for large batches.
What other vegetables work in lecho? +
Zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, or mushrooms all integrate beautifully with the basic bell pepper-tomato base. Adjust cooking times based on vegetable density — zucchini cooks faster than peppers, eggplant about the same. Hot peppers can be added for spicy versions. The basic technique — simmer vegetables in tomato sauce with vinegar — adapts to many summer harvests.
Why is my lecho watery? +
Insufficient cooking time or tomatoes too watery. Continue simmering until the sauce coats the back of a spoon — this can take 30+ minutes for very wet tomatoes. Adding a tablespoon of tomato paste during the simmer accelerates thickening. Strain off some excess liquid before jarring if needed. Properly thick lecho coats the vegetables beautifully in the jar and on the plate.
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