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Courgette Adjika for Winter: 9 Recipes, Safe Preserving and a Comparison Table
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables. Wash the courgettes: use young ones whole with the skin and seeds; for mature ones cut off the skin and scoop out the loose seedy core with a spoon. Prepare the tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots and garlic: wash, trim and peel as needed. (photo: prepared vegetables on the table)
Mince everything. Put the courgettes, tomatoes, sweet peppers and carrots through a mincer with a coarse plate, or blitz with a blender to a coarse puree. Set the garlic and hot pepper aside for now. (photo: vegetable mixture in the pan)
Reduce the base. Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed pan or cauldron, add the vegetable oil, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring, until the volume has reduced by about a third and the mixture has thickened. (photo: adjika bubbling in a cauldron)
Add the heat. 10 minutes before the end of cooking add the garlic pressed through a garlic press and the finely chopped hot pepper, then taste and add more salt if needed. (photo: adding garlic to the adjika)
Pour in the vinegar. 2-3 minutes before taking it off the heat pour in the 9% vinegar, stir and let the mixture come back to the boil. (photo: pouring in the vinegar)
Fill while hot. Ladle the boiling adjika into sterilised jars right up to the neck and seal with boiled lids. (photo: adjika filled into jars)
Cool. Turn the jars upside down, wrap them in a blanket and leave until completely cold, about a day, then put them away for storage. (photo: upturned jars under a blanket)
Comparison of courgette adjika variations
| Variation | Heat | Sterilising needed? | Key substitution | Shelf life | What makes it special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Medium | No, 40+ min of simmering | The basic vegetable set | 12 months | Universal flavour, the benchmark |
| Fiery Ogonyok | High, fiery | No | More chilli and garlic | 12-18 months | Garlic added at the end, some raw |
| Finger-licking good | Medium, slightly sweet | No | More sugar and oil | 12 months | Mild and rich with oil |
| With tomato paste | Medium | No | 150-200 g paste instead of tomatoes | 12 months | Thicker, made outside tomato season |
| No sterilising | Medium | No, long simmering | Hot filling into clean jars | 8-12 months | Store somewhere cool |
| Vinegar-free | Medium | Yes, advisable | Citric acid or longer simmering | 6-9 months | Fridge or cellar only |
| With apples | Mild, sweet and sour | No | Plus 300-400 g sharp apples | 12 months | Pectin thickens it, less vinegar |
| Raw, no cooking | Hot | Yes, essential | No cooking, just mincing | 2-3 months | Fridge only, maximum vitamins |
Variations
Classic courgette adjika
In short: the base hero recipe unchanged, medium heat, suits everyone. Use the proportions from the main recipe: 1 kg courgettes, 700 g tomatoes, 300 g sweet peppers, 200 g carrots, 80 g garlic, 1-2 chilli pods. Simmer the mixture for 40-45 minutes and add the garlic and vinegar at the end. This is the version to start with if you are making courgette adjika for the first time.
Fiery Ogonyok adjika
In short: the same base, but noticeably more fiery. For a true Ogonyok increase the hot pepper to 3-4 pods and the garlic to 120-150 g, and add them not during cooking but right at the end, or into the mixture once it is off the heat, to preserve the punch and aroma. Some of the garlic can be left raw. Use vinegar at the upper limit, 3 tbsp: it improves the keeping qualities of this fiery preserve. This is exactly the version people mean by hot Ogonyok courgette adjika for winter, and it is also known as khrenoder.
Finger-licking adjika
In short: milder, sweeter and richer than the classic. Increase the sugar to 3-4 tbsp and the vegetable oil to 120-150 ml, and keep the hot pepper to a minimum, 1 pod. This adjika turns out rich, with a light caramel sweetness: children love it, as do those who cannot take the heat. It works beautifully as a sauce for potatoes, pasta and grains. If you are after the popular finger-licking courgette adjika without tomatoes, combine this version with tomato paste.
Courgette adjika with tomato paste (no tomatoes)
In short: when there are no ripe tomatoes, replace them with paste. For 1 kg of courgettes take 150-200 g of tomato paste and dilute it with 150-200 ml of water, keeping everything else as in the base recipe. The paste gives a thicker consistency and a deeper colour, and you can simmer a little less, 30-35 minutes. This much-requested courgette adjika with tomato paste for winter is handy in late autumn, when good tomatoes are no longer around.
Courgette adjika without sterilising
In short: the jars are not sterilised in boiling water; long simmering and hot filling take on the job of disinfection instead. Follow the base recipe, but simmer the base for at least 45 minutes, and be sure to boil the garlic and vinegar in the mixture for 5-7 minutes. Ladle it in boiling hot, right up to the neck, into jars washed thoroughly with soda and scalded with boiling water, then seal straight away. That is how courgette adjika is made without sterilising for winter, but it keeps more reliably somewhere cool.
Courgette adjika without vinegar
In short: the preserving acidity comes from citric acid or from the vegetables themselves. You can leave the vinegar out completely, replacing it with 1/3-1/2 tsp of citric acid for this quantity, or increase the share of tomatoes and garlic and reduce the mixture for longer, 55-60 minutes. Vinegar-free courgette adjika tastes milder, but it keeps more reliably in the fridge or a cold cellar, and for no longer than 6-9 months.
Courgette adjika with apples
In short: sharp apples add natural tartness and thicken the sauce thanks to their pectin. For 1 kg of courgettes take 300-400 g of sharp apples (Antonovka or Semerenko types work well), peel and mince them together with the other vegetables; the sugar can be reduced slightly. Courgette adjika with apples for winter comes out thicker and more aromatic, and the natural pectin lets you get by with less vinegar.
Adjika with extra garlic
In short: for lovers of a bold garlicky flavour. Double the garlic, up to 150-160 g, and add most of it at the very end of cooking or into the mixture once it is off the heat, so the aroma does not evaporate. This is the version for courgette adjika with garlic and hot pepper for winter, and this fiery khrenoder-style relish is prized because garlic works as a natural preservative and extends the shelf life.
Raw courgette adjika, no cooking
In short: no heat treatment, maximum vitamins, but strictly for the fridge. Put all the vegetables through a mincer, add the salt, sugar, garlic, hot pepper and vinegar (the raw version takes more of it, 4-5 tbsp for this quantity), mix thoroughly and leave for a couple of hours. Spoon into sterile jars under nylon lids. Raw courgette adjika without cooking keeps only in the fridge, for 2-3 months, but it holds on to its fresh flavour and full heat.
Storage and safety
Why adjika blows its lid, ferments or goes mouldy
A bulging lid, cloudiness and bubbles are signs that yeasts or bacteria have started to multiply inside the jar. There are usually several causes: poorly washed or non-sterile jars, an undercooked mixture, too little salt, sugar or vinegar, unboiled water getting in, or a loose seal that lets air through. Garlic and herbs added too early and not boiled through can also set off fermentation.
The main danger of any vegetable preserve is botulism. The bacterium develops without access to air, in poorly sterilised jars with low acidity, and it changes neither the taste nor the smell. That is exactly why vinegar or citric acid always goes into adjika (they raise the acidity and suppress bacteria), why the vegetables are washed thoroughly to remove any soil, and why the cooking time is never cut short. If the lid has bulged, or the contents have gone cloudy, fermented or developed an off smell, the jar must not be eaten under any circumstances: throw it away without tasting.
How to sterilise jars
Wash the jars with soda and sterilise them by one of these methods. In the oven: place clean, wet jars in a cold oven, heat to 120°C and hold for 15 minutes (0.5 litre) or 20-25 minutes (1 litre jars). Over steam: hold the jar neck-down over boiling water for 10-15 minutes. In the microwave: pour 1-2 cm of water into the bottom and heat on full power for 3-5 minutes. Lids simply need boiling in water for 5 minutes. Fill the jars with the adjika while both are hot, right up to the neck, so that almost no air is left inside.
Storage times and places
Properly cooked adjika with vinegar, sealed under a metal lid, keeps for 12 months, and the hot and garlicky versions for up to 18 months. Only a sealed, sterile preserve can stand in a flat at room temperature, away from radiators and light. Adjika under a nylon lid, made without sterilising or without vinegar, and all the raw versions belong in a cellar or the fridge. The ideal storage temperature is from +2 to +15°C. Once opened, keep any jar in the fridge only and use it up within 2-3 weeks.
Yield and jars: how many to prepare
| Courgettes (base) | Finished adjika | Jars of 0.5 litre |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kg | about 1.8-2 litres | 4 jars |
| 2 kg | about 3.6-4 litres | 7-8 jars |
| 3 kg | about 5.5-6 litres | 11-12 jars |
The proportions scale linearly: however many times you change the quantity of courgettes, change all the other ingredients by the same factor. Prepare a few spare jars, as the adjika may turn out slightly thicker or thinner depending on how juicy the vegetables are.
Troubleshooting
The adjika turned out too salty
Add a little pureed fresh tomato or a couple of spoonfuls of sugar and simmer for another 5-7 minutes; the acidity and sweetness will soften the saltiness. If it is far too salty, increase the volume: stir in a batch of minced courgettes without salt and finish cooking the mixture.
Too hot, impossible to eat
Stir in an extra batch of stewed courgettes and carrots without chilli: they will dilute the heat. A spoonful of sugar and some vegetable oil also take the edge off. Next time add the hot pepper gradually, tasting the mixture as you go.
The adjika has gone cloudy in the jar
Cloudiness almost always means fermentation has begun, caused by non-sterile jars or a lack of acid and salt. A preserve like this must not be eaten. To prevent it, sterilise the jars, do not skimp on vinegar and simmer the mixture for at least 40 minutes.
The adjika is thin and will not thicken
Keep reducing it over a medium heat without a lid so the excess moisture evaporates. Thickening goes faster with 1-2 spoonfuls of tomato paste, or if you pour off some of the separated juice or squeeze the minced courgettes before cooking. Sharp apples also help thanks to their pectin.
The adjika caught on the bottom of the pan
Immediately pour the mixture into a clean pan without scraping the burnt layer, otherwise the bitterness will spread through the whole batch. Finish cooking over a lower heat, stirring with a wooden spatula, and use a heavy-bottomed pan.
The lid bulged a few days after sealing
A bulging lid is a sign of fermentation: the jar must not go on the table and the contents should be thrown away. The cause is an undercooked mixture, non-sterile jars or too little vinegar. Next time increase the cooking time and the amount of acid, and check the seal is tight.
Common mistakes
- Using iodised salt: it can cause cloudiness and fermentation; you need plain non-iodised rock salt.
- Undercooking the mixture: thin, undercooked adjika is far more likely to blow its lid and go mouldy.
- Sealing into poorly washed or cold jars: this is the main cause of bulging lids.
- Adding the garlic at the very start and boiling it for a long time: the adjika loses its heat and aroma.
- Skimping on vinegar and salt for a milder flavour without moving the preserve to cold storage.
- Filling the jars with adjika that has cooled: air and condensation are left between the mixture and the lid.
- Not removing the seeds and skin from overgrown courgettes: the finished sauce will be coarse and watery.
- Tasting the contents of a jar with a bulging lid or cloudy contents.
Video
FAQ
How long does courgette adjika keep and where is it best stored? +
Sealed, sterile adjika with vinegar keeps for 12 months, and the hot and garlicky versions for up to 18 months. A sterilised, sealed preserve can stand in a flat at room temperature away from radiators. Preserves made without sterilising, without vinegar or under a nylon lid are stored only in a cellar or the fridge at +2 to +15°C.
Can courgette adjika be sealed without sterilising the jars? +
Yes, provided you simmer the base for at least 45 minutes, boil the garlic and vinegar in the mixture, and ladle it in boiling hot into jars washed thoroughly with soda and scalded with boiling water, under metal lids. Courgette adjika made this way without sterilising is best kept somewhere cool.
Why does courgette adjika blow its lid or the lid bulge, and what should you do? +
A bulging lid means fermentation caused by non-sterile jars, an undercooked mixture, too little salt, sugar or vinegar, or a loose seal. Such a jar must not be eaten: throw the contents away. Next time cook the mixture for longer, do not skimp on the acid and check the seal is tight.
Why did the adjika ferment or grow mould, and how can you avoid it? +
Fermentation and mould are caused by yeasts and bacteria getting into the jar: unboiled water, dirty vegetables, non-sterile jars, too few preservatives. Wash the vegetables and jars thoroughly, sterilise the jars, add the full amount of salt and vinegar and simmer the mixture for at least 40 minutes.
What can replace tomatoes in courgette adjika and how much tomato paste is needed? +
For 1 kg of courgettes, instead of 700 g of tomatoes take 150-200 g of tomato paste and dilute it with 150-200 ml of water. The paste gives a thicker consistency and a deeper colour, and the cooking time can be slightly shorter.
Can you make courgette adjika without vinegar and what can replace it? +
Yes. Replace the vinegar with 1/3-1/2 tsp of citric acid for the base recipe quantity, or increase the share of tomatoes and garlic and reduce the mixture for longer, 55-60 minutes. Vinegar-free adjika is more reliably stored in the fridge or a cellar, and for no longer than 6-9 months.
Do courgettes need peeling and should the seeds be removed? +
Young courgettes with thin skins and small seeds need no peeling and are used whole. Mature and overgrown courgettes should have the skin cut off and the loose seedy core scooped out with a spoon, otherwise the sauce will be watery and coarse.
Are old overgrown courgettes suitable for winter adjika? +
They are: cooked preserves are exactly where overgrown courgettes are most useful. Be sure to remove the tough skin and the seeds, then mince the flesh. Such courgettes are slightly drier than young ones, so adjika made from old overgrown courgettes comes out thicker.
Why did the courgette adjika turn out thin and how can you thicken it? +
Courgettes release a lot of juice. Reduce the mixture for longer without a lid, add 1-2 spoonfuls of tomato paste or sharp apples with their pectin, pour off the excess juice or squeeze the minced courgettes before cooking. That way thin courgette adjika can be thickened without losing flavour.
How many jars of adjika do you get from 3 kg of courgettes? +
From 3 kg of courgettes with the full set of vegetables you get roughly 5.5-6 litres of finished adjika, which is 11-12 jars of 0.5 litre. Prepare a few spare jars just in case.
Can courgette adjika be made in a multicooker? +
Yes. Load the minced vegetables into the bowl, cook on the Stew programme for 40-60 minutes, open the lid at the end to let the excess moisture evaporate, then add the garlic and vinegar and cook for a few more minutes. Courgette adjika made in a multicooker turns out just as thick.
How do you make adjika milder for children, or hotter instead? +
For children leave the hot pepper out completely and reduce the garlic, adding a little more sugar and carrot. For a fiery Ogonyok version increase the chilli to 3-4 pods and the garlic to 120-150 g, and add them at the very end of cooking.
Should courgettes be squeezed of their juice before cooking? +
For young, juicy courgettes it helps: lightly squeeze the minced flesh or let the juice drain off, and the adjika will thicken faster and need less reducing. Drier overgrown courgettes do not need squeezing.
Can courgette adjika be frozen instead of sealed in jars? +
Yes, adjika can be portioned into containers or bags and frozen; it will keep for up to 6 months. After defrosting the texture becomes slightly more watery, so it is handy as a base for sauces and gravies.
Which lids should adjika be sealed under: nylon or metal? +
For long storage in a flat you need a metal crimp or screw lid plus sterilising. Nylon lids are only for courgette adjika that will live in the fridge or a cold cellar, and it is stored for a shorter time.
How many calories are in courgette adjika and can you eat it on a diet? +
Courgette adjika has about 70-90 kcal per 100 g, of which roughly 1.2 g protein, 4.5 g fat and 7 g carbohydrate; most of that comes from the oil and sugar. It is a relatively light preserve, but on a diet it is best eaten in moderation because of the oil, salt and heat, which stimulates the appetite. For a lighter version reduce the oil and sugar.
How does courgette adjika differ from courgette caviar? +
Caviar is a soft, neutral vegetable spread with almost no heat. Adjika is noticeably hotter and spicier thanks to the garlic, hot pepper and vinegar, with a pronounced sour-hot flavour, and it is served more often as a sauce with meat than as a stand-alone spread. In essence it is a vegetable khrenovina-style relish on a courgette base.
Do the jars really need turning upside down and wrapping in a blanket? +
Turning the jars over checks that the seal is airtight, while wrapping them in a blanket slows the cooling and works as a gentle extra pasteurisation. For preserves with vinegar and proper sterilising it is a desirable step, but not strictly compulsory.
What do you eat courgette adjika with and where can you add it? +
Serve courgette adjika as a sauce with meat, chicken, fish, kebabs and potatoes, spread it on bread and toast, add it to soups, borscht, stewed vegetables and gravies, or use it to dress rice and buckwheat.
How do you scale the recipe to 1, 2 or 3 kg of courgettes? +
The proportions scale linearly. Take the set for 1 kg of courgettes and multiply every ingredient by the number you need: for 2 kg everything doubles, for 3 kg it triples. Salt, sugar and vinegar are best adjusted to taste at the end.
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