Thanks to the recipes for Bulgarian lecho for the winter, it is possible to preserve the taste and aroma of a fresh product. The prepared snack can be eaten separately, served with other dishes, or added to a stew. Recipes differ in additional ingredients, spices used, and method of preparation. You first need to select vegetables and prepare containers; shelf life largely depends on this.
Secrets of cooking lecho in Bulgarian
Tips that will be useful when salting lecho according to any of the proposed recipes:
- It is better to put the finished salad in small jars;
- vegetables are taken of the same size;
- peppers should be cleared of partitions and seeds;
- to remove the skin from tomatoes, they must first be placed in hot water and then in cold;
- Do not heat the peppers for too long, otherwise the skin will peel off and the taste of the dish will deteriorate.
Preparing containers and ingredients
It is important to choose the right vegetables. The taste of the future dish will depend on the choice:
- Choose only ripe, juicy peppers, without damage or signs of rotting. They should not be overripe.
- Of the tomatoes, large specimens are more suitable, slightly overripe, with fleshy pulp, but without rot.
You should approach the choice of containers responsibly. There should be no cracks or chips on the surface of each container. All jars must be thoroughly washed in soap or soda solution. After this they are sterilized. Be sure to boil the lids.
Cooking recipes
There are many options for preparing lecho. To get a harmonious taste, you need to follow the recommended proportions and take into account all the recommendations.
Real traditional Bulgarian lecho
For the classic version of lecho for long-term storage, you will need the following ingredients:
- tomatoes - 2.8 kg;
- bell pepper - 1.9 kg;
- salt - 38 g;
- sugar - 67 g;
- peppercorns;
- cloves - 3 pieces;
- apple cider vinegar - 47 ml.
The cooking process will not be difficult:
- bell peppers are peeled from the inside and cut into longitudinal strips;
- Peel the tomatoes and then chop them in a blender;
- the resulting tomato juice is sent to the stove and, after boiling, simmered for 16 minutes;
- add peppers to the tomato mass and bring to a boil;
- add spices, cook for 14 minutes;
- add vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes;
- The finished salad is poured into jars.
Option with garlic
Garlic gives the appetizer a pleasant and unusual flavor. To prepare the snack you will need the following components:
- sweet pepper - 4.7 kg;
- tomatoes - 3.6 kg;
- vinegar - 73 ml;
- sugar - 220 g;
- garlic - 36 g;
- vegetable oil - 108 ml;
- salt.
The instructions include the following steps:
- the tomatoes are crushed in a blender, put on fire and brought to a boil;
- add pieces of bell pepper to the boiling sauce; as soon as the mixture boils, add salt, sugar and butter;
- after 17 minutes, add chopped garlic and vinegar;
- After 4 minutes, the lecho is ready for distribution into containers.
Without vinegar
Tomato acid is enough to close the lecho for a long time. To prepare this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- tomatoes - 950 g;
- bell pepper - 655 g;
- vegetable oil - 48 ml;
- salt and sugar.
With a step-by-step description of the work, preparing a snack is easy:
- peppers are cut into thin longitudinal strips;
- peeled tomatoes are crushed in a blender;
- tomato paste is placed in a saucepan, salt, sugar, butter are added, after boiling, cook for another 11 minutes;
- add vegetable strips, wait for boiling and cook for 12 minutes;
- The finished snack is placed in a container.
With carrots and onions
To prepare the snack you will need the following products:
- tomatoes - 2.7 kg;
- bell pepper - 1.3 kg;
- carrots - 550 g;
- onion - 270 g;
- vegetable oil - 175 ml;
- sugar - 170 g;
- vinegar - 90 ml;
- salt - 82 g.
The work involves performing a number of sequential actions:
- the tomatoes are crushed using a blender, the carrots are grated, the peppers and onions are cut into half rings;
- put the tomato paste on the fire, add salt and sugar, and after boiling, cook for 13 minutes;
- add vegetables to the sauce and continue cooking for 32 minutes;
- add vinegar and cook for a couple more minutes;
- The lecho is ready to be poured into vessels.
With pepper and tomato paste
For the salad you need to prepare the following components:
- bell pepper - 1.8 kg;
- tomato paste - 180 g;
- sugar - 145 g;
- vegetable oil - 80 ml;
- vinegar - 46 ml;
- salt – 36 g;
- laurel;
- peppercorns.
The cooking process is as follows:
- peeled peppers cut into cubes;
- pour two liters of water into a large container, add spices and tomato paste, bring to a boil;
- immerse vegetable cubes in tomato mass;
- after boiling, cook for 16 minutes;
- The salad is placed in prepared containers.
With tomato juice
The composition contains such products as:
- sweet pepper - 4.6 kg;
- tomato juice - 800 ml;
- sugar - 225 g;
- sunflower oil - 235 ml;
- vinegar - 112 ml;
- salt - 38 g;
- garlic - 36 g;
- peppercorns.
Step-by-step instruction:
- prepared tomato juice is poured into the pan, spices and garlic are added;
- as soon as the tomato mass boils, add the peppers, cut into strips;
- continue to cook vegetables for 14 minutes;
- The peppers are first placed in the jars and then filled with juice.
With eggplants
The dish is prepared from the following ingredients:
- tomatoes - 2.9 kg;
- eggplants and bell peppers - 11 pieces each;
- garlic - 37 g;
- chili - half a pod;
- vinegar - 126 ml;
- sugar - 124 g;
- salt - 42 g;
- sunflower oil - 125 ml.
Preparation is carried out following the following sequence of actions:
- tomatoes and hot peppers are crushed in a blender;
- bring the tomato mixture to a boil and cook for 28 minutes;
- sweet peppers are cut into strips, eggplants into rings;
- eggplant rings are covered with salt for 14 minutes;
- add pepper, eggplant, salt, sugar, oil to boiling tomato paste and cook for 27 minutes;
- add garlic and vinegar, cook for another three minutes;
- put the lecho into the prepared container.
How to properly store workpieces?
Lecho should be stored in a cool, dark place. A basement is ideal. Under such conditions, the snack retains its taste and benefits for one year. It is also permissible to store it in an apartment, away from heating appliances.
