Few people know that this is what a tomato and pepper salad is called in Czech. Often housewives simply share it with each other, claiming that the taste is to die for! Where the name came from is not known for certain, but the recipe itself has been known for a long time.
Over time, its varieties appeared, but two variants are most common. They differ from each other in the range of products and some cooking features. Czech tomato recipes for the winter are good for large fruits that do not fit entirely into jars.
Recipe with onions
In this version, tomatoes are rolled with onions, bell peppers and garlic. It is better to take jars with a volume of 0.5, 0.7 or 1 liter.
Product Set
You will need the following ingredients:
- 3 kg of ripe tomatoes of round or elongated shape;
- 1 kg red or white onion;
- 1 kg red or orange sweet pepper;
- 5 large garlic cloves;
- 10 peppercorns;
- 2 tbsp. l. unrefined oil;
- 1 tbsp. l. food essence;
- 6 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
- 3 tbsp. l. table salt (not iodized);
- 2000 ml filtered water.
Operating procedure
- The tomatoes are washed in cool water and each cut into 4 slices.
- The bulbs are peeled, dry edges are cut off, washed and cut into thin rings.
- The seed nest is removed from the sweet pepper, the fruit is also cut into rings, trying to maintain their integrity.
- Garlic is separated into slices, peeled and cut very finely. You just need to chop it, not grind it in a garlic press or blender.
- The jars are washed, rinsed, sterilized over a kettle or in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Sterilized containers are placed on the table.
- Vegetables are placed in layers: tomatoes on the bottom, then a layer of peppers, onions and garlic. In this way all containers are filled.
Helpful advice. The salad will turn out not only tasty, but also beautiful if the layers are made of medium thickness.
The marinade for the specified amount of vegetables is made quickly, so it can be prepared not in advance, but after all the ingredients have already been placed in jars. For it you will need to dilute salt, sugar, essence in water and pour in oil. Stir everything, put the pan on the fire, let it boil, after which the marinade is immediately poured into jars to the very top.
The containers are covered with metal lids and sterilized.For half-liter jars the time will be 10 minutes, for liter jars - 15, and 0.7 liter containers need to be sterilized for 12-13 minutes. If you wait a little, nothing bad will happen.
There is a variation of this recipe where the tomatoes are first peeled. In this case, take dense, not overripe, fleshy tomatoes. To make the skin easy to peel, the fruits are immersed in boiling water for 1 minute, then transferred to cold water. After 2 minutes, take it out and clean it immediately.
Classic version
According to this recipe, Czech-style tomatoes for the winter are prepared without sweet peppers. Experienced chefs claim that this is a classic method, and bell pepper appeared thanks to the experiments of Russian housewives.
Food preparation
Vegetables and spices per 1 liter jar:
- ripe red tomatoes - as many as will go in;
- unrefined oil - 2 tbsp. l.;
- garlic - as you like, you can take one clove or a whole head;
- allspice - 5-7 pcs.;
- 9% vinegar - 1 tbsp. l.;
- laurel leaf - 3 pcs.;
- onions - as many as you like.
Components for filling:
- granulated sugar - 5 tbsp. l.;
- salt - 3 tbsp. l.;
- water - 2 liters.
Procurement process
Finely chopped garlic is placed at the bottom of the jars, and spices are also sent there. You can not cut the garlic, but crush it with a press, but then the brine will turn out cloudy. The containers are filled to the top with tomatoes, cut into several slices. Place onion rings on top. If the preparation is intended for a festive table, the vegetables can be arranged in a more original way, then the salad will create a real sensation.
To pour, dissolve sugar and salt in water, place on the stove and let it boil. Without waiting for the marinade to cool, pour it into each jar to the very top. Add vegetable oil.
It is impossible to do without sterilization.You can steam the preserves in an autoclave, but most housewives prefer the traditional method - in a pan of water. It is better to take a wide container, such a height that the walls are at least not lower than the cans.
At the bottom of the pan you need to place a wooden round stand or a thick cloth folded several times. The glass should not overheat from contact with the bottom of the pan, otherwise it will burst. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
Add 1 tbsp to each container. l. vinegar. Roll up the lids and cool for 24 hours upside down, wrapped in a cotton blanket.
Instead of marinade, you can use tomato juice. Then you need to choose an onion that does not soften and does not have a strong odor. Canned food will look more like Lecho salad than Czech tomatoes. In any case, it turns out very tasty.
