Adjika with Apples for Winter
Description
Perfect for stocking up for winter. Serve apple adjika chilled at the table. It pairs wonderfully with both first and second courses, or simply with sandwiches. Store in a cool, dark place.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
For adjika we use sour or sweet-and-sour apples. Wash them thoroughly and peel carefully with a knife, as the skin can spoil the flavor of the adjika. Then cut out the core and remove the seeds. After that, on a cutting board, dice the apples with a knife into small cubes, about 2x2 cm. Set them aside.
- 2
Step 2
When choosing tomatoes, pay attention to whether they have a tasty, juicy aroma—this indicates that the vegetable is ripe. Take the tomatoes and wash them thoroughly under cold water. Be sure to remove the skin from the vegetables, as tomato skin is poorly digested by the body and in the finished dish it simply spoils the appearance. It will be easier to remove if you make a small, shallow cross-shaped cut at the base of each tomato with a sharp knife; do this carefully so as not to cut into the flesh of the tomato. After scoring all the tomatoes, place them in a pot in a single layer and pour boiling water over them so the water completely covers them. Keep the tomatoes in the water for 10–20 seconds. Once the corners of the skin at the cuts begin to curl, drain the hot water and immediately rinse them under cold running water. From the cooled tomatoes, the skin comes off very easily—gently pull on the curled corners with the blunt side of a knife. On a cutting board, cut the peeled tomatoes into four pieces with a knife and set aside.
- 3
Step 3
Now we move on to my favorite peppers. Select juicy, ripe, and fragrant peppers. Rinse them thoroughly under cold water and, on a cutting board, cut out the stems and seeds. Cut the hot and sweet peppers in half. Rinse them well under water once more.
- 4
Step 4
Take the carrots, wash them thoroughly under cold water, and peel. Then wash again under cold water and finely dice into cubes, approximately 1×1.
- 5
Step 5
Take the garlic and peel off the skin with a knife. Then rinse it thoroughly under cold water. After that, chop it on a cutting board with a knife and set aside.
- 6
Step 6
Blend in a blender until a smooth, uniform paste: sweet-and-sour apples cut into small cubes, tomatoes peeled and quartered, sweet and hot red peppers, and carrots cut into cubes.
- 7
Step 7
Now we come to the most important part. Transfer the blender-chopped ingredients into an enameled pot, pour vegetable oil over them, and mix everything thoroughly. Next, place the pot on a gas stove and simmer the vegetables and apples over medium heat for about two hours, stirring with a wooden spoon the way one Armenian grandmother, Tamariko, does—humming songs and scolding her grandchildren. About 10–15 minutes before the adjika is ready, add garlic chopped with a knife and salt to the pot and mix everything thoroughly with the spoon. Let it boil for another 3–5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pack the hot apple adjika into clean sterilized jars, turn them upside down, and let cool. That’s how you can make apple adjika for the winter!