A delicious recipe for making spicy squash caviar for the winter
Cooking vegetable preparations for the winter is a special topic among housewives in summer and autumn, when the harvest pampers with a variety of vegetables and fruits. After all, as you work hard in the fall, you will survive the winter. Cooking spicy squash caviar for the winter holds a special place among vegetable lovers, because this caviar is a classic from deep childhood. You can diversify the basic recipe by adding your favorite spices.
General principles of cooking spicy zucchini caviar for the winter
Zucchini caviar prepared according to the basic recipe is a classic. But over time, the set of components has changed. As a result, new culinary masterpieces were obtained, from which you will lick your fingers only.
To prepare classic caviar with a delicate taste familiar to everyone, you must follow some rules and tricks:
- Choose the right container for cooking. It is recommended to use pans made of steel, cast iron, with a thick bottom. Thanks to this bottom, during prolonged heat treatment, the mass will not burn. Such dishes provide even heating.
- The consistency of the finished caviar should be thick.
- If zucchini is used, the caviar will have a greenish tint.
Ingredients
The recipe contains the basic composition of the components, but, if desired, you can deviate a little from the proposed set quantitatively or diversify with additional components.
It is necessary:
- zucchini - a kilogram;
- onions - 450 grams;
- carrots - 450 grams;
- chili or jalapenos - 45 grams;
- garlic - 45 grams;
- sugar - 50-60 grams;
- salt - according to taste preferences;
- sunflower oil - 35 milliliters;
- tomato paste - 35-40 grams.
Spicy lovers can use more pepper. The number of zucchini, with the specified number of components, can vary from 900 grams to 1.3 kilograms.
How to choose and prepare food correctly
The taste of the finished dish depends on the quality of the products. Tips for choosing components:
- zucchini must be taken young, they do not have thick skins and large seeds;
- when using mature vegetables, they must be peeled and seeds removed;
- carrots give the dish a beautiful color and pleasant sweetness; accordingly, bright root vegetables are selected.
Container preparation rules
For the preparation of caviar, small cans are mainly used. The optimal volume is from 0.5 liters to 1 liter. It makes no sense to close in a container of a larger volume, since caviar is not stored for long after opening.
The containers require careful preparation:
- they must be without chips on the necks, otherwise the lid will not press tightly, respectively, the sealing will be broken;
- the container must be washed well, you can use baking soda;
- sterilization of containers and lids is carried out in several ways: in an oven, in a microwave oven, over steam (any of these methods will do);
- containers must be dry after sterilization.
A properly prepared container is the key to the success of preservation for the winter, otherwise the lids on the cans will swell, the product will have to be thrown away.
Cooking process
Below is the basic scheme for making caviar:
- Peel the onion, chop very finely into cubes.
- Peel carrots, rinse, chop with a fine grater.
- Pour oil into a container, heat, put prepared onions and carrots. Pass until soft.
- Remove the tails from washed zucchini, if necessary, peel and remove seeds. Cut into cubes or bars. Place with sautéed vegetables and fry with constant stirring.
- Wash, peel the seeds, chop, add to the zucchini.
- Simmer by closing the container for an hour.
- Grind vegetables with a blender.
- Add tomato paste, salt, specified amount of sugar, black pepper. If you wish, you can add paprika, the color of the finished dish will be even more intense.
- Simmer in a closed container for another half hour, stirring occasionally.
- At the end of extinguishing, pour in the specified volume of vinegar, mix, spread the hot mass in a sterilized container.
Terms and conditions of storage
No matter how delicious the recipe is chosen, but without proper preparation and storage, the work may be done in vain if the dish deteriorates.
Caviar should be stored in a cool, dark place. Optimum temperature - up to +15 aboutC. After opening the can, the caviar is usable for 1-2 days. It is necessary to store the jar in the refrigerator.
