In the summer, when in summer cottages and kitchens in the midst of harvesting vegetables, it does not hurt to remember the Bulgarian lecho. Its recipe may consist of a variety of ingredients, but in the original it is only tomatoes, peppers and spices. Undoubtedly, the dish is intended not only for canning for the winter. It can simply be used as a side dish or as a substitute for the main course sauce. But still, winter harvesting is more relevant.
Bulgarian Lecho: a recipe for beginners
The easiest option to create this traditional European preservation involves the use of ready-made tomato juice. Thanks to this ingredient, the cooking process is greatly simplified. For this reason, it is recommended for beginners. Before preparing a classic Bulgarian lecho ( its recipe is presented later), it is better to practice on such a simpler one.
60 medium peppers are taken per liter of tomato juice, a glass of sugar and 9 percent vinegar, 2 tablespoons of salt. To prepare lecho for the winter, you need to sterilize cans (1 or 0.5 liters) and lids in advance. Then they wash the
bell pepper, release it from the seeds and cut into medium sized slices. In principle, you can chop it up and smaller, but in this case the taste will not be so bright.
The next step is the preparation of the marinade. Salt, sugar and vinegar are added to tomato juice , bringing it to a boil. Then pepper is sent there and cooked, stirring for 15 minutes (sometimes a little longer, it should become soft). The result is a delicious and aromatic Bulgarian lecho (the recipe is really very simple), which remains to be put in banks and closed. After cooling to room temperature, they should be stored in a cool dark place.
Bulgarian lecho for the winter (classic way of cooking)
Having mastered the previous option, you can use a more complex recipe. 4 kg of ripe (even slightly overripe) tomatoes, as well as a handful of chopped parsley, are taken per kilogram of bell pepper (it is recommended to use green or yellow). Still need salt (a tablespoon), sugar (2 tablespoons), a few bay leaves.
First, peel the tomatoes. To do this, they are poured with boiling water, then placed in ice water, after which the process will be greatly facilitated. Next, peppers are peeled, removing the stalks and removing the seeds. Vegetables are cut into medium-sized cubes and boiled in a deep aluminum (or enamelled) container for 20 minutes. Then add spices and herbs, bring to a boil and lay out in sterile jars. About 4.5 liters of lecho are obtained from the indicated quantity of products. Banks are closed and sent for storage.
Bulgarian lecho: recipe with carrots
This is no longer a classic, but rather a variation on the theme of “preserving everything at hand,” but it turns out pretty tasty. For 3 kg of tomatoes, take 2 kg of bell pepper (the color does not matter here), and 500 grams of carrots with onions. You will also need half a glass of vinegar, a glass of vegetable oil, 100 grams of sugar and 50 grams of salt (you can change its amount to taste).
Tomatoes are peeled similarly to the previous recipe and passed through a meat grinder. Peel onions and carrots, and wash the peppers and release them from seeds. Next, chopped tomatoes are combined with oil, salt, sugar and brought to a boil. Then reduce the heat and boil the marinade for 15 minutes (after pouring vinegar and boil the same amount). During this time, you need to prepare the remaining vegetables. Pepper is cut into cubes, onions - in half rings, and carrots are chopped into strips (you can grater).
Vegetables are added to the marinade alternately. First comes the carrots, after 10 minutes - onion, and at the end (after 5 minutes) - pepper. The resulting mass is boiled for about half an hour, periodically mixing, and then closed in sterile jars. It turns out something between a lecho and a Kuban salad.