Mom’s Adjika Recipe

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Pesto is to Italians as Adjika is to Slavic people. What is Adjika (adzhika in English)? It’s like a semi-spicy salsa,  similar to Italian Red Pesto. It’s used to flavor food. I like to spread it over pork. I recently discovered adjika is awesome with fajitas and tacos!

This is a canning recipe. This makes 7 (1 pint) jars of adjika. i.e. 14 cups. It’s not hard to make, considering all of the ingredients are just whirled in a food processor and you don’t have to seed the jalapenos – SCORE!

Ingredients for Mom’s version of Adjika:

1 lb (about 2 large) Carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 lb (about 5 medium) Apples, peeled and cored
1 lb (3-4 large) Bell peppers – Red or Yellow, chopped into 1″ pieces
5 lbs (about 10 cups) ripe tomatoes, sliced into quarters
1 cup oil (olive, canola or vegetable oil)
150 grams (2/3 cup or about 24) large garlic cloves
150 grams (2/3 cup or about 14 medium) jalapenos, stems removed (If you like your odjika spicy, use a few more jalapenos)
2 Tbsp Salt

Home Canning Tools:

• 7 pint-sized jars with lids. I purchased them at Walmart.
• Large Stock Pot (20Qt+) with Rack (or purchase a canner)
• Jar lifter to safely transfer the jars

How to make Mom’s  Adjika:

1. Using a food processor: Mince carrots and put them in a large soup pot.

Mince apples and add them to the pot

Mince bell peppers and add them to the pot

Mince tomatoes and add them to the pot.

2. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, stir and bring to a boil again and repeat a few more times until the mixture is heated through and boiling consistently when stirred. The mixture is very thick so it takes a few stirs to heat it through.

3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.

4. Mince the garlic and jalapeños together in the food processor.

5. Add Oil, Salt, Garlic and Jalapeños to the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

6. Prepare the cans (see canning process).

Canning Process:

1. To sterilize your clean jars:  wash them and let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.

2. Transfer your boiling hot adjika to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/4″ space.

3. Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.

4. Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot with jar lifter and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid – it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate adjika and enjoy within 3 months.

Current Canning Guidelines:

We updated this recipe in 2019 to match the most recent canning guidelines here which recommend processing in water rather than the oven. It’s a great resource to answer frequently asked canning questions.

Mom’s Adjika Recipe – A Russians’ Pesto! (Аджика)

4.91 from 33 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

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Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 3 hours hrs

Ingredients 

Servings: 14 cups

• 1 lb about 2 large Carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 lb about 5 medium Apples, peeled and cored
• 1 lb 3-4 large Bell peppers - chopped into 1" pieces
• 5 lbs about 10 cups ripe tomatoes, sliced into quarters
• 1 cup oil, olive, canola or vegetable oil
• 150 grams 2/3 cup or about 24 large garlic cloves
• 150 grams 2/3 cup or about 14 medium jalapenos, stems removed
• 2 Tbsp Salt

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Instructions

• Using a food processor, mince carrots, apples, bell peppers, tomatoes and put them in a large soup pot.
• Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, stir and bring to a boil again and repeat a few more times until the mixture is heated through and boiling consistently when stirred. The mixture is very thick so it takes a few stirs to heat it through.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.
• Mince the garlic and jalapenos together in the food processor.
• Add Oil, Salt, Garlic and Jalapenos to the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Prepare the cans.

Canning Process:

To sterilize your clean jars: wash them and let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.

• Transfer your boiling hot adjika to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/4" space.
• Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don't over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.
• Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot with jar lifter and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid - it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate adjika and enjoy within 3 months.

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Signs of Spoiled Canned Food:

With any type of canning, we follow this advice: “When in doubt, throw it out”
Discard and do not eat or taste any canned food if you notice any of the following:

• the jar is leaking, bulging, or swollen
• the jar looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal
• the jar spurts foam or liquid upon opening
• the canned food is discolored, moldy, mushy, slimy, or smells bad