I call it Red Pepper Caviar as it is so labour intensive!
Preserving food was originally done because it was not possible to have the precious in-season foods any other way. In later years (when I was a child), it was done for economic reasons. Preserving your own food was much cheaper than purchasing canned produce from the grocery store. Now, it is usually more, or much more costly to preserve one’s own food. We do it to preserve the traditions of our past and, as importantly, to ensure that the food we eat is healthy, preservative, chemical and GMO free.
Look at the glistening spherules of roasted red pepper!
Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.
Please play the music clip (below) to provide the mood for this post. 🙂
I am the wife of a Balkan man. Red peppers are abundant in that area of the world. In our area, we can only buy them at a reasonable price at this time of year. Usually, I only preserve regional, local food. But, I also work to preserve the heritage and traditions of our family, and make food my husband loves and will actually eat.
So, the ajvar marathon begins again this year with three cases of red peppers from the Italian Centre Shop (piled into two boxes) and roasted…
…and roasted…
…and roasted.
Until they look like this. (Roast all sides and the tops and bottoms, as needed, to loosen the skin.)
Below is all of the peppers. Ninety dollars worth. This is a very good price here. In the former Yugoslavia, this amount of peppers would be about thirty dollars. Maybe less.
It look me almost 4 hours to roast them all.
I use a bowl of water to rinse my hand in as I peel the peppers. Never run water over the peppers. Just peel off the skin, rinsing your hand regularly, until all is off each pepper; remembering to take off the stem and remove the seeds.
As I peel, I keep my “pieces of peppers” organized. The lovely fat perfect pieces go into piles to be frozen for roasted red pepper salad. The uneven and ripped pieces are placed in a bowl for the ajvar.
I will add it took me 12 hours to peel these peppers. Don’t do this many. Ever.
The peppers are then put through a meat grinder and ground on “fine”. This year, I actually had the meat grinding attachment for my Kitchenaide that I used. (This is a photo from last year, below.)
It worked out to almost be half ajvar (not made yet, in the bowls, below) and half peeled and roasted red peppers to freeze.
Yes, they do freeze beautifully. If I had them side by side: fresh and frozen, I would challenge you to tell me which was which… after the frozen ones were thawed, of course.
The ground roasted red peppers now need to be cooked and condensed in a similar fashion to tomato paste with that exception: we are not looking for a paste. We are looking for a distillation of the flavour and texture of the roasted pepper. So, into my paella pan they go. In the Easter European country side at harvest time in the later fall, one would see great cast iron pots brimming with ground roasted red peppers hung over fires, smoke billowing, while home owners stir and stir continually until this delicacy is done.
I will use our gas barbecue. It is pretty messy to do in the house as it sputters and splatters.
These peppers were bagged, labelled and frozen flat on cookie sheets.
Some people add a lot of roasted eggplant to this as it saves money and the eggplant takes on the flavour of the pepper. That would be good, too. It doesn’t save money here.
Some people add garlic. I love garlic, so added a considerable amount with 1/2 a cup of lovely olive oil for this entire amount (which was 1/2 teaspoon for every cup of ajvar at the finished stage) to prevent sticking to the pan.
See the liquid below. This needs to be stirred constantly until there is no more liquid at all.
The mixture is done when it parts and does not go back together and when no liquid seeps onto the part.
jars are sterilized and waiting.
Close, but still not done.
Now, it is done. That took about two and a half hours for this amount of ajvar.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.
I canned 14 250ml jars of ajvar and froze 12 bags of the roasted peppers.
It cost a little over a hundred dollars (including the jars and the bags) and took over 20 hours of hard focused work time.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.
Was it worth it? Absolutely…. but, I would never do this many again. I would do half of this amount. That is enough for us. That is a sane amount of time to spend on this project by myself.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.
Ajvar Recipe
Ingredients:
- roasted, peeled red peppers
- olive oil
- vinegar
- salt
- canning jars
Instructions:
- Grind all of the ajvar, removing as much liquid as possible (it is bitter)
- Prepare canner (fill with water, and start to heat water to boiling)
- Cover the bottom of the frying or cooking pan in a thin skiff of olive oil
- Heat the oil; add the ground peppers, and stir constantly over medium to medium high heat
- When all liquid has evaporated and the mixture can be separated with a spoon without any liquid appearing, it is done
- Add vinegar (I added 1/3 cup to the entire batch I made, so about a tablespoon or two for a frying pan full)
- Add salt to taste (I added about 1/4 cup of salt)
- Have canner filled with hot water and boiling, have lid liners boiling
- Fill each sterilized jar with ajvar, leaving 1/4 inch air space on the top; attached lids
- Process at a simmering boil for 10 minutes
- Remove jars, cool and store
Note: If I don’t add garlic when I make it (or if I do) it is delicious to add fresh garlic and a wee bit more salt to this prior to serving
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.
It is time to stand up for healthy GMO free food and preserve the heritage of those that came before. Yes, the times are a-changin’ and we need to change with them.
I was just about to start looking for a recipe like this! It’s perfect, thanks! 🙂
O my goodness Valerie! That much work! I don’t think I would ever attempt something on such a scale.. but I’m utterly impressed with your work and it does look lovely. I think I’m just gonna do a few peppers rather then two boxes!
Hola Valerie, me ha encantado muchÃsimo tu entrada, desde luego que es un tesoro que hay valorar y seguir esta tradición familiar y, no hay mejor forma de hacerlo que homenajeando con esta espectacular entrada. Te pido permiso para copiarte, no creo que estéigual pero lo intentaré.
Besitos, Ãngeles.
Hola, Angeles,
I cannot read your comment but it appears you are teeling me you have a similar tradition to this and I so appreciate your interest. If anyone can translate the Spanish, I would appreciate it.
🙂 Valerie
“Hi Valerie, I loved your entree a lot, of course family tradition is a treasure which must be valued and maintained, and there is no better way to do that than rendering it homage with this spectacular entree. I’m asking for your permission to copy you, I don’t think it will be the same, but I’m going to try! Kisses, Angeles.” More or less.
Wonderful to hear you enjoyed the read, Jonathan!
I look forward to hearing how it goes for you!
Be sure to let me know.
🙂
Valerie
What a stunningly beautiful post! I admire your stick-to-it-iveness…that’s a lot of work but I know the end product is probably as delicious as it is beautiful.
What a labour of love and a great post. I think I’ll stick to the roasting and freezing this year.
Here is the google translate for Angels post.
…….
Hello Valerie, I loved your post very much, certainly is a treasure to assess and follow this family tradition and there is no better way than paying homage to this spectacular entry. I ask permission to copy you, I do not think that is the same but I’ll try.
Best, Angels.
Thank you so much, Janice!
🙂
Valerie
I like preserves because even though we can get things year round, they’re never as good as summer’s bounty!
Good point, Kate,
Sometimes the obvious is too obvious. The taste! Homemade always tastes better.
🙂
Valerie
Lots of work …but definitely worth it.
Hello,
Such a spectacular product that you lovingly made, and likely even more delicious then it looks! I adore roasted peppers, and may try this on a much smaller scale. I can only imagine the beautiful fresh taste that the jarred product does not offer.
Regarding the Spanish comment, I decided to get Google to translate, and this is the lovely sentiment that I received:
“Hello Valerie, I loved your post very much, certainly is a treasure to assess and follow this family tradition and there is no better way than paying homage to this spectacular entrance. I ask permission to copy you, I do not think that is the same but I’ll try.
Besitos, Angels.”
Deni!
Thank you for the translation and your kind words. So, if you want to do this on a much smaller scale – say, the one bowl full at the opening, or even half of that, here is a smaller recipe idea:
12 red peppers roasted, peeled and ground
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt – but start with 1 teaspoon and taste first, add more as needed
1 tablespoon of vinegar – this will be fine and is primarily for storage purposes
Hopefully that helps… I would love to know how you do!
Sincerely,
Valerie
Oh my word, Valerie! I love Ajvar so much, but I’ve only made it in small batches, NEVER on such a grand scale as this!! My goodness! Now you need to sit back with a glass of wine and put those feet of yours up. 🙂
That is so beautiful! It makes all the work totally worth it!
This looks absolutely delicious Valerie! I haven’t tried Ajvar before, but I can think of lots of great uses!
Honestly, Courtenay,
It is so incredibly labour intensive that the only way you would serve it after making it is very, very simply: to let it be the star and speak for itself.
🙂
Valerie
Valerie, you never cease to amaze me. Just look at all those red peppers – $90 worth! Do you ever do things in “normal” sizes? I can’t believe how much time you spent making this. There isn’t without a doubt in my mind that it was well worth it though. Everything I’ve ever tasted from you tastes magnificent, so I know this would also. Keep cooking, keep baking, keep having fun, and keep being yourself.
Btw, I keep trying to catch up with your older posts, but everytime I have time to catch up, I notice that you’ve posted more. Lol. Keep up the great blogging. Hugs hugs hugs!
Oh. My. SO labor intensive! Beautiful peppers but there is no way I would tackle that! Brave lady!
Beautiful and looks so delicious. Great idea to simmer on the bbq and avoid all that mess in the kitchen.
How I wish I was your neighbour so you could bring me over a jar (or 5). You are smart to make so much at once though and get the hard work all out of the way, then all you have to do is simply enjoy it!
*kisses* HH
Wow! I can believe that this took an unimaginable amount of work! But you must feel so proud now! The ajvar looks sensational!
Again you amaze me! What a great amount of work that you do!!! The roasted peppers look amazing. Please send some my way! Are you teaching this year? Send me an update. Best wishes, Wanda The Teacher Cooks
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so committed to preserving the pepper before. Amazing work. Your husband will be very happy come this winter!
This is incredible, Valerie. You never do anything in halves, do you? 😉 I would certainly call this red pepper caviar, considering the time and expense you put into the ajvar! Your husband is a lucky man, both having enjoyed an abundance of red peppers – and having you for a wife! The ajvar looks incredible with its bright red color and all that garlic, yum! You both will have a wonderful supply of color and delicious taste this upcoming winter (and probably beyond!). Great job, Valerie! I’m glad I was able to witness this, especially as you say you won’t make such a large batch again 😉
Oh wow! That is a lot of work but, oh so worth it for the quality, flavor and more importantly to preserve traditions.
Velva
Valerie, do you just water bath can that or use a pressure canner? I wouldn’t have thought that peppers were high enough in acidity to can.
And did I just miss a big pepper sale at the Italian Centre? I don’t go often enough to catch their sales. Poo.
Ahh, you are a good balkan wife 🙂
Oh, you think this is labor intensive? Wait till you learn to make what we call “zacusca” ! 🙂
Everything you did here with the peppers, plus similarly roast eggplants, peel and clean them, plus making a tomato sauce plus cutting a bunch of onions.
The onions go in first in a huge pot with a nice vegetable oil (sunflower is good, olive oil is very nice!) sweat them a bit, add the tomato sauce, leave them on medium until they get nicely mixed, then add the peppers and eggplant, salt and pepper. Cook on medium stirring from time to time, making sure it’s not sticking to the bottom. It’s ready when changes a bit the color and the oil starts to come at the top. Can be canned for winter time.
It’s divine on fresh bread as breakfast, lunch, dinner or appetizer ;^)
Nina!
I love learning new things! I have never heard of this, but it DOES sound absolutely divine! What ethnicity does it originate from – Italian? Will you share your recipe for amounts or ratios – onions to sauce to peppers to eggplant – and how much oil do you start with for it to rise to the top? Sounds like heaven to me!
🙂
Valerie
Dear Valerie
Of course I’ll be sending you the proper recipe – someone with your dedication for great food must have this one too!
I’ll translate it and email it to you in a day or so. I’ll also be sending some surprise recipes, also belonging to the Balkans, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them too.
The recipe is Romanian or maybe I should say Balkan because Bulgarians, Serbs, etc, they all have one or other version of it. There are variations with either carrots or mushrooms, but all of them are basically different types of ajvar…depending on the region and it’s veggie bounty, people created these variations. In Russian, zakuska means appetizer.
Nina
Nina!
Thank you so very much! I look forward to it – and the others. As a teacher, I used to tell my students, “no presents” as the little ones were always bringing something at Christmas, etc. – and there were always others who felt so badly no having a “gift for the teacher.” So, we had a “No gift policy” – but I would ask each of them to bring me their favourite family recipe. The one everyone would ask for that the family was “known” for. I have lots of lovely reminders of my students over the years in my recipe box! Sharing tried and true beloved recipes is such a wonderful way to connect to others. Thank you!
🙂
Valerie
Depending on where you live and what you have available, sometimes canning is much cheaper than buying things in the store. I live on an 80 acre farm and our family has been canning for at least 3 generations. We still have the cans from the previous generations and will buy some now and then. We have hundreds of cans. The only thing we really need to buy is the lids.
The cost of seeds and plants plus lids is still cheaper than if we kept going to the grocery stores to buy the things we can. We also share with our neighbors so we can have all our ingredients.
This ajvar recipe looks very yummy!
Nena,
Brilliant! I am learning that it is not so easy to preserve things my husband will EAT!
🙂
V
Well-done, but what a loud whining! I do about 30 days worth of canning every year, with little help and no whining at all. You can observe Balkans all you want, but you cannot adopt easily the amount of perseverance and hard work that we do on daily basis. Don’t ever live there (or anywhere out of this pampered country) as you would whine every minute of every day. Jeez willikers!!
Interesting perspective, Alisa. I am married to a Balkan man and have been there many, times. I am so darned proud of myself when I make ajvar as it is labour intensive. Every person I know that has ever made it will attest to that – and every one of them will never stop making it, either, as it is just that good. Including me.
🙂
Valerie
Hi Valerie, when you eat the ajvar right after making (and cooling) it, is it really necessary to cook it for such a long time after skinning and processing the bell peppers? Can’t you just drain the excess water, cool it and serve it? I imagine that evaporating most of the water has a certain effect on the taste.
HI, Paul,
The cooking time results in an intensity of flavour. The less you start with, the less time to cook down to that consistency. But, the cooking time is like oven roasting tomatoes. The lower and slower they cook, the more intense the flavour. Hope that makes sense.
🙂
Valerie
Is there an ‘use by date’ for canned Ajvar?
Homemade? No need… it doesn’t last 6 months!
But, I suppose a year…
🙂
I know for sure it lasts that long as one disappeared in my cupboard and was still great when we gobbled it up!
🙂
V
Valerie, this is lovely. Just the right recipe and made with so much love and attention. I am from Macedonia and I live in Barcelona, where I also imropvise to maintain this important tradition and make this unique comfort food. I am in Macedonia this year for the making ajvar season, so I am going to enjoy each minute 🙂
Lucky, Lucky you, Violeta!! Both Vanja’s parents have passed now – his dad last summer and his mom 2 years prior, so we are now on our own with making the ajvar. We dipped into their last jar in July. No one can make it better!
Hugs,
Valerie
I’ve heard that it’s not safe to have oil in recipes for water bath canning, heard that from Bernardin and from America’s Test Kitchen. You’ve never had problems with botulism? What’s the maximum time that your canned ajvar has not been opened, and then opened and eaten?
Hi David,
I don’t can it in a water bath. I keep it preserved in the fridge, with the seal, Usually nothing left after three months. My Italian friends have been preserving in oil for years without issue…. but I know you must be very careful about the process and the time of use.
I keep my yogurt balls preserved under oil for months, safely. But non of these preserved items are canned in a water bath.
🙂
Valerie