Green tomato lecho for the winter - delicious, mouth-watering, and incomparable
Vegetable lecho is basically a salad, only with a generous helping of delicious, aromatic sauce. It's a very popular winter preparation, in part because there are so many variations. You can make lecho from almost any vegetables: cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, beans.
At the end of autumn, the most popular recipe for winter green tomato lecho is a delicious and easy-to-make recipe, made without sterilization or lengthy preparation. If you're out of red tomatoes by then, you can substitute them with tomato paste or tomato sauce. The rest of the vegetables are readily available—besides green tomatoes, you'll only need onions and bell peppers.
For a spicy kick, add a little ground black pepper, and for flavor, add a few allspice berries and a bay leaf. Vinegar is optional, but for added safety and a more contrasting flavor, a teaspoon of 9% table vinegar is a good idea.
Ingredients:
- green and brown tomatoes – 500 g;
- sweet pepper of any color – 300 g;
- onion – 200 g;
- red tomatoes – 300 g (or 0.5 cups of tomato sauce + a glass of water);
- vegetable oil – 3 tbsp;
- sugar – 2 tbsp;
- salt – 0.5 tbsp for tomatoes and 1/3 tbsp for lecho;
- allspice – 5-6 peas;
- bay leaf – 1-2 leaves;
- vinegar 9% - 1 tbsp.
How to prepare green tomato lecho for the winter
It's best to use both green and brown tomatoes—the lecho will be tastier and juicier. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, sprinkle with salt, and stir. Let them sit for one to two hours to allow the bitterness to dissipate along with the juice.
Drain the juice. Transfer the tomatoes to a saucepan or cauldron. Quarter the red tomatoes and puree them in a blender. Pour into the saucepan with the green tomatoes. If using ready-made tomato sauce, dilute it with water before adding it to the tomatoes.
Place the pan over low heat. Once boiling, simmer for ten minutes, covered.
Cut the onion into half rings and slice the bell pepper into strips or wide sticks. Add the onion and bell pepper to the tomatoes.
Bring to a boil. At this point, add salt, sugar, vegetable oil, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
Gently stir the vegetables and simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. They should be tender but not overcooked.
Shortly before the lecho is ready, pour a tablespoon of 9% vinegar into the lecho. Those who are against vinegar can omit it, but in this case, it is recommended to additionally sterilize the jars for 10-15 minutes.
Place the green tomato lecho into small steamed jars and immediately seal tightly with hot lids or use a sealing machine. Cover and let sit for 24 hours until completely cool. Then store the lecho in the pantry or in a cool basement. Happy canning!
