My whole family absolutely loves stuffed peppers, but they're hard to find out of season because they're so expensive, especially in our rural stores. Plus, the peppers we buy are usually Turkish peppers, which probably contain more harmful substances than beneficial ones. That's why I prefer to preserve my own bell peppers for the winter.
Here is my harvest for these purposes:
I tried a million recipes, but settled on the one I'll talk about next. Let me explain why:
- the vegetable retains its shape and does not tear;
- it produces a perfect taste;
- It is stored perfectly even at home (if there is no cellar).
To begin, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the ingredients for one 3-liter jar:
- salt – 2 level tbsp;
- sugar - the same amount;
- citric acid – 1 tsp.
You can substitute vinegar for the lemon juice, but the peppers will be slightly tart, which I personally don't like (even if you use less than the recipe calls for). You'll need 3 tablespoons of vinegar.
Preservation process:
- Wash the pepper thoroughly, then cut out the core using a small and very sharp knife.
- We thoroughly clean out the inside so that no seeds or veins remain.
- Try to cut carefully so that there are no cross-cuts along the top line, otherwise the pepper will fall apart during cooking.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. It's best to use a wide pot—I used an Uzbek kazan. Add the vegetables to the boiling water, but only for blanching. Keep them in the boiling water for no more than 2-3 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large basin or another bowl.
- When the peppers have cooled, place them inside each other to save space in the jar.
- To prevent breakage, select peppers by size. You can lightly press the one you'll be nesting inside another. Don't worry, blanched peppers won't break and will quickly regain their shape in winter after being removed.
- This will fit 2-4 peppers. Carefully place them in the jars, pressing down lightly to fit as many as possible.
- Add the required amount of salt and sugar to the water in which the vegetables were blanched, bring to a boil and pour into the filled jars (sterilized).
- Cover with a lid and leave for 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, we drain the water back into the pan.
- Bring to a boil and pour into the jars again—a couple of times is enough. Before the final pouring, add citric acid directly to the jars. If using vinegar, pour it into the brine and boil for 1-2 minutes.
- We roll it up and turn it over, carefully covering it with an old blanket.
You should definitely try this recipe—it's delicious, and most importantly, even when stuffed with minced meat, the vegetable skins don't tear. Incidentally, you can simmer the dish for as long as you need—the citric acid keeps the skin elastic and intact. I consider this a significant advantage over other recipes that limit cooking time to 10 minutes.
Bon appétit everyone!