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Zucchini lecho for winter

Zucchini Lecho for the Winter

Bright, delicious, and wonderfully fragrant — a canned relish to enjoy all winter long! This zucchini lecho makes a great side for meat and potatoes or chicken and rice, and it's just as good on its own with a slice of crusty bread. Give it a try!

Pirko Rita

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Zucchini

500

Tomatoes

500

Bell pepper

500

Carrots

250

Onion

100

Garlic

Vegetable oil

Vinegar

Salt

Sugar

0.5

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 9 % 1 g

Fats 36 % 4 g

Carbohydrates 55 % 6 g

61 kcal

GI: 83 / 0 / 17

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make zucchini lecho for winter? Start by prepping the vegetables: carrots, zucchini, and bell pepper. Wash them well, then peel the carrots and cut them into thin matchsticks with a knife or a julienne peeler. Cut the zucchini into sticks or rounds. Peel the onion and slice it into half-moons. Cut the bell pepper into strips like the carrots, but a bit chunkier.
Step 2:

Now move on to the tomatoes. Score a shallow cross in the bottom of each one with a sharp knife and place them in a deep bowl. Bring a kettle of water to a boil, pour the boiling water over the tomatoes, and let them sit for a minute. Drain, let the tomatoes cool slightly, and slip off the skins. Cut the peeled tomatoes into medium chunks and run them through a food mill, meat grinder, or blender.
Step 3:

Take a large, heavy-bottomed pot and pour in about a fifth of the vegetable oil (roughly 1 tablespoon). Set it over the heat. Once the oil is hot, add the carrots and onion and sauté lightly.
Step 4:

Once the onion and carrots have softened, add the zucchini and bell pepper along with a little more oil. Season with salt and simmer everything together for 5 minutes. Keep the lecho over medium heat, adding more vegetable oil as needed.
Step 5:

Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, and the garlic pressed through a garlic press. Simmer the lecho another 15–20 minutes over low heat. Five minutes before it's done, pour in the vinegar and stir everything together.
Step 6:

Before you start any canning project, it's best to have your jars ready ahead of time so you can pack the hot relish right away. Spoon the finished zucchini lecho into sterilized jars and seal. Turn the jars upside down and wrap them in a blanket until they've cooled completely.

Home canners often make lecho. The classic version stars bell peppers and tomatoes — a truly delicious dish — but there's also a zucchini version, and that's the one I'm sharing today. It's a wonderful relish you can serve as a side to meat and potatoes or on its own with a slice of bread.
I ended up with a little more lecho than you see in the photo (only a small amount was left in the pot). The final yield depends on a lot of things, so it's hard to say exactly how much you'll get — it comes down to the vegetables and how long and how hard you simmer. It's smart to have extra jars on hand so you don't have to scramble. Use jars up to 2 quarts (2 liters). You can get a sense of my yield from step 6 (the pot holds 5 quarts and is far from full).
Remember that salt, sugar, and vinegar in canning recipes aren't just there for flavor — they're preservatives first and foremost. Never cut back on the salt and sugar or swap in a weaker vinegar than the recipe calls for; otherwise they won't do their preserving job and the batch will spoil.
Follow the basic rules of canning so your batch keeps well and trouble-free: wash the vegetables thoroughly even if you peel them; remove any debris, dirt, or grit from produce and herbs; discard anything that has started to rot; don't cut back on preservatives, and follow the recipe's guidance; sterilize your empty jars (10 minutes for pints/0.5 liter; 15 minutes for quarts/1 liter; 20 minutes for 2 liters; 25 minutes for 3 liters) and boil the lids for 10 minutes; when sealing, make sure the lids seat tightly; and turn the jars upside down afterward to check the seal.
If you're new to canning and don't have much experience, play it safe and process the filled jars even if the recipe says otherwise. That way the jars won't swell in storage if something went slightly wrong. Keep in mind that jars usually swell for one reason: a buildup of excess gas, which is produced by microorganisms that got into the batch. Either way, swollen jars have nothing to do with the quality of a recipe that has worked before.
For how to estimate the number of jars you'll need, why jars burst and how to prevent it, plus tips and tricks, see the article on canning for winter.