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Tomato soup for winter

Homemade "Uncle Ben's" Tomato Relish for Winter

A tasty, tangy tomato relish to put up for winter! This vegetable snack — chopped vegetables simmered in tomato sauce — first showed up under the well-known "Uncle Ben's" label and caught on back in the perestroika years, when imported goods started appearing on store shelves. Home cooks took a liking to it and began making their own versions, going by the taste and ingredients of the store-bought snack plus a little of their own ingenuity. That's how this homemade "Uncle Ben's" relish came about and grew popular. There are plenty of recipes under the name, though — some start with tomatoes, others with zucchini or other vegetables.

Snezhana

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Tomatoes

Carrots

0.7

Onion

0.5

Bell pepper

0.7

Garlic

Sugar

120

Salt

1.5

Table vinegar (9%)

Hot chili pepper

Vegetable oil

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 8 % 1 g

Fats 31 % 4 g

Carbohydrates 62 % 8 g

72 kcal

GI: 63 / 0 / 38

Cooking method

Cooking time: 50 min

Step 1:

Gather the ingredients for this classic tomato "Uncle Ben's" relish. Start by prepping the vegetables. Use ripe, red tomatoes with no bad spots. Wash them thoroughly under running water.
Step 2:

If the tomato skins are tough, remove them by pouring boiling water over each one. Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size and put them in a deep bowl.
Step 3:

Using a blender or meat grinder, grind the tomatoes to a pulp. If they're nice and ripe, you can just mash them into a purée by hand.
Step 4:

Transfer the tomato purée to a pot (use a non-reactive pan) and set it over the heat. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer the tomato mixture for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then with a spoon so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Step 5:

Wash and peel the carrots. If they're young, the skin is very tender — no need for a knife; just scrub them with a stiff brush and rinse under running water. Grate the carrots on a medium grater or shred them in a food processor with the grating attachment.
Step 6:

Wash the bell peppers and cut out the stem and seed core. Dice the peppers or cut them into thin strips.
Step 7:

Peel the garlic cloves and finely chop them.
Step 8:

Peel the onion and dice it.
Step 9:

Add the carrots and onion to the pot with the tomato purée. Stir and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 10:

Add the bell peppers and simmer for another 15 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic, sugar, and salt, and pour in the vegetable oil. If you like it spicier, add a little minced hot chili pepper. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, stir, and leave the mixture over the heat for 5 more minutes. Then take the pot off the heat.
Step 11:

Prepare the jars ahead of time: wash them with baking soda and sterilize them in a water bath, in the oven, or in the microwave. Wash the lids and boil them.
Step 12:

Ladle the relish into the jars, seal them right away, and leave them upside down at room temperature under a warm blanket until completely cooled.
Step 13:

Your "Uncle Ben's" tomato relish for winter is ready. Enjoy!