Eggplant, Bean, Pepper, and Tomato Relish for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all the ingredients from the list. You can use any beans you like for a relish like this — green (snap) beans or shelling beans. Shelling beans are the more popular choice, but they take longer to cook.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the beans and soak them in cold water until they plump up — overnight is best.

3. Step 3:

   

   In the morning, rinse the beans again and transfer them to a pot. To speed things up, cover them with hot water and cook until tender — but don't overcook, or the beans will fall apart. Add salt only at the very end, once the beans are already soft. Drain the beans in a colander and let all the water run off.

4. Step 4:

   

   For canning, it's best to use young eggplant without well-developed seeds. Wash the eggplant, cut it into rounds, then cut the rounds into sticks or cubes. Put them in a bowl, salt them, and scrunch them lightly with your hands, then let sit for 20 minutes. Afterward, gently squeeze out the liquid with your hands.

5. Step 5:

   

   Try not to use tomatoes that are too large or overripe. Wash the tomatoes, cut out the stem end, and cut the flesh into a few pieces. Purée the tomatoes in a blender and pour into a pot. Peel the garlic, press a few cloves through a garlic press, and add them to the tomato purée.

6. Step 6:

   

   Set the tomato-garlic mixture over the heat and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pot.

7. Step 7:

   

   Wash the bell pepper, cut out the stem and seed core, and slice the flesh into strips. Wash and peel the carrots and grate them or slice them thin. Peel the onion and cut it into cubes.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and eggplant to the pot with the tomato mixture.

9. Step 9:

   

   Simmer the vegetables over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring now and then.

10. Step 10:

    

    Now add the cooked beans to the pot along with the sugar, salt, vegetable oil, bay leaf, and peppercorns. For extra heat, you can add a pinch of red pepper. Stir and simmer another 10 minutes or so. Pour in the vinegar, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil. Turn off the heat and fish out the bay leaf.

11. Step 11:

    

    Spoon the hot relish into jars you've sterilized ahead of time. Seal the jars right away with their lids — there's no need to process the relish any further. Turn the jars upside down, wrap them in a warm blanket, and leave them at room temperature until fully cooled. Store the jars in a cool place. Enjoy!