Zucchini Spread with Mayonnaise and Tomato Paste (Canned for Winter)

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make zucchini spread with mayonnaise? Start by gathering everything. Use any zucchini you have—any color, shape, or size. Any mayonnaise you trust will work, though homemade is even better, and the same goes for the tomato paste, which you can swap for the same weight of chopped fresh tomatoes.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the zucchini, peel them, and scoop out the seeds from any large ones. Cut the zucchini into roughly medium pieces. Put them in a heavy-bottomed pot—the kind of pot that keeps the spread from scorching as it cooks.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the onion, cut it into cubes, add it to the zucchini, and stir.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add the oil and sauté the zucchini and onion for about 10–15 minutes, until golden. Stir so they don't burn. Use your own stove and pot as a guide—it may take a little more or less time.

5. Step 5:

   

   Purée the sautéed zucchini and onion until smooth. An immersion blender does this best, but you can also run the vegetables through a meat grinder.

6. Step 6:

   

   Return the puréed vegetables to the heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the mayonnaise—in this recipe it gives the finished spread its pleasant, distinctive flavor, and it also helps preserve it.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the tomato paste—store-bought is fine, or you can simply purée fresh tomatoes and use those instead. Cook the spread over low heat for about an hour, stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch. Adjust to how your own stove runs.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add everything that's left: the salt, sugar, vinegar, and—if you like—garlic pressed through a garlic press (use as much as suits your taste, or skip it). Bring it back to a boil and cook over the lowest heat for about 2–3 hours, until the spread is as thick as you want it. Leave the pot uncovered so the liquid can cook off and the spread thickens and darkens.

9. Step 9:

   

   Sterilize the jars however you like. I just put jars with a splash of water in the microwave for 5–7 minutes, but you can also sterilize them in the oven at 212°F (100°C) for about 30 minutes, hold them over steam, or pour boiling water into them. For the lids, a 5–10 minute boil is enough. Pack the spread into the jars and seal tightly. No further sterilizing needed!

10. Step 10:

    

    Enjoy!