Vinegar-Free Pepper Lecho for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients. Wash and dry the vegetables thoroughly. You can use bell peppers of different colors to make the relish bright and pretty. Cut out the stem and seed core from the peppers, then slice the flesh into thin, fairly short strips.

2. Step 2:

   

   For this relish you can use large, meaty tomatoes — the kind that aren't suited to canning whole.

3. Step 3:

   

   Cut the tomatoes into slices or smallish pieces about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) thick, cutting out the stem ends.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel the onion and cut it into wedges or dice, whichever you prefer. Sauté the onion in vegetable oil for 5 minutes, until softened.

5. Step 5:

   

   Put the prepared vegetables in an enameled pot. Add the salt and the peppercorns, pour in 2-3 tablespoons of water, stir, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes from the moment it comes to a boil.

6. Step 6:

   

   The bell peppers should still taste crisp at this point — they'll finish cooking to just the right texture during the canning step. Wash the jars with a baking-soda solution and sterilize them however you like: in a water bath, the microwave, or the oven. Wash, boil, and dry the lids. Fill the prepared jars with the boiling vegetable mixture up to the shoulder, then top them off with the vegetable juice from the pot so there are no air pockets.

7. Step 7:

   

   Set the jars of vegetables in a pot filled with water. Lay a cloth on the bottom of the pot under the jars so the glass doesn't crack as it heats. Process 1-liter (1-quart) jars of the relish for about 40 minutes. When the time is up, seal the jars with their lids. Let them cool upside down under a blanket, then store them in a cool place. Even without vinegar, lecho keeps well for a long time, and the relish tastes mellow, with no sour edge. Enjoy!