How to prepare pickled tsitsak peppers for the winter: simple recipes and recommendations for preparations and their storage

“Tsitsak” translated from Georgian means “pepper”. Outwardly, it is very similar to the famous chili, but the taste is milder and sweeter. Its sharpness ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 thousand on the Scoville scale. Tsitsak is most widespread in Georgia and Armenia, where it is grown in open ground and then fermented or salted.

In our article you will find simple and tasty recipes for pickling peppers.

Features of preparing tsitsak pepper

For canning, choose fresh fruits with a bitter taste.. There should be no damage to them. You can use both green and red peppers. And their combination will look especially interesting in a jar.

For marinating as a whole, small peppers up to 5-8 cm long are used.. If the fruits are large, they are cut into rings.

Reference. Even if the appearance of the snack is not important to you, it is better to leave fruits with damaged parts cut off for frying. Pathogenic particles invisible to the eye may remain on the peppercorns.

Before cooking, tsitsak is washed and placed in an open sunny place for 1-2 days.to dry. To ensure that the marinade saturates all the flesh, make a small cut at the tip of each pepper.

Advice. If the pepper is very hot, you should soak it overnight in cold water or scald it with boiling water.

The most delicious and simple recipes for pickled tsitsak peppers for the winter

There are many recipes for savory snacks in Armenian and Georgian cuisines. Including with tsitsak pepper. It is the national recipes that most accurately reveal the richness of the taste of this plant.

Tsitsak pepper, marinated for the winter: a simple recipe

This recipe has a few ingredients. Designed for a 100 ml jar. This volume is ideal for one dinner with the family.

Ingredients:

• 100 g pods;
• 3 peas of allspice;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 50 ml vinegar.

Preparation:

1. Place the pods tightly in a clean jar. Pour boiling water over and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the water into a saucepan.
3. Add salt, sugar and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add vinegar before removing from heat.
4. Pour the hot marinade over the peppers.
5. Roll up the jar.

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Bitter pickled tsitsak

Connoisseurs of spicy Caucasian cuisine will like it. This appetizer goes great with meat.. From the specified amount of ingredients, about 2.5 liters of the finished product is obtained.

Ingredients:

• 3.5 kg pepper;
• 1 chili pod;
• 15-20 cloves of garlic;
• 0.5 liters of vegetable oil;
• 0.5 l of water;
• 100 ml vinegar;
• 100 g sugar;
• 4 tbsp. l. salt.

Preparation:

1. Cut off the tails of the pods.
2. Boil the peppers for 5 minutes over high heat.
3. Cool and remove the skin.
4. Cut the fruit into 2 lengthwise parts and remove the remaining seeds.
5. Mix water, sugar, salt, vinegar and oil in a saucepan. Boil.
6. Add chili pepper and tsitsak. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the fruits with a slotted spoon.
7. Place chopped garlic into prepared jars.
8. Place peppers on top and pour marinade over them.
9. Place the jars in a large pan of boiling water and sterilize for 40 minutes.
10. After sterilization, roll up.

Preparation in Armenian

The recipe is easy to prepare. You will need 5-6 liter jars and fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• 6 kg pepper;
• 2 bunches of fresh dill;
• 10 liters of water;
• 2 tbsp. coarse rock salt.

Preparation:

1. Place the peppers and chopped herbs in a large saucepan.
2. To make the brine, dissolve the salt in cold water and pour the liquid over the vegetables.
3. Cover with an inverted dish of suitable diameter. Place a slight pressure on top.
4. Leave at room temperature for 3-7 days. The number of days depends on the room temperature. The indicator of readiness is yellowing of the fruit.
5. Now the tsitsak needs to be squeezed out of the brine and placed in jars.
6. Sterilize jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
7. Roll up.

Tsitsak marinated with Georgian herbs

Spicy original snack. This pepper is used as an independent dish, served with meat or added to soups..

Ingredients:

• 2.5 kg pepper;
• 5 pieces. bay leaf;
• 160 g garlic;
• 250 ml vegetable oil;
• 500 ml table vinegar;
• 2 bunches of parsley and celery;
• 3.5 tbsp. l. salt;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 2 tsp. mixtures of Georgian spices (khmeli-suneli or Svan salt are suitable).

Preparation:

1. Boil water with sugar, salt and vegetable oil in a saucepan.
2. Add bay leaf and vinegar. Boil.
3. Place the tsitsak pods into the boiling solution. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Place the peppers in a sieve to drain the liquid.
5. Bring the brine to a boil again and add herbs, spices and garlic.
6. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. At this time, transfer the peppers to a container for storage under pressure. Pour in the marinade and place a weight on top.
8. Leave in the refrigerator for a day.
9. Place the pods in jars along with the brine.

Special Armenian recipe with garlic

Ingredients:

• 2 kg pepper;
• 10 cloves of garlic;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 20 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds;
• 5 liters of water;
• 2 black currant leaves.

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a saucepan. Pour all the spices, herbs and pepper into it. Mix everything, put it under pressure and let it brew for 3 days.
2. After this time, transfer the peppercorns into clean jars.
3. Bring the brine to a boil and pour it over the vegetables.
4. Roll up the cans.

It can be useful:

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Marinating fried tsitsak peppers for the winter

The light tanginess of the fruit harmonizes perfectly with the sweet and sour marinade. You can warm up the appetizer before serving.

Ingredients:

• 15 pods;
• 80 ml table vinegar;
• 15 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2-3 tbsp. l. sugar or honey;
• a little vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation:

1. Fry the pepper in a frying pan in a small amount of oil until a crust forms. If you have a grill, it is better to do this with it.
2. Transfer the fruits to a bowl or pan. Add garlic, salt, sugar or honey, vinegar to the frying oil. Mix everything thoroughly and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the marinade over the peppers. If there is not enough to cover the fruits completely, dilute the marinade with boiling water.
4. Leave for a day.
5. Place the peppers in jars and roll up.

Recipe with honey

It is believed that This product can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time even without seaming. You will need enough pods to fit into a 500-750 ml jar.

Ingredients:

• Tsitsak pepper;
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar;
• 1 tbsp. l. rock salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. honey

Preparation:

1. Place the pods tightly in a jar.
2. In a separate saucepan, combine all other ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Pour marinade over peppers.
4. The jars can be sterilized and rolled up - then the blanks will last longer. But this amount of vinegar in itself becomes an excellent preservative.

Recipe in oil

Before serving, you can drain the peppers in a sieve.to allow excess oil to drain off.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg pepper;
• 250 ml wine vinegar;
• 300 ml vegetable oil;
• 200 g garlic;
• 2 bunches of cilantro and celery;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt.

Preparation:

1. Soak the peppers in cold water for two days. Change the water 2-4 times a day.
2. Place the fruit in a colander to drain the liquid.
3. Mix oil, vinegar and salt in a saucepan. Boil.
4. Add the tsitsak to the mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Place vegetables in a bowl.
6. Add finely chopped herbs to the pan and boil for 5 minutes.
7. Add herbs and chopped garlic to the peppers. Mix.
8. Place the peppers in jars and pour in the cooking liquid.
9. Sterilize for 15 minutes in boiling water.
10. Roll up.

Terms and conditions of storage

Storage conditions for Georgian pepper no different from other pickled vegetables.

Important Rules:

1. Do not keep near heating devices or in places with temperature changes. The kitchen, for example, is completely unsuitable for this.
2. It is advisable to store jars in the refrigerator. Especially if they are not rolled up.
3. Do not place the seams on the balcony at sub-zero temperatures. This will cause them to leak.
4. Periodically check the jars for cloudiness of the brine or the appearance of spots on the fruit. Such preparations cannot be eaten.

Shelf life varies depending on cooking method. One way or another, all the preparations given in the article will definitely remain fresh until winter.The shelf life increases when adding a large amount of salt, vinegar or after sterilizing already filled jars.

Also It is important to boil the jars and lids before starting cooking..

Tips and tricks

Some useful tips that will make the cooking process easier and help make the dish more delicious:

1. If fresh fruits are not available for pickling, it is permissible to use dried ones.
2. Honey should be chosen natural. Otherwise, it may “boil” and ruin the entire dish.
3. The seeds make the brine more pungent and bitter. If you want to reduce this effect, remove the seeds immediately after washing the peppers.
4. In traditional Caucasian cuisine, peppers are usually dried in the sun for 2-3 days before pickling.
5. If you work with large quantities of pepper, protect your hands and nasopharyngeal mucosa. Regular silicone gloves and a respirator will do.

Conclusion

It’s easy to marinate tsitsak peppers. The main thing is to find high-quality, unaffected fruits and strictly follow the instructions. The safety of snacks depends on the amount of salt, vinegar and sugar. If you follow all the cooking rules, in winter you can open a spicy preparation at any time and treat your loved ones with healthy and tasty pepper.