How to deliciously prepare Tsitsak pepper for the winter: the best recipes and recommendations of experienced housewives

Any hostess can surprise family and guests with unusual and spicy pickles. For example, you can make a delicious salting of hot tsitsak pepper, which is very popular in Georgia and Armenia.

Among the standard pickles and sauerkraut pickled tsitsak will definitely attract the attention of guests. Such a spicy and tasty appetizer is good both in itself and as a spicy addition to main dishes, especially in the winter season.

What is this vegetable

Tsitsak - a popular selection of bitter peppers, has a bright color (usually red, green or yellow-green) and a medium-pungent taste with light notes of sweetness... Its fruits are used to make hot spices, but this type of pepper is also good for preservation.

Like most spices, Tsitsak promotes digestion and increases appetite.... Moreover, these properties, along with bitterness and "average" pungency, are inherent not only in fresh vegetables, but are also preserved when it is preserved.

Tsitsak - a source of vitamin C, A and group B, contains fatty acids, oils, saccharides.

Bitter vegetable is popular in Armenian and Georgian cuisine, where it is mainly fermented or salted, and tsitsak got its name from the national Armenian dish of sauerkraut hot pepper.

The plant came to Russia from southern latitudes, so to grow it requires warmth and sunlight in mid-latitudes. Despite the resistance of the sprout to small and short-term frosts, it is recommended to grow it under a film or in greenhouses.

How to salt tsitsak properly at home

For salting, it is recommended to choose yellow-green thin fruitssmooth and intact, without spoilage and pests.

Selected the pods are "dry" cleaned of dirt (do not wash!) and left in a warm place for 2-3 days, so that the vegetable withers a little and wrinkles.

Then the pepper is thoroughly washed in running water, lightly dried with a towel and make several punctures with a fork or knife so that the vegetable is better saturated with brine and does not swell when fermented.

Reference. To preserve tsitsak pepper, you do not need to peel it of seeds or remove the stalks: the whole vegetable is fermented and salted.

In the classic version, salting is used the following ratio of ingredients:

• tsitsak pepper - 1 kg;

Brine (brine) - done three times (after a few days):

• water - 1 liter each;
• salt - 4 tbsp. l.

The washed and chopped pepper is placed in a saucepan and poured with the first hot brinefor which the salt is simply dissolved in boiling water.

Put a lid or saucer on top, put a loadso that the pods are completely in the brine, and leave in a warm place - in the sun or near a battery - for three days.

After the time has elapsed, the brine is drained, replace with fresh (second brine) and leave to salt for another 5 days.

Then pepper is laid out in jars, poured with new brine (third pickle) and roll up. Store in a cool place: in the basement or in the refrigerator.

Pickled hot peppers for the winter: my favorite recipes

In addition to the classic recipe for salted tsitsak, there are other ways of pickling and pickling it. Let's consider the most popular recipes.

Tsitsak in oil

A traditional appetizer prepared by almost every housewife in Armenia. It has a pronounced pungent taste and pleasant oiliness. It goes well with rice and cereal dishes, and also good as a stand-alone snack.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak pepper - 3 kg;
• parsley - 1 large bunch (or 2 medium-sized);
• garlic - 5-6 heads;
• salt - 100 g;
• sunflower oil - 350 g;
• apple cider vinegar - 50 ml.

The procedure for cooking "fried" pepper:

1. The pepper is sorted out, laid out for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed thoroughly, punctured with a fork or knife.
2. Parsley is washed, dried and chopped finely. The garlic is peeled and finely chopped or passed through a press.
3. Chopped garlic and parsley mix well with salt.
4. The peppers are thoroughly rolled in a mixture of garlic, parsley and salt, placed in a saucepan, covered with a lid and left for a day. No need to add water or put under pressure.
5. Sunflower oil is mixed with vinegar in a separate container and about half of the mixture is poured into a preheated frying pan.
6. In a frying pan with oil and vinegar, the peppers are fried, stirring often. When frying each new portion, shake the container with vinegar and oil and gradually add it to the pan, updating the mixture.
7. The fried pods are packed tightly into the jars.
8. The filled jars are placed in a saucepan with slightly boiling water (about 85 ° C), a lid is loosely placed on the neck, sterilized for 20 minutes and closed.

The procedure for preparing "boiled" pepper:

1. Pepper is sorted out, spread for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed thoroughly, punctured with a fork or knife.
2. Parsley is washed, dried and finely chopped. The garlic is peeled and finely chopped or passed through a press.
3. Sunflower oil is mixed with vinegar and salt in an enamel saucepan and brought to a boil.
4. Prepared vegetables are placed in boiling oil, boiled for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the pods (the main thing is not to digest!) And taken out with a slotted spoon.
5. The greens are boiled in the same oil for 5 minutes and taken out with a slotted spoon.
6. Peppers and herbs are tightly laid out in jars, rolled up and placed in the refrigerator.

How to salt tsitsak with corn leaves

Celery leaves, as well as corn silk and leaves, which also have medicinal properties, will add an unusual, slightly milder taste to the snack. Therefore, such tsitsak will not only be tasty, but also extremely useful for health.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak - 1 kg;
• corn silk and leaves - optional;
• dill - 3-5 umbrellas;
• bay leaf - 3-5 pcs.;
• garlic - 5-6 cloves;
• celery leaves - optional.

Brine:

• cold water - 1 liter;
• table salt - 70 g.

Cooking procedure:

1. Pepper is sorted out, laid out for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed thoroughly, punctured with a fork or knife.
2. The rest of the ingredients are washed, if necessary, chopped (garlic, celery).
3. Place the ingredients in a large enamel pot in the following order: half of the greens (dill, corn leaves and stigmas) on the bottom, pepper, celery leaves, garlic, bay leaf mixed to the top, then the remaining greens.
4. Dissolve the salt in cold water and pour the water into a saucepan. Close with a plate or lid of a smaller diameter, on which oppression is placed so that all the pods are in the brine and do not deteriorate. Place the pot in a warm place for 7 days to ferment.
5. After a week, the brine will become transparent and the tsitsak can be removed from the pan and put in jars.
6. The present brine is boiled, poured into jars of pepper and covered with plastic lids or rolled up.

Take a note:

Cold pickled hot peppers in vinegar

How to salt tarkin pepper with cabbage quickly and tasty

How to dry hot peppers: harvesting methods and storage tips

Pickled bitter tsitsak pepper in Georgian

Easy to prepare, spicy salting, which always turns out to be tasty and is great as an addition to the main course or as an independent snack in winter.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak (or other hot red pepper) - 1 kg;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• sunflower oil - 1 tbsp.;
• water - 1 tbsp.;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 50 g;
• vinegar 9% - 50 ml.

Cooking procedure:

1. Pepper is washed and peeled in one of the following ways: either fry in oil so that the skin peels off easily, or blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and remove the skin, or place it in a preheated oven for 4-5 minutes to soften the skin.
2. Prepare the marinade: put water and oil on medium heat, add sugar and vinegar, bring to a boil.

2. Garlic is peeled and chopped or passed through a press.
3. Peppers are dipped in a boiling marinade for 2-3 minutes, taken out and placed in jars, sprinkling each layer with garlic.
4. Pour the jars with hot marinade and put them in a saucepan with slightly boiling water (about 85 ° C), put a lid on the neck loosely, sterilize for 15-25 minutes, close and wrap something warm.

Spicy pickled tsitsak pepper with honey for the winter

The honey added during canning slightly reduces the pungency of the snack, but nevertheless, its taste remains quite bright and the dish is in great demand on the winter table.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak pepper - 1 kg;
• liquid honey - 4 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tbsp.;
• vinegar 9% - 500 ml.

Cooking procedure:

1. Pepper is sorted out, laid out for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed thoroughly, punctured with a fork or knife.
2. Banks are pre-sterilized in a convenient way (in a microwave, in an oven, in a double boiler, in a dishwasher, etc.).
3. Sterilized jars are filled in the following order: on the bottom - liquid honey (it is also possible to pour honey on top), followed by tightly tamped pods of tsitsak pepper, while each layer is sprinkled with sugar.
4. Vinegar is poured into the jars from above.
5. The cans are tightly closed and turned upside down for 30 minutes, after which they are checked for leaks. In their absence, they are removed to a cool place for 2-3 months.

Thanks to the combination of honey and vinegar, there is no need to sterilize the salting.

How to salt hot tsitsak pepper for the winter in a cold way

In a cold way, you can pickle not only hot, but also sweet peppers. The method does not require sterilization, and the finished product is stored under a press in a cold place. It turns out a tasty and healthy product.

Ingredients:

• pepper - 5 kg;
• bay leaf - 7-10 pcs.;
• greens (dill, parsley, celery) - to taste;
• salt - 400 g;
• drinking water - 5 liters.

Cooking procedure:

1. Greens are washed, peeled, cut.
2. Prepared and cut peppers are laid out in a large container (barrel, saucepan, etc.) and sprinkled with chopped herbs.
3. Water is boiled together with salt, if necessary, filtered through cheesecloth and cooled.
4. A container with pepper is poured with cold brine, covered with a plate or lid and oppression is put.
5. Leave the container at room temperature for 12 days, after which the pepper and herbs are laid out in the jars, filled with brine, closed with a nylon lid and placed in the refrigerator.

Spicy appetizer for the winter from tsitsak pepper with herbs

A spicy appetizer of pepper, generously sprinkled with pickled herbs, will not leave indifferent fans of "spicy". It is good both as an independent snack and as a side dish for vegetable and meat dishes.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak - 6 kg;
• vegetable oil - 1 l;
• vinegar 9% - 750 ml;
• salt - 0.75 tbsp.;
• sugar - 1 tbsp.;
• garlic - 300 g;
• parsley - 2 large bunches;
• dill - 2 large bunches.

Cooking procedure:

1. Pepper is sorted out, spread for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed, punctured with a fork or knife.
2. Greens are washed, peeled, chopped. The garlic is peeled and passed through a press.
3. The vinegar is mixed with oil in a large saucepan and brought to a boil.
4. Put garlic and herbs in a boiling solution, boil for 2-4 minutes.
5. Then the tsitsak is spread into the solution, mixed well (better by shaking) and boiled for 5-8 minutes.
6. Pepper and greens are laid out in jars, poured with brine and placed in a saucepan with weakly boiling water (about 85 ° C), a lid is loosely placed on the neck, sterilized for 10-15 minutes, closed and placed in a cold place.

Salted tsitsak with Georgian herbs

One of the main dishes of Georgian cuisine. The salting is aromatic and spicy. Good as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak - 3 kg;
• garlic - 6 heads;
• dill and parsley - 1 bunch each;
• cold water - 5 liters;
• a mixture of spices of Georgian cuisine - to taste;
• salt - 200 gr.

Cooking procedure:

1. Pepper is sorted out, laid out for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed thoroughly, punctured with a fork or knife.
2. Greens are washed, peeled, chopped. The garlic is peeled and passed through a press.
3. The salt is dissolved in cold water.
4. Put herbs, garlic and pepper in a large saucepan, pour cold brine, put oppression on top and leave for 3-5 days.
5. Banks are pre-sterilized in a convenient way (in a microwave, in an oven, in a double boiler, in a dishwasher, etc.).
6. Take out the pepper, wring it out and put it in jars (without greens).
7. Prepare a new brine and pour the jars to the very neck, close the lids and put them in the refrigerator.
8. For long-term storage, jars of pepper are sterilized for 15 minutes in boiling water.

Armenian garlic tsitsak according to a special recipe

This pepper is served along with the traditional aromatic couscous, added to soups, especially borscht, used in salads, served with potato dishes, stews and vegetables. Tsitsak is aromatic, spicy, tasty without excessive bitterness.

Ingredients:

• tsitsak - 6 kg;
• garlic - 10 heads;
• dill - 1 bunch (or pods with seeds);
• water - 10 l;
• vegetable oil - 50 ml;
• coarse salt - 2 cups.

Cooking procedure:

1. Pepper is sorted out, spread for 2-3 days in a warm place, washed, pierced.
2. Greens are washed, peeled, chopped. The garlic is peeled and passed through a press.
3. Place the herbs and garlic on the bottom of a large saucepan, pour oil and cold water.
4. Peppers are placed in the same container, the pan is covered with gauze and put under oppression for 14 days at room temperature.
5. Banks are pre-sterilized in a convenient way (in a microwave, in an oven, in a double boiler, in a dishwasher, etc.).
6. Pepper and herbs are removed from the pan, washed and placed in layers (pepper, garlic) in sterilized jars.
7. Jars with vegetables, but without brine, are placed in a saucepan with slightly boiling boiling water (about 85 ° C), a lid is loosely placed on the neck, sterilized for 10-15 minutes.
8. Prepare a new brine, pour the jars, roll them up with metal lids and wrap them up with something warm.

Tips and tricks for cooking and preserving

Long-term storage conditions for pepper are standard: store the workpieces in a cool, dark place, protect from direct sunlight.

Blanks that are planned to be used in the near future, can be stored in the refrigerator under nylon lids for 2-5 weeks.

Conclusion

Tsitsak is the basis of many interesting and extremely tasty dishes. Each housewife can choose a recipe suitable for her family: with butter or with herbs, fried or boiled, soft with honey or light with celery - any preparation of tsitsak pepper will delight gourmets and give a sunny, burning warmth on cold winter evenings.