This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. Pesto is to Italians as Adjika is to Slavic people. What is Adjika (adzhika in English)? It’s like a semi-spicy salsa, similar to Italian Red Pesto. It’s used to flavor food. I like to spread it over pork. I recently discovered adjika is awesome with fajitas and tacos! This is a canning recipe. This makes 7 (1 pint) jars of adjika. i.e. 14 cups. It’s not hard to make, considering all of the ingredients are just whirled in a food processor and you don’t have to seed the jalapenos – SCORE!
Ingredients for Mom’s version of Adjika:
1 lb (about 2 large) Carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces 1 lb (about 5 medium) Apples, peeled and cored 1 lb (3-4 large) Bell peppers – Red or Yellow, chopped into 1″ pieces 5 lbs (about 10 cups) ripe tomatoes, sliced into quarters 1 cup oil (olive, canola or vegetable oil) 150 grams (2/3 cup or about 24) large garlic cloves 150 grams (2/3 cup or about 14 medium) jalapenos, stems removed (If you like your odjika spicy, use a few more jalapenos) 2 Tbsp Salt Home Canning Tools:
7 pint-sized jars with lids. I purchased them at Walmart. Large Stock Pot (20Qt+) with Rack (or purchase a canner) Jar lifter to safely transfer the jars
How to make Mom’s Adjika:
- Using a food processor: Mince carrots and put them in a large soup pot.
Mince apples and add them to the pot
Mince bell peppers and add them to the pot
Mince tomatoes and add them to the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, stir and bring to a boil again and repeat a few more times until the mixture is heated through and boiling consistently when stirred. The mixture is very thick so it takes a few stirs to heat it through.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.
Mince the garlic and jalapeños together in the food processor.
Add Oil, Salt, Garlic and Jalapeños to the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
Prepare the cans (see canning process).
Canning Process:
- To sterilize your clean jars: wash them and let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.
- Transfer your boiling hot adjika to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/4″ space.
- Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.
- Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot with jar lifter and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid – it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate adjika and enjoy within 3 months.
Current Canning Guidelines:
We updated this recipe in 2019 to match the most recent canning guidelines here which recommend processing in water rather than the oven. It’s a great resource to answer frequently asked canning questions.
Signs of Spoiled Canned Food:
With any type of canning, we follow this advice: “When in doubt, throw it out” Discard and do not eat or taste any canned food if you notice any of the following:
the jar is leaking, bulging, or swollen the jar looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal the jar spurts foam or liquid upon opening the canned food is discolored, moldy, mushy, slimy, or smells bad
