Ajvar (Roasted Pink Pepper Relish)

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Make simple Macedonian Ajvar, a do-it-yourself roasted pink pepper relish that tastes nice on nearly every part! Use this conventional jam-like condiment in your favourite grilled meats, bread, and extra.

A bowl of Ajvar served on a plate surrounded by bread slices.

Straightforward to Make Ajvar Recipe

If there have been ever a meals that I couldn’t be with out, it must be Ajvar (eye-vahr). This barely tangy, barely candy, and holy scrumptious roasted pink pepper relish recipe is a staple Macedonian and Balkan meals.

Rising up in Macedonia, I bear in mind the late summer time and early fall because the prime Ajvar season, when pink peppers have been at their peak. The creation of Ajvar was extra of a communal occasion. Villagers would unite, roasting and getting ready peppers over an open flame. In city areas, this ritual was completed with neighborhood gatherings. I fondly recall weekends devoted to Ajvar-making. All of us children would come collectively to peel the peppers that our mothers and grandmas have been roasting, and dreaming of our first chew of Ajvar unfold on a slice of bread and topped with crumbled cheese. Regrettably, trendy industrial manufacturing has overshadowed these traditions, providing a diluted model of the unique recipe, so for a real Ajvar expertise, crafting it from scratch stays important.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I all the time knew winter was coming when Ajvar was cookin’. Our Ajvar hardly ever made it to the pantry, although. We all the time devoured it manner earlier than the snow appeared. Right here’s why you’ll love this conventional relish recipe simply as a lot as we do:

Easy substances. Make this scrumptious Macedonian-style pink pepper relish with simply 4 substances. Minimal substances, main taste!
Flavorful. Roasting the peppers at peak ripeness offers the relish a deep, smoky taste whereas simmering afterward provides sweetness.
Versatile. I’m not kidding once I say that you may unfold this relish on something. Meats, bread, pizza, you title it. The candy smokiness of the roasted pink peppers compliments so many dishes. We undergo jars of these items year-round.

Red pepper relish spread over a piece of toasted bread, topped with crumbled feta, and served on a plate.

What Is Ajvar?

Ajvar is a shiny pink pepper relish that’s historically from Macedonia, although a great deal of variations exist all through the Balkans. Ajvar interprets to “caviar” – or as I wish to name it, the poor man’s caviar – and it’s generally used as a topping for bread with a candy, tangy, barely smoked taste that’s completely irresistible.

Each grandma and mama has their very own recipe and manner of creating it, although one ingredient is for certain: roasted pink peppers. Different Ajvar recipes could embrace eggplant, garlic, inexperienced peppers, and so on. However I like the Macedonian model essentially the most. It’s quite simple as a result of all you want is pink bell peppers, salt, pepper, and sunflower oil.

The right way to Make Ajvar

I’ll warn you now: your home is about to scent wonderful! Roasted pink peppers convey again so many fond reminiscences for me. Beneath, I’m going over the steps for making your individual Ajvar. Make sure to scroll all the way down to the recipe card for a full ingredient listing and detailed directions.

Whole roasted red peppers on a metal baking pan.

Pureed roasted red peppers inside a food processor.

Prep the substances. Whereas the oven will get good and sizzling, give your peppers a rinse. As soon as dried, prick them throughout with a fork. This permits the steam to flee whereas they roast.
Roast the peppers. Roast the peppers, turning them now and again in order that they blacken evenly. It’s necessary to notice that whereas they roast, the warmth additionally caramelizes a few of the pure sugars bringing out the sweetness within the pepper. Afterward, seal the roasted peppers in a plastic bag, and depart them to melt within the steam. The skins ought to come off simply. When you’ve peeled and deseeded the peppers, add them to a mesh bag, and allow them to drain in a single day. Then switch them to a meals processor and pulse till they attain a consistency much like chutney.
Prepare dinner. Subsequent, you’ll add the pureed pink peppers to a pot, together with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Slowly prepare dinner the relish for two to three hours, stirring typically. As soon as it’s prepared, season your Ajvar to style, after which take it off the warmth to chill for a bit.

Two small jars of Ajvar stacked, with a spoon sticking out of the top jar.

Canning Ajvar At House

Whereas your Ajvar is cooking, you’ll put together your jars for canning. Beneath we’ll stroll by a fundamental at-home canning course of. You should utilize this methodology for all types of canning, from Ajvar to homemade strawberry jam, plum cardamom jam, and extra.

Sterilize the jars. First, wash the jars totally, after which warmth them within the oven at 180ºF for half-hour. In the meantime, add the lids to a bowl and canopy them with boiling water. Wipe the edges of the jars earlier than closing them with the lids.
Pasteurize. Subsequent, you’ll must pasteurize the Ajvar to forestall micro organism from coming into the jars. It’s simple to do. Divide the Ajvar evenly between your sterilized jars, and organize the stuffed jars on a baking sheet. Afterward, place the jars in a 350ºF oven till you see a skinny crust start to type on prime of the relish. In the meantime, warmth a little bit of oil on the range. As quickly as you see a crust, pour a bit of sizzling oil over every jar, simply sufficient to cowl the highest of the relish.
Shut and seal the jars. Seal the jar lids straight away. Or, hold one open and dig in with heat, do-it-yourself crusty bread and a facet of belo sirenje, aka white cheese, aka feta cheese.

Suggestions for Success

We have now loads of observe with regards to making Ajvar in our household. Listed here are some useful suggestions that I’ve picked up alongside the way in which:

Select the very best peppers. Conventional Macedonian Ajvar is comprised of pink bull horn peppers, additionally referred to as Ajvarka. Since they are often tough to search out stateside, the subsequent most suitable option is your frequent pink bell pepper. Select ripe peppers which can be on the meatier facet in order that they gained’t launch tons of liquid whereas they roast.
Don’t skip the steaming. Pop these roasted peppers right into a plastic bag, or no less than a pot with a lid as quickly as they arrive out of the oven. Steaming is necessary for softening the peppers, making them simpler to peel.
No blender? No drawback. Should you don’t have a blender or meals processor, you possibly can mash up your roasted pink peppers the old style manner and use a grinder. Or you possibly can cube them up finely with a knife or use a potato masher.
Stir the Ajvar typically whereas it cooks in order that it doesn’t burn to the underside of the pot. Additionally, use a wood spoon when stirring. Wood spoons deal with warmth higher and have antibacterial properties that assist hold germs out of your cooking.
Season a bit of in the beginning, and add extra on the finish. Don’t go too heavy with the salt when you’re cooking your Ajvar in order that it doesn’t prove too salty after hours of simmering. Wait and do a remaining seasoning to style on the very finish.
Sterilizing is vital to long-term storage. Each your jars and lids must be sterilized earlier than they’re used; in any other case, the Ajvar will go off. As an additional precaution towards germs, you may also use gloves when canning your relish.

Recipe Variations

This Ajvar recipe tastes wonderful with simply peppers and seasonings. However you possibly can all the time change it up a bit of. Should you’d wish to adapt this recipe to go well with, attempt these concepts:

Eggplant. Eggplant is a well-liked addition to many Ajvar recipes. You’ll be able to chop eggplant and roast it concurrently your peppers, then take away the skins and mix it into the peppers as directed.
Garlic. Love garlic? Go forward and toss some complete cloves into the roasting pan. You’ll be able to mix them into the relish afterward.
Vinegar. Should you discover that your cooked Ajvar lacks some oomph, stir in a spoonful of vinegar on the very finish. You too can add a bit of sugar to sweeten it as wanted.
Chili. Should you’re craving one thing spicy, roast a chili pepper or two alongside along with your pink peppers. Or, add a sprinkle of pink chili flakes to the Ajvar towards the tip of cooking. Many Macedonian Ajvar recipes name for HOT peppers.
Herbs. Give your jarred Ajvar a sprinkle of contemporary herbs like parsley when serving.

Red pepper relish spread over a piece of toasted bread, topped with crumbled feta, served on a plate, and set next to a jar of Ajvar and more toast slices.

Methods to Use Ajvar

What do you eat ajvar with? Should you ask anybody on this household, the reply is every part. Serve it in winter, summer time, any season.

Grilling. Ajvar tastes nice served with grilled vegetables, and meats like roast lamb, grilled chicken, and sausage.
Unfold. Jam-like Ajvar can be a scrumptious vegetable unfold. Smear it over bread and crackers. Or, you possibly can all the time eat it with a spoon straight from the jar. No judgment.
Breakfast. Pink pepper relish is a tasty addition to Macedonian shakshuka. And we’ll even put it on our scrambled eggs within the morning.
Appetizer. As an appetizer, serve Ajvar with mezze like grilled Macedonian kebapi (kebabs), prosciutto, cheese, and flatbread pizza. We additionally like to serve our pink pepper relish with a facet of yogurt for a creamy dip served with air fryer zucchini chips.

Ajvar in a white dish surrounded by bread slices and a small bowl of olive oil.

The right way to Retailer Ajvar

Storing: Retailer unopened, jarred Ajvar in a dry, darkish location, like a pantry. You solely must refrigerate your Ajvar after opening, and it’ll hold within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Freezing: It’s attainable to freeze Ajvar; nonetheless, you will need to freeze it earlier than it’s canned. If you recognize you’ll need to freeze the cooked pink pepper relish, separate out the portion you’d wish to freeze and permit it to chill utterly. Retailer the relish in an hermetic container or freezer bag, leaving a little bit of room for growth. It may be stored frozen for as much as 6 months. Defrost the Ajvar within the fridge, then give it stir earlier than utilizing.

Extra Macedonian Recipes to Attempt

Prep Time 1 hour

Prepare dinner Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Resting Time 2 days

Complete Time 2 days 3 hours 10 minutes

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
Wash and dry the peppers, and prick the peppers in a number of locations with a fork.
Place them on a baking sheet and roast the peppers for 30 to 40 minutes or till charred and tender, turning sometimes. Guarantee even roasting by rotating them periodically. Attributable to house, you will must roast the peppers in batches.
Switch the peppers to a plastic bag and shut the bag. Let stand for 10 to fifteen minutes. This traps the steam and makes it simpler to peel the peppers.
Take away the peppers from the bag, peel off, and discard the pores and skin.
Lower the peppers open and discard the seeds. Place them in a mesh bag and allow them to drain in a single day by suspending the bag over a container.
The following day, roughly chop the peppers, place them in a meals processor, and pulse a number of instances to a chutney consistency.
Put the pepper puree in a pot, add salt, pepper, and three/4 cup of sunflower oil, and convey to a boil. Cut back to a simmer and prepare dinner for two to three hours, stirring steadily to forestall it from burning on the underside of the pot. Ajvar is finished as soon as it has thickened and nearly all of the liquid has evaporated.
When completed, style for salt and pepper and alter accordingly.
Within the meantime, sterilize the jars by preheating the oven to 180˚F. Wash the jars, place them on a baking sheet, after which put them within the oven for half-hour.
Sterilize the lids by putting them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them.
When the Ajvar is finished, take away it from the range and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Pack the Ajvar into the jars and place the jars again on the baking sheet.
Put the jars within the oven for quarter-hour or till a skinny crust kinds on prime of the Ajvar.
In the meantime, warmth a cup of cooking oil on the stovetop.
When you see the crust on the Ajvar, take away the jars from the oven, and pour a few of the heated oil into every jar over the Ajvar, simply sufficient to cowl the floor. Wipe the edges of the jars clear earlier than making use of the lids.
Seal the jars with the lids. Organize the jars in a crate or field and canopy them with kitchen towels. Depart them to chill down like that for the subsequent 24 to 48 hours or till utterly cooled.
Retailer Ajvar jars in a dry, darkish place. Refrigerate solely after opening.

Selecting Peppers: Conventional Macedonian Ajvar is made with a pepper referred to as Ajvarka, often known as pink bull horn peppers. Since they are often tough to search out stateside, the subsequent most suitable option is pink bell pepper. Select ripe peppers which can be on the meatier facet. Add sizzling chili peppers to style if you wish to make spicy ajvar.
Cooking Oil: We often use sunflower oil or vegetable oil to make Ajvar, however olive oil can be a sensible choice.
Don’t overlook to stir the Ajvar typically whereas it cooks so it doesn’t burn. Additionally, use a wood spoon when stirring as a result of wood spoons deal with warmth higher. Add extra oil if wanted.
Season a bit of in the beginning, and add extra on the finish. Please don’t go too heavy with the salt whereas cooking your Ajvar so it doesn’t prove too salty.
Making Ajvar is a course of; generally, it takes a number of instances to excellent it. I counsel cooking till it’s at its thickest as a result of Ajvar is a variety, not a dip, although you should use it as each. And don’t overlook to stir, stir, stir. Lengthy simmer is how all of the flavors come collectively, so attempt to not reduce corners.
Should you’d wish to skip the jarring course of, you possibly can let the Ajvar relaxation for a day and let it cool to room temperature, pack it into jars, seal it, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks, or freeze it for as much as 6 months.

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