recipes
Now it’s time to get down to business: how you can already preserve summer vegetables for the winter
Pickled vegetables are a hit, especially in winter
©Getty Images
The end of summer is approaching, so it’s high time to prepare the ripe seasonal vegetables for the winter. Tomatoes, beans, zucchini or cucumbers. Have fun. We give you three recipes.
The tomatoes are now hanging thick and juicy from the stalk, the beans are full of color and the courgettes are getting bigger every day. The summer vegetables have reached their zenith, it’s high time to get down to business. If you want to have the fresh scent of sun-ripened tomatoes in your nose even in winter, you should get started now and wake up as much as you can. How about, for example, a homemade tomato sauce for pasta in winter? Anyone who opens a glass of it in autumnal temperatures is immediately back in summer. Or green beans, which taste almost as good as fresh ones when pickled. Zucchini is also great for marinating and pickling. We will share three recipes with you here.
But before that, you should get your mason jars ready for use. This works like this: Let the glasses, lids and rubber rings simmer in boiling water for at least ten minutes to remove any germs. Drain and cool, then use for canning.
Recipe 1: tomato sauce for the winter A poem in winter: homemade tomato sauce ©Getty Images
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of ripe tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- Salt
- Sugar
- 1 bunch of basil
Also: 3 mason jars/screw-top jars
Preparation:
- Make sure your mason jar and lids are sterilized.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees circulating air.
- Then wash the tomatoes, cut them in half and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet.
- Season with sugar and salt.
- Peel and halve the garlic cloves. Add to the tomatoes.
- Wash the basil and shake dry and spread over the tomatoes as well.
- Drizzle olive oil over it.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven for at least an hour.
- Remove and pour into a tall container. Blend into the sauce with a magic stick or in a blender. If necessary, season with salt and pepper.
- Pour into the clean preserving jars, close the lid immediately and turn upside down. Let cool like this.
- The tomato sauce can now be kept for up to 6 months.
Recipe 2: Pickled Green Beans Green beans can be preserved in this way for up to six months. ©Getty Images
Ingredients:
- 500g fresh green beans
- 2-3 sprigs of dill
For the vinegar broth:
- 150 ml apple cider vinegar
- 750ml of water
- 20 grams of salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Also: about 2 taller mason jars
Preparation:
1. Remove the stalk from the green beans and wash them thoroughly. Then put on a saucepan with 2 liters of water, salt and simmer the beans in boiling salted water for 15 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse directly under cold water or chill in ice water.
3. Prepare the vinegar stock: Place the water, salt, sugar and spices in a saucepan. Add the vinegar only after the salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil until it starts to bubble slightly. Alternatively, there is also infusion vinegar if you want to save yourself the trouble.
3. Layer the beans upright with the dill in clean, rinsed glasses and pour over the hot marinade. Secure with clean lids, invert and allow to cool completely.
Recipe 3: Marinated Zucchini Tastes good as an antipasti: marinated zucchini ©Getty Images
Ingredients:
- 3-4 medium zucchini (green and yellow)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 5 peppercorns
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1-2 dill flowers
- a dash of white wine vinegar
Also: 2-3 preserving jars/screw-top jars
Preparation:
1. Wash zucchini, leave whole or halve lengthwise and cut into finger-thick slices.
2. Fry the vegetables in a pan with a little oil until they get colour. Take out and set aside.
3. Place the cooled zucchini slices in a saucepan and add salt, sugar, peppercorns, chilli flakes and the dill blossoms. Pour water over the zucchini, but just enough to cover them. Let the vegetables simmer for 5 minutes.
4. If you like, you can now add a dash of vinegar to get a slightly sour taste.
5. Stuff zucchini in jars, screw and turn upside down until completely cool. The courgettes can be preserved in this way for up to six months. They go particularly well with meat or as a starter with toasted bread.