Easy Adjika Sauce (Аджика)
This Adjika (or Adzhika) sauce is one of the best homemade sauces you could make. Made with tomatoes, apples, red pepper, and garlic, this sauce is spicy, heart-warming and full of flavor. This recipe has been in our family for decades and it’s one I make and can once it runs out.
The combination of tomatoes, peppers, and apples in this adjika recipe – traditionally a Georgian condiment – creates a unique balance of sweetness, heat, and tanginess. The apples add a hint of natural sweetness that complements the vibrant flavors of the peppers, creating an addictive condiment that will elevate your dishes to a whole new level.
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What is Adjika made of ? (Ingredients)
Tomatoes – any kind. I used Roma and cherry tomatoes.
Red bell peppers
Apples – Any kind. I used store-bought.
Oil – Corn or sunflower works best. Olive oil can be used as well, but not extra virgin as the taste is too intense.
Spicy peppers – jalapeño, chilis, habanero (use these sparingly)
Salt and sugar – just two simple seasonings
Fresh garlic – gives lots of flavor
Herbs – Parsley and dill (I used fresh). Coriander could also be added if you like it.
How to make Adjika Sauce
Wash all the vegetables and apples. Remove the cores and seeds from the apples and peppers.
Roughly chop the tomatoes, peppers, and apples into chunks. Make them small enough to be able to fit into your meat grinder chute. You could also use a food processor, but make sure to leave the consistency of the vegetables a bit coarse. This is not meant to be a completely smooth sauce.
Grind the tomatoes and transfer to a dutch oven or a Kazan (one of my most used pots in the kitchen). Cook for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid.
Meanwhile, grind the apples, red bell pepper, and spicy peppers using a meat grinder.
Transfer the ground vegetables to the cooked down tomatoes and add the oil, spicy peppers, salt and sugar. Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat, and let cook for 45 minutes.
Tip: Note, if you want to make a portion of the sauce less spicy, omit the spicy peppers and can as much as you want of the more mild sauce. Then add the spicy peppers, let simmer for 5 minutes and can the rest of the sauce.
While the tomatoes, peppers, and apples are cooking, finely mince the garlic (or use a garlic press), and finely chop the dill and parsley.
Once your sauce has simmered for 45 minutes, add the minced garlic and the chopped herbs. Let simmer for five more minutes.
Transfer the boiling Adjika to sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 – 1/2 in. headspace, wipe off the rims of the jars with a dampened towel or clean rag and proceed with canning.
Canning Adjika
- Place full jars of Adjika into the canning pot and cover by about 1-2 inches of water. Process for 15 minutes.
- Remove jars from the canner using a jar lifter and let cool to room temperature (may take up to 24 hours). You might hear the lids pop when the jars seal.
- Once the jars are cool, test if the jars sealed properly by pressing on the middle of the lid. The lid shouldn’t move at all. If a jar hasn’t sealed properly store it in the fridge and use up within a couple of weeks.
Canning Guidelines
Visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation for the latest Canning guidelines. Another good resource for canning information is the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning.
What do you eat Adjika with?
We love eating Adjika with Pelmeni, Manti, with Spaghetti (instead of spaghetti sauce). It can also be used as a spread (so delicious on a piece of bread), as a dip, marinade, or as a flavor enhancer in other recipes.
Other Sauce Recipes
Here are two of my other absolute favorite sauces that we love around here:
- BEST Burger Sauce – absolutely awesome on burgers or as french fry dipping sauce
- Lecho – half salad, half sauce, this one is great on bread, with spaghetti or as a side dish
Lastly, if you make this Adjika sauce, make sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating here! I’d love to hear back from you and will do my best to answer and respond to every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!
Adjika
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg Tomatoes
- 750g Red bell peppers
- 500g Apples
- 150g Oil
- 3-4 Spicy peppers, any kind (optional)
- 63g Salt or to taste
- 100g Sugar
- 150g Garlic
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 1 bunch Dill
Instructions
- Wash all the vegetables and fruit. Remove the cores and seeds from apples and peppers. Cut into smaller pieces that will fit in your grinder.
- Using a meat grinder, grind the tomatoes and transfer to a dutch oven or a kazan. Cook for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid.
- Meanwhile grind the red pepper, apples and spicy pepper using your meat grinder. Transfer to the pot with the simmering tomatoes.
- Add the oil, salt, and sugar and let simmer for 45 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, mince the garlic (or process using meat grinder), and chop the dill and parsley.
- Once the 45 minutes are done, add the garlic, dill and parsley. Let simmer for another 5 minutes. Fill your jars and proceed with canning.
Sterilizing Jars
- Make sure your jars are clean (wash with soap and hot water), then submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes. There should be enough water to cover the jars by about 1-2 inches. The jars can be left in the water until they are ready to fill.
Canning
- Place full jars with jam into the canning pot and cover by about 1-2 inches of water. Process for 15 minutes.
- Remove jars from canning pot and let cool to room temperature (may take up to 24 hours). You might hear the lids pop when the jars seal.
- Once the jars are cool, test if the jars sealed properly by pressing on the middle of the lid. The lid shouldn't move at all. If a jar hasn't sealed properly store it in the fridge and use up within a few weeks.
Notes
Looking for more food preserving recipes? Check these posts out:
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