Lecho
Easy and vegetable stew that is mild, slightly sweet, slightly tangy and utterly delicious.
Servings: 9 pint jars (appx.)
Ingredients
- 10.4 cups (2.5L) Tomato juice OR 6.5lb (3kg) Tomatoes
- ½ cup (100g) Sugar
- ¼ cup (68g) Salt
- ½ cup (109g) Vegetable Oil
- 1lb 10.5oz (750g) Onion
- 1lb 10.5oz (750g) Carrots
- 3lb 5oz (1.5kg) Red bell peppers
Instructions
Tomato Juice (Skip if using ready made Tomato Juice)
- Wash and skin the tomatoes. (The best way to skin is to cut a cross into each end and throw them into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Take them out and put into cold water. The skin will come off almost on its own.)
- Chop the tomatoes into fourths and add them to a big heavy-bottomed pan or dutch oven.
- Simmer the tomatoes for 10-15 minutes or until they let out juice. Then, using an immersion blender, finely puree the tomatoes. Optional: Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve to get the seeds and bits of skin out.
Lecho
- Bring your tomato juice (or pureed tomatoes) to a boil. Add the sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Mix well, and simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped onions and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the sliced carrots and cook for 15 minutes.
- Lastly, add the bell peppers and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer the hot Lecho into sterilized jars and proceed with canning.
Sterilizing Jars
- Make sure the 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 (this may take up to 24 hours). You also 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
- If making your own tomato juice, you might need more or less tomatoes than indicated. Different tomatoes give off more or less juice.
- Visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation for all the latest details on canning.
- If you're making a smaller portion for eating without canning, cool the Lecho and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.