Mom’s Adjika Recipe
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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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.
4. Mince the garlic and jalapeños together in the food processor.
5. Add Oil, Salt, Garlic and Jalapeños to the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Prepare the cans (see canning process).
Canning Process:
1. 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.
2. Transfer your boiling hot adjika to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/4″ space.
3. 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.
4. 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.
Mom’s Adjika Recipe – A Russians’ Pesto! (Аджика)
Ingredients
- 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 - 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
- 2 Tbsp Salt
Instructions
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Using a food processor, mince carrots, apples, bell peppers, tomatoes and put them in a large soup 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 jalapenos together in the food processor.
-
Add Oil, Salt, Garlic and Jalapenos to the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
-
Prepare the cans.
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.
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
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Is it safe to can foods with oil?
Hi Tamara, if canned appropriately, this adjika has a shelf life of at least a year.
Hi Natasha I am pretty sure adjika is Georgian pesto to be specific Abkhazian.
Thanks for the info, Kristine
If sealed properly, what is the shelf life for a can of adjika?
Hi Viktoriya, if canned appropriately, it has a shelf life of at least a year.
Follow it exactly. Turns out 👌👌
Happy to hear that, Lesya. Thanks for the review!
Adjika is 100% Georgian. It may be popular in Slavic countries but it’s a Georgian dish. Please include the dish’s roots. Thank you!
For authenticity: no Georgian in the history of this recipe has ever put apples in it. The sweetness comes from bell peppers. And jalapeños are never used in Georgia, pretty sure they’re not imported either. We use red chillies to spice it only.
Hi there Mari! So Natasha wrote on the title that this is her mom’s recipe so she doesn’t have to include the origins and she can use apples and she can use jalapeno peppers ☺️
I tries this recipe it’s delicious! Wouldn’t change a thing. If people want the original Georgian recipe than they can google and try another recipe. There are alot of other great adjika recipes out there. 🙂
Definitely recommend you to try this one Mari, it’s delicious 🤤
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe and make it ofte, but don’t typically store it. I exclude the jalapenos and apples. Is it still ok to store at room temp for a while?
Sorry I forgot to mention I meant storing it for a while even if it doesn’t have the apples and jalapenos.
Hi Jessica, The apples help to balance it and it is important in this recipe. You absolutely can reduce the amount of jalapeno but I haven’t tested that with omitting it completely.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for your quick reply! Sorry just for clarification, are the apples necessary for canning the recipe?
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried it any other way so I can’t advise on that.
Hi Natasha,
I added all together at once would that change the taste or not?
Thanks
Zhenya
Hi Zhenya, I highly recommend following the recipe as written for the best flavor and texture.
Natasha, how large should be the cooking pot? Will 6 quarts be enough? How thick? Dutch oven or stainless steel to prevent from burning? Thank you!
Hi Iryna, I recommend reading out “What you will need” section in the recipe blog post. We include the following which will be helpful “Large Stock Pot (20Qt+) with Rack (or purchase a canner)”
Thank you Natasha for this recipe and for your blog. Adjika turn out very good! I tried many other recipes from your site and so far I love it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Great recipe, my husband thought it was the best BBQ meat he’s ever had (he is familiar with North American BBQ style only). A keeper, thank you Natasha!
Oh My. I added this comment to the wrong recipe… I meant to comment on the shashlyk recipe marinated in wine. So so sorry.
For what it’s worth, this adjika recipe is one to one like my mom’s and it is great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that recipe! Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂
This looks nice but what do you use it for?
And would it work to freeze it?
Hi Nunu! 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!
I add it to foods or with roasted vegetables as a spicy sauce. My mother in law puts it on lamb and meats. Recently I used it with veggie crumbles to make vegan sloppy joes. Came out pretty fantastic.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Just made this and I cannot believe how “perfect” this recipe is! In-laws from Ukraine and Odessa both totally approved. One even snagged a jar on their way out. Me being vegan, this is a great addition to grains, roasted veggies, etc. Thanks!
Wow! That’s so great, Morgan! Thank you so much for the fantastic review! I am smiling big reading your comment 🙂
I cut the recipe in half, because I don’t have a method of canning here in Japan. I need to look on Amazon and see if I can purchase mason jars and a bigger pot with the rack. But I think halving the recipe may have messed up the balance. I feel like I put too many carrots even though I cut it in half exactly. However it is still very good. I will try again and see if I can quarter it because even half makes way too much for someone who doesn’t have the proper tools to can. Thank you for your recipe. I lived in Kyiv for over year and absolutely miss the blend of Ukrainian and Georgian food they serve there.
Hi Jillene, if your carrots are very large, you might use less. I agree, this does make a huge batch but thankfully it has a good shelf life 🙂
I asked my husband this morning if we had enough Roma tomatoes left in the garden for canning today. I will give this a try. I have used the water bath canning method for years, but you need to add a tsp. of bottled lemon juice to the jar before adding the tomato product, this balances the acid level in the tomatoes.
Thank you for sharing that with us Christine! I hope you have enough tomatoes in the garden to make this!
Oven canning is not safe and can actually cause the jars to break and shatter. Canning jars are meant to be placed in boiling water which is 212 degrees or in a pressure cooker which if I remember correctly is 250 degrees and both are in a moist environment. The oven is dry and too warm. You also need to pressure can this as there is not enough acid or sugar to preserve the food. Unfortunately, you can not see botulism and only pressure can kill the spores. Botulism can develop without a broken seal so even though the food looks and smells safe it can be dangerous if proper canning methods are not used. The USDA has a site with safe canning practices if you are curious about the methods. The USDA notes that we must use different methods today than our parents and grandparents because of the acidity changes on homegrown and store-bought produce over the decades. I this helps. This recipe looks very similar to a meat relish my german grandmother made.
Thank you for sharing your tips! I’ll be investing in a good canning system when we finally move into our own place. What system are you using? Do you like it?
I love my new electric Ball Water Bath Canner. It frees up my stove. I also have the Pesto brand but my pick is the electric. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I’ve always wanted to make this recipe but it is way more than I need. Any advice from experience/others on reducing the recipe? I would reduce it by at least half. What are your thoughts?
P.S. I love that you have Ukrainian recipe roots on this site. I lived in Donetsk for a few years and I miss the cuisine.
Hi Zack, we always make a big batch for canning but that would work to reduce it by half.
Do you need to peel the apples? If you are going to grind them up, would it matter?
Hi Drew, we have always peeled the apples first and I always assumed it was for texture reasons – to make the adjika smoother.
Hi Natasha!
I bought 5 lb of chili peppers today, they looked like gypsy peppers but they happened to be hot. I was wondering if I can substitute bell peppers and jalapeños with those chili ones? Do you think it might work?
Hi Tanya, I’m not sure what the difference will be in the level of heat in the adjika using the same amount of chili peppers. I think it could work though.
Ok, I will give it a try, and let you know
It turned out sooooo good. It was mild taste with a little hot accent . My whole family enjoyed it. Even my 4 year old one 😉
Awesome, I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi Natasha, this recipe looks delicious. How long does this last in the pantry?
Hi Kelly, if canned, it has a shelf life of at least a year.
Hi Natasha, what kind of apples do you use for this recipe? thank you
Hi Nadia, we usually use a variety of whatever apples we have on hand. This recipe is pretty forgiving. I would go with any kind of crisp sweet/tart apple like gala or golden delicious, pink lady, etc.
Hi Natasha! One more question. I don’t have big food processor just tiny one. I wonder if is it better to use myasorybka or regular tyorka or ( I don’t think blender good idea). I don’t think they would use food processor in Ukraine. How can I do other then food processor? I was thinking myasorybka for tomatoes and peppers. And carrots with apples on tyorka. What do you think? Thanks for fast reply
Hi Olgitta, A good blender would work to blend in batches, pulsing it until it is still a somewhat chunky consistency – keep an eye on it so it doesn’t turn into a smoothie :). I also think a grater would work, you would just have a slightly different consistency. I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha! I really want to try your recipe. I’ve done adjiga many times but I never canned my. I keep it I fridge I put only tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic and jalapeños in it. But canning sound so good. I’m very concern of your recipe. Wouldn’t it be sweet. We really wouldn’t like sweet adjiga. Can I skip apples? Or it’s very important in this recipe. Also can you put less oil? I never put any in my. Thanks I’ll wait for your reply then I’ll do it!
Hi Olgitta, No worries, this is not a sweet adjika recipe. The apples help to balance it and it is important in this recipe. I haven’t tried it without oil so I’m not sure about that.
Adjika is a traditional georgian sauce, please make a revision of this information. thank you 🙂
Hi Teona, thanks for sharing! This is my Mom’s Ukrainian version of the sauce.
This looks very tasty but there are too many nonacidic vegetables compared to tomatoes to be safely waterbathed. There is also way too much oil. Even if it had safe proportions, the processing time is not long enough.
We’ve never had any issues with the recipe. You can definitely experiment if you’re concerned but this is the way we’ve been making it for years 🙂 You can also keep it refrigerated if you’re concerned.
Natasha, PH4 or lower is safe for water bath per USDA guidelines. PH test strips are available online. And water bath isn’t hard at all 🙂 Neither is pressure canning. You could go pro-biotic and lacto ferment this. You’d have an Adjika Kvass. 😀
That is an excellent excellent suggestion! Thank you so much for sharing!!
hi, Natasha! this looks so delicious, can’t wait to try it! have two questions first: 1. what are the best apples for adjika? 2. how long should we wait before we can start eating it??:) thank you!
Hi Carolina, just about any crisp sweet apple will work (I would avoid Red Delicious and Green though) – braeburn, fuji, gala, golden delicious, pink lady, nearly any apple would work. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I’m going to try it.
Do you need to add vinegar or lemon juice to preserve it?
Hi Marina, we don’t add anything additional and it preserves well.
how many jars does this recipe makes (jars on the picture) ill be making this tonight
Hi Angelina, “This makes 7 (1 pint) jars of adjika. i.e. 14 cups.” Enjoy!
THANKS FOR THE REPLY, BTW MY SISTER-IN-LAW (ANGELA) AND I ARE HOOKED ON YOU, YOUR RECIPES ARE FINGER LICKING GOOD, THANK YOU!
Angelina, I’m so happy to hear that my blog is a blessing to your family. Thank you so much for sharing that with me 😀.
Natasha, I admire your diplomacy! I’m going to try to break this down to a smaller recipe (we don’t need that much). It sounds just like one of my grandmas recipes, without the benefit of a food processor! I can’t wait to taste it!
Diplomacy… 😉 You’re comment made me smile. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
This recipe is something else, I have been doing it for past 3 years and every time was delicious.
First time was not enough spicy, second time I made it twice one because one was too spocy(too many jalapeños with seeds) and one less spicy. Still we loved it and all our friends wanted the sicret recipe. This time I’m using a couple whole jalapeños and the rest without the seeds. Thank you Natasha for sharing this delicious recipe and make all the great recipes for families like ours that likes to eat the best stuff.
Jalapenos are tricky like that – sometimes they are spicy and sometimes they really aren’t. We’ve had this happen both when they are homegrown and storebought. It’s always a surprise 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoy my recipes!
I feel like I should have seeded the tomatoes first… mine’s pretty runny 🙁 I seem to recall the stuff I bought at the rynok in Kyiv was much thicker.
Stilll tasty… SPICY… but tasty 😀
Thank you Bella 😀. Some tomatoes are juicier than others and it would not hurt to seed them first for thicker results.
Hi Natasha I followed your recipe exactly even adding bit more apple and carrot and I canned only 5 pint jars. I compared on my weight scale and your measurements not sure how that happen. Maybe that’s imwhy it’s too spicy? I added 12 jalepenos into this batch. Next time I won’t be afraid to tweak it a bit. Add more tomatoes, add onions and less hot peppers. ive done extensive research on canning , and I learned adding oil decreases shelf life. Maybe this recipe we can omit, and add oil once Jarvis opened. That is how many can pasta sauces. Overall great base recipe! And ideally pressure canning is safer, however my mom keeps drilling that’s how they can for decades lol and they all are fine 🙂 I did process in a water Bath 12 min.
Hi Margarita 🙂 I have found that jalapeños can vary in how spicy they are so that can make a difference and it’s really hard to tell how spicy they will be just looking at them. If you like it less spicy, you can definitely add less jalapeños. We’ve had this sit on the shelf for over a year and never had a jar go bad even with the oil in it. I haven’t tested it without oil. Thank you for sharing your process and review! 🙂
The best adjika resipe ever!
I”m making same adjika for almost 30 years and all in my family loves it 🙂
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I have made this recipe, and it is delicious. I often use it to dip toasted pita bread in, for a snack. (probably not a traditional use, but I love it). Also, I will add a big spoonful to a bowl of soup.
I brought some to a party and everyone was raving about it. I served it with pita and crackers.
Thank you for the wonderful review on the Adjika, I’m so happy you liked it 😀.
Adjika is in no ways russian or slavic, It is Georgian, its origin is western Georgia. labeling all post-soviet Countries and people as russians is offending and ignorant.
George, this is my mom’s Ukrainian version of the recipe. Every family makes it a little differently.
than u can call it different name adjika is Georgian.
Pesto is to Italians as Adjika is to Slavic people.
Slavic people? its Caucasian
So I made this recipe about a month or so ago cause I had a lot of extra tomatoes I needed to use up. My mom never made it before so in not exactly sure what I can actually use it for? Can you recommend some recipes or dishes it is incorporated in or really any particular way I can eat it? I don’t want it all to just go to waste after taking the time to prepare it!!
Thank you ahead of time!! Your recipies really are fantastic (I plan most of my meals from your site :)) I just made the poppy seed cake roll last weekend and it was seriously bomb <—totally a middle school expression but it explains my feeling for it quite well!! 🙂 Now I'm off to making the pasta with creamy tomato sauce and the Chocolate Spartak cake!!
I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes :). As far as the adjika. It works really well in anything you’d want to put salsa in – breakfast burritos, on top of tacos, fajitas. You can also spread it over meats like pork to add great flavor.
Do you think I could make it using my Vitamix?
I remember that my mom added horse reddish root to her adjika. Will be calling her tomorrow for the recipe and then try to make a little bit of each.
I haven’t tried it with radish. Let me know how it works out. A vita mix should work fine.
Hi, Natasha! Just a quick question… May I add some vinegar to adjika?
I have not needed to add any vinegar to this recipe, since I have found the tomatoes to add enough acidity. You could try but I would recommend testing it by stirring it into a small batch so you don’t overwhelm the flavor with vinegar.
Thats not Adijika. Adijika has Saffron in it but your moms resipe does not even mention it. I would call your ”Adijika” salsa more than anything. But still the resipe is good;)
Different countries, towns and families make it differently. I’ve never heard of adjika with saffron but it does sound interesting. Doesn’t the tomato and jalapeno overpower the saffron? I imagine you’d need quite a bit of it to taste it at all. How much do you add?
Love your website! I’m definitely going to try this recipe, but I’m a little concerned about the food safety factor. I’m no canning expert, but it seems to me that the acidity of the tomatoes and apples are not necessarily enough to make water-bath canning safe – some are very acidic, others not much at all. Do you think pressure canning this would ruin the flavors?
I haven’t tried pressure canning, but I imagine it would probably be ok. I’m curious what kind of tools do you use for canning?
This must be pressure canned!
Hi!
Seems great – will try it sometime. I never thought of adding the apples – sounds awesome. Jalapenos isn’t a typical ingredient though – it has a very distinct Mexican taste to it. The original Russian recipe has a horseradish in this dish – and boy, is it great!!! You should try that instead – it def brings back memories 🙂
Cheers
I haven’t tried with horseradish. I should ask my Mom about it. She has a bunch of it growing in her yard 🙂
Pls clarify that Adjika (translated as salt in Abkhaz) is originally Georgian Abkhazian traditional spicy dip, which is also popular in former Soviet countries, such as Russia and Ukraine. However, Georgians and Abkhazian are not slavic people, so Adjika is not slavic food.
Yes, you are absolutely right! Even the word itself isn’t Russian in any way – but it was a staple (lol) sauce in the Soviet Union, so it is sometimes called Russian – it’s like officially any ex-Soviet citizens are nowadays referred to as Russians by the westerners. Russian cuisine got an incredible boost from the Soviet neighbours – before it was rather meat-based and in my opinion watery and boring. Spicy food rules!
I love to hear the origins and history of foods. Thanks so much for sharing! I agree, spicy food rules! 🙂
hello!
do we have to keep it in the fridge, or can it be stored in a pantry, if pantry than for how long? thankyou!!!
GOD BLESS YOUR GROWING FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Rose! This is a canning recipe so it is ok on the shelf if you go through the canning process outlined above. If you feel better about leaving it in the fridge, that’s fine too :). It’s good served cold or at room temp.
Hi Natashaskitchen! Can I put less jalapeño pepper since my family doesn’t like to spicy?
Yes, you absolutely can reduce the amount of jalapeno. I hope you love it! 🙂
Hi! I made this and your canned tomatoes yesterday and i feel like a “hoxyaichka”now :))
I made half ur recipe and used 5small red hot pepper, i dont know what type theu are, but it turned out perfectly mild and delicious!!
I never liked adzhika before because my parents always madr it too spicy.. Now im in love.. And i never knew theres apples in there.. Awesome :))
Also, i had a quick question, when my filled bottles were in the oven they leaked a bit.. (yeah it smelled from the oil) but after they cooled the bottle seems sealed, the button is down.. You think its still safe to store ??
Thanks!!
If the tops are sealed and the button is down, it should be fine. If you are really concerned, you can keep the leaked ones refrigerated. You might fill them slightly less next time. Did they all leak? I’m so glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Also, make sure the seal stays put in the future; they should never be bulging before you open them.
No, just a couple of them. Like 2.. Ok, thaanks!
Hi Natasha! Thank you for all your hard work and the wonderful recipes that you continue to add! I would also like to share a similar recipe with you but its a bigger batch. It is SO YUMMY that I can literally eat it like soup with bread, lol especially when I’m pregnant!
5 kg tomatoes
3 kg red bell pepper
2 kg carrots
1.5 kg apples
1 cup garlic
2 green hot pepper (I use jalapenos)
1 bunch of cilantro
1 bunch of parsley
plus salt to taste at the end
Directions are the same as yours! 🙂
Again thank you so much for all the wonderful recipes you share with us! God bless you!
Alla thank you so much for taking the time to share that. I sure appreciate it! I printed it for next time 🙂
I use almost the same recipe here in Ukraine but with onions, less garlic, without jalapenos and I use olive oil. We love it, great as side dish, excellent pasta and pizza sauce!
Follow the same procedure but use:
500 grams carrots
500 grams green apples
2 kls Roma tomatoes
1 kl. bell pepper
2 large white onions
Bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes and add:
1-2 garlic heads, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
Simmer for another 15 minutes.
P.S. hope you don’t mind me sharing it! 🙂
I love that you shared it!! Thank you so much for sharing. I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Dear Natasha,
It’s great that you are promoting the delicious Russian-style cooking. You have, however, a misconception about the origin of Adjika and some of the other recipes.
Adjika to Russians is not what pesto is to Italians. It is, rather, what salsa is to North Americans – a dish that came from the “South of the Border”. Adjika comes from Georgia, which is south of Russia’s border. Pesto, on the other hand, is an authentic Italian recipe.
As far as other Slavic people, you cannot pile them into the same pile. For example, Bulgarians have a similar sauce (by a different name), but Poles do not. And I do hope you realize that Georgia is not a Slavic country.
Thanks for commenting! It’s always great to hear from my readers. I meant that it’s popular in Russia just like pesto is popular in Italy. Clearly they are completely different recipes with different purposes and uses. This post wasn’t intended to be a history lesson; just a great recipe that my family loves! I try not to get into the nitty gritty of who made what first because there are tons of arguments on both sides. This is a personal blog and I share the foods that are popular in Russia and Ukraine and are loved by my family. Thanks for the history lesson 😉
Can you use a manual meat grinder for this if u don’t have the food processor?
It should work as just as well :).
Perfect recipes, I canned a few portions of this goodness! Awesome recipe, I added a couple more jalapenos 😉
That means you must like it very spicy. I think we could be friends! LOL
I used 5 jalepanos and it is spicy!! My husband said his mouth is on fire. I don’t think it would be edible with 14. Your homegrown ones must be different. On the separate note, boy did I suffer after handling those jalepanos! My hands were burning soooooo bad for hours! It’s was mini hell on earth I thought! I was crying, screaming, and praying; that’s how bad it was. I googled it after, seems like many people get this “reaction”. I will know to wear gloves next time. (Maybe worth noting that in the recipe for your readers.
Ouch!! :-O Your comment makes me think that your peppers were not jalapenos. There’s no way 5 jalapenos in this whole recipe would be even close to spicy. We use 10-15 in another roasted salsa too and it’s spicy but not nearly what you described. The ones we grow are the same as the ones in the store. And, jalapenos don’t usually burn your hands unless you have super sensitive skin. I don’t think those were jalapenos.
No doubt these were jalapeños. I mean I know what they look like plus they are labeled in the store. As someone mentioned in the comment above, some jalapeños can be very spicy and others not spicy at all. I guess your are on one end and mine on the other.
I’ve never heard of them being that super spicy. The homegrown ones we used in this post are just like the ones we buy at he store also. I wonder if someone put them in the wrong bin?? Also, did you try to seed the peppers, is that why you were handling them or did you try to mince them by hand? Anyway, your poor hands 🙁 I hope you don’t change your mind about jalapenos. I think you got an unusually hot batch.
It’s more of a salsa than pesto. Pesto is not spicy and salsa on the contrary
I meant that it’s our version of Pesto as in: Pesto is to Italians as Adjika is to Russians/Ukrainians 🙂 I’m not claiming that this is pesto 😉
Hi, I would just like to point out that Adjika is a traditional Georgian sauce, so I would kindly ask you to clarify this:)
I did a little research and from what I can tell, It’s traditional in Russia and Georgia. I’m not sure who had it first, but I think it’s made a little differently in Georgia.
Hi Natasha,
I know adjika is good for a long period of time.. Can I store them at room temperature If they’re still unopened, or do they have to stay in the fridge when cooled after making.
You can store them even up to a year (or longer!) in the pantry at room temp. Hope you love it as much as we do!
Hi Natasha! Thx for sharing this recipe! Can’t wait to try it! Can you pls tell me if you can store the unopened cans at room temperature? Do they have to be stored in a dark cupboard or out on the shelf is fine? Thanks in advance 🙂
We have stored them at room temp up to a year 🙂
We call it Russian salsa! Thanks for reminding! Will try your recipe.
Let me know what you think of it after you finish making it. :).
I use food ( meat ) grinder to mince veggies. And I did not use Jalapenos at all (since there are no J. in Rus.) , my recipe has 2-3 chilies instead. 14 Jalapenos seems a lot, but living in CA I know they could be not spicy at all or very spicy – go figure…
Just made it – approved by my men . Tell your mom – she is awesome!!!
Thank you and I will! 🙂
I made this recipe yesterday and mine was soooo SPICY! My mouth in on fire, and I used 14 medium jalapenos. But it’s delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Question: What kind of food processor are you using? I have a mini-processor and it was a pain. =(
The type of jalapeno will also make a difference. We were using home grown jalapenos. I’m glad you liked it! 🙂 As far as the food processor; we make this together with my mom and she has a nice big one (it’s on my wish list; I have a small one too and it just doesn’t cut it for this recipe). Here is a link to the Cuisinart one my mom has and the one I really really want! 🙂
Natasha, I just wanted to thank you for creating this website! I love cooking Russian dishes, but I always have a hard time making any of my Mom’s recepies, cause everytime I ask her she just tells me ‘a little bit of this and a little bit of that’.
So I am very glad that I found your website, I am inspired to cook every single item on your website:-)
Marina, thank you for the encouragement. I’m so glad you enjoy the site and find it handy 🙂
Yum, looks really delicious. Definitely going to try this!
Love the recipe, thanks for posting. I really missed my father-in-law’s adjika from our trips to Ukraine. I’ve tried various store bought versions at the local Russian market, but none of them were comparable. This was perfect, just like my father-in-law’s. My wife was skeptical that I could find a recipe online (and that I could make it), but she’s a believer now. Our Russian friends are impressed too, I forwarded them your recipe.
Awesome, thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the adjika 🙂
I used medium. but i love it spicy too!! thank you so much for your recipies:)
Hey natasha i was just wondering how long you keep them stored before trying them?
You can open a can and enjoy it as soon as it cools. There’s really no time limit. I still have 1 can left a year later and and it’s still perfect.
i just finished cooking your version of Adjika and its 2 am…and all i want to do is try it!! it smells AMAZING!!! 🙂 thank you!!
Go on, just do it. 🙂 Let me know how you like it.
i just did! it was so spicy!!! but i loved it! haha my husband thinks its tooooo spicy!! =]
Did you use 14 large or medium jalapenos? I used medium and my husband thought it wasn’t spicy enough but I liked it :). On the bright side, if it’s spicier, it will last longer! And I think the spicyness settles down a little when it cools.
i used large and my son toled me …nice little kick! 🙂 they loved it !!!! for me it was a little “kusachaya” but it was made for the men!
Natasha, your food sounds brilliant and your recipes cook spot on. could you have a look at mine and see what you think? Also, lets have a debate. how much does it cost to make a home made adjika where you are? http://ognakan.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-much-does-your-adjika-cost.html
oh ok well its ok about the tomatoes…ill prob can some next year anyways..well the adjika is amazing:) i only have like 4 can left..lol so im doing more..so it will last me all winter..thanks again for the wonderful recepies…
You’re welcome. I guess I better get to work and stock up for the winter! 🙂
Really love your site…Im doing adjika right now…!!:) im super excited to try it.
Thank you Lyuda. I hope you like it since you will probably have lots of it 🙂
Hi Natashaa, are you going to put canned tomatoes or cucumbers this year???
My mom already canned tomatoes. She didn’t can cucumbers. I can ask her for the recipe for tomatoes if you’d like. I don’t think I will be able to get exact amounts though.
We add adjika to our borsh! LOve your site!
Natasha,
Do you have any recipes to can Tomatoes or Pickles?
I don’t but my mom makes the most amazing canned tomatoes. I’ll post it once tomatoes are in season. Mexico’s glossy tomatoes just won’t be the same 🙂
Hi Natasha –
This is a blast from the past for me too! Someone in the family used to make it but I don’t remember the details except it was good. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Love your website – recipes, photos, everything! BTW, I am making stewed cabbage later today using another one of your recipes. 🙂
Thank you Katya! I hope you enjoy the stewed cabbage.
This sounds delicious, Natasha! Adjika is not something that was ever prepared in my family, but, apparently, my mother-in-law used to make it every summer with vegetables from her garden, and perhaps still does. She lives in Russia and we don’t visit very often, so I haven’t had a chance to taste her adjika. Maybe I will try making my own version (based on your recipe) next summer.
Looks like this recipe is bringing back memories for some. It is very “old school” and I’m just glad to get it recorded for future generations.
My mother-in-law gave us a jar a couple weeks ago, and I ate it mostly on my own. Yes, I let the kids try it, but none of them liked it. Good! More for me. I ate it over scrambled eggs and burritos. Yum! I love that it’s got some spice but not too much, and it’s a great way to get your vegetables in for the meal.
Oh, I bet that would be good on scrambled eggs. Thanks for the idea!
Wow, I haven’t had Adjika in forever. I used to love it! I will have to try it sometime. Hey, I really love the photography on your site. What kind of camera do you use?
Hi Irina, Thank you! We use the Canon Rebel xsi. For my food pictures I use an inexpensive 50 mm lens that allows for a blurred background (especially nice for food) we bought the lens on ebay around $50-$70 (can’t remember for sure how much). I’m hoping to get a nicer lens soon. I do like the camera very much. It’s really fun to get nice pictures of my family with it too without hiring a pro photographer for everything. I also use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 to edit my photos and that can make a world of difference.
Hi Irina – check out the shop tab at the top to see what camera I use 🙂
Wow, I have never heard of this!
I think you’d like it! Vadim and I were craving mexican food last night and I made soft tacos. We wolfed down a whole can between the two of us; I’m sure Vadim had more than his “fair” share 🙂