Lecho with Mushrooms and Dill for Winter

Nutrition

Instructions

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   Mushroom lecho is a variation of the traditional Hungarian dish adapted to Russian ingredients. Its special feature is adding fried mushrooms and fresh dill before preserving. In the USSR, this version became popular in the 70s as a way of preserving wild mushrooms.

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   Interesting fact: dill in preserves retains 60% of its aroma even after a year of storage (study by the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of the Canning Industry).

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   Step-by-step cooking instructions

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   How to make mushroom and dill lecho for winter? Prepare the ingredients. Wash the vegetables and mushrooms thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel. Use fresh mushrooms; button mushrooms or wild mushrooms are suitable.

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   1. Sterilize the jars and lids in advance if you are making lecho for winter. The specified amount of ingredients is calculated for 4 jars of 500 ml each. To determine the number of jars for a different volume of ingredients, and to sterilize them properly, see the materials at the links below.

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   2. Cut the tomatoes into 4 parts, and peel them if desired. To do this, make cross-shaped cuts on the top of each tomato, cutting only the skin. Place in boiling water for 30 seconds if the tomatoes are large. Transfer to ice water for about a minute, then remove the skin. Blend until smooth.

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   3. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and cut into cubes about 2×2 cm. Slice the onion into half rings. To prevent the onion from irritating your eyes when slicing, moisten the knife with cold water. Slice the button mushrooms. Finely chop the dill. You can also use any other herbs to your taste (parsley, cilantro, etc.).

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   4. Heat a frying pan with 2 tbsp of oil. Fry the mushrooms until golden. If desired, add the soy sauce and stir. Keep in mind that soy sauce is salty. Do not over-salt the dish later. For more on choosing oil for frying and the ideal frying pan, see the links at the end of the recipe.

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   5. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pot and lightly fry the onion until translucent. Add the bell pepper and stew for about 7 min. Pour in the tomato puree, add salt, sugar, and peppercorns. Cook for about 15 min, stirring.

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    6. Add the mushrooms and stew for about 5 min. Pour in the vinegar, add the chopped dill, and immediately remove from the heat.

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    7. Fill the sterilized jars. Seal, turn upside down, and wrap for 12 hours.

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    Serving and storage. Serve: as a side dish for meat, a spread on bread, or a base for soup. If desired, garnish with fresh herbs. Store: 1 year in a cool place.

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    Who will enjoy this recipe? ✔ Lovers of homemade preserves ✔ Mushroom pickers (for processing the harvest) ✔ Healthy eating enthusiasts (low-calorie meatless option)

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    Alternatives:

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    Instead of a blender, use a meat grinder. Instead of soy sauce, use 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

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    To learn how to calculate the number of jars, why jars explode and how to avoid it, as well as secrets and life hacks, read the article about winter preserves.

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    To learn how to properly sterilize jars for preserves, as well as how to sterilize (pasteurize) preserves for long-term storage, why do it at all, and which sterilization method is the most reliable and convenient, read this article.

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    Any oils are beneficial only up to a certain temperature - the smoke point, at which the oil starts to burn and toxic substances, including carcinogens, form in it. To learn how to determine the frying temperature and choose the best oil for frying, and which oils are better not to use at all, read here.

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    Important! The wrong frying pan can ruin even the best recipe. Read here for all the details on how to choose the ideal frying pan for different dishes.

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    To learn how to choose the ideal pot for soup, porridge, or salting cucumbers, read the article about pots.