Zucchini caviar – vegan spread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 6 kg zucchini
• 1 kg onion(s)
• 500 ml tomato paste
• 50 g salt, coarse
• 200 g sugar
• 200 ml oil
• 2 bulbs of garlic
• 100 ml vinegar
• 3 bay leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

Ikra kabachkowa, Ukrainian cuisine

Peel the zucchini and onions and mince them. Bring both to a boil in a large pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 1 hour. Add the tomato paste, salt, sugar, oil, and bay leaves and simmer for another 30 minutes. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, press in the garlic and add the vinegar, then season to taste and add more seasoning if desired. Transfer to sterile screw-top jars and seal. Turn the jars upside down, cover with a warm cloth, and let them cool slowly overnight. Keep for up to 1 year. Zucchini caviar is a popular spread in Ukraine and also makes a great pasta sauce. The quantities given are based on zucchini harvested from the garden. Zucchini caviar is best used with large zucchini, which are already too firm for other dishes. The skin and seeds of large zucchini are usually hard and should be removed. Ukrainian vegetable gardens primarily cultivate the light-colored zucchini, which can also be found in Turkish supermarkets. The variety is Zucchini Alfresco or Binca di Trieste.