Hot ajvar

Method

1. Wash the peppers, aubergines and chillies and roast them whole at 220 °C or on a grill, turning, until the skin blackens and lifts, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Cover the roasted vegetables in a bowl for 15 minutes, then peel them and remove the stalks and seeds.
3. Mince or chop finely. Heat a third of the oil in a wide heavy pan, add the vegetables and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time.
4. Add the rest of the oil a little at a time. When the mass is thick and the oil starts to show at the edge, after an hour and a half to three hours, add the vinegar, sugar, salt and, if you like, crushed garlic.
5. Fill the hot ajvar into sterilised jars to the brim, close them and pasteurise for 20 minutes at 85 °C. Keep somewhere dark and cool.

When to make it

Best: August and September. Possible: July, August, September, and October.

October: Still possible.

How we count

1 kg (Pepper) makes about 0.36 l.

As for sweet ajvar, with a little more mass from the chillies. The recipe on Plodovi uses 0.7 kg of chillies to 5 kg of peppers; this is a touch milder at 120 g per kilogram, so add to taste.