zucchini spread

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Zucchini spread is a popular Russian side dish that has been made in our homes for generations. This homemade zucchini spread (Ikra) is simple yet delicious! Zucchini spread is roasted vegetables with garlic in a creamy tomato paste.

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Zucchini spread (caviar) is a staple in Russian cuisine. It’s a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. As the generations pass, every family tweaks a few ingredients and methods to cater to their taste. Zucchini spread is usually served as a side, but I like it on toasted bread with a fried egg on top for breakfast, or with fresh cucumbers on the side for lunch, It’s also good on meat for dinner. So if you want to, you can have zucchini caviar for every meal. Can’t say I have never done that 😉

Now, this is what I call a breakfast of champions! My husband says eating at home is so much better than eating out in restaurants. And I have to agree with him! Feels like, after the pandemic, the quality of restaurant food went down drastically. Or maybe while all the restaurants where shut down 2 years ago, I learned how to cook. either way, it is hard to go back to low-quality food. Once you know good homemade food, it is hard to go back. Especially when you can go out to your personal grocery store to get the freshest ingredients!….aka my garden!

Now, look at those gorgeous zucchini! If you don’t grow a garden, you can pick up some zucchini at a farmer’s market or even your local grocery store. But the key is to use fresh zucchini for this Zucchini caviar (spread) recipe. This recipe has a few simple ingredients: Zucchini, onion, garlic, tomato paste, mayonnaise, salt, sugar, and oil. Ok, let’s get started! Let’s make zucchini spread. Before you know it, You will have the most delicious spread!

Tip:

Some girls have reported back to me that when they didn’t have enough zucchini they added some eggplants instead and the spread turned out bitter. I would recommend only using zucchini. (updated on 8/23/22)

Tools you will need to make Zucchini spread

Food grinder

Measuring cups and spoons

Big pot

Stirring spoon

Cans and lids

Canner and a can lifter

Ingredients

• 13 pounds zucchini (212 oz)
• 35 oz onion
• 17 oz tomato paste
• 17 oz mayonnaise
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2-3 tbl salt
• 2 tbl ground black pepper
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 2 heads of garlic
• (optional) serrano peppers to taste.

How to make zucchini spread

Peel and roughly chop the zucchini. Wear gloves for this part, the zucchini peel leaves a film on your hands that is hard to wash off.

Peel and chop the onion as well, then put the zucchini and the onions through the meat grinder. If you want to make zucchini caviar with a kick, now is the time to add in some spicy peppers. My husband loves spicy food, I try to add some pepper’s anywhere I can. I made half of this recipe spicy, and the other half I left original. Grind the zucchini and onion first into a big pot that you will place on the stove. If you are making this spicy, grind the peppers last into a separate small bowl.

Cook the zucchini and onion

place the pot with zucchini and onion on the stove and bring to a boil. Make sure to cover the pot with a lid so it doesn’t splatter all over your kitchen. Once it boils turn it down to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.

To the pot add tomato paste, mayonnaise, oil, and sugar, add only 2 tbl of salt, and black ground pepper. Mix very well. If you are not adding spicy peppers, then continue to simmer for an hour. ( you can add the other 1 tbl of salt in the end if it needs it)

If you are adding spicy peppers now would be a good time to add them. Add as much or as little pepper as you would like. I added 5 serrano peppers to mine. If you want to make only half the batch spicy then remove half of the zucchini and onions into a different pot and add the peppers there. Continue to cook for an hour. Stir on occasion to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

It has a pale color right now, it will darken as it cooks.

After an hour of cooking add 1 tsp of citric acid ( If you divided the caviar into 2 portions to add the peppers, add 1/2 a tsp of citric acid into each portion)

Put the garlic through a garlic presser and add it to the zucchini. Taste for salt if it needs more, add in the rest of it. Mix well then cook for 15 minutes. Stir on occasion so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. ( Or add 1 head of garlic into each portion)

Now is the time to disinfect your jars and lids and can some for the winter! If you don’t eat it all before then.

Can zucchini spread for the winter!

Zucchini caviar can last for years if done correctly! Start with boiling the lids in water and wash the cans very well then place them in the microwave for 3 minutes. While the jars are still hot, use a towel to place them on the counter next to the pot with the hot zucchini spread. Wipe the lids dry, with a wet paper towel, and wipe the rims of the jars clean. Fill the jars with the spread and tightly close them. Place them in a pot with water ( make sure the water and the jars are the same temperatures so they don’t crack.) The water needs to be covering the jar completely. Boil for 15 minutes. This should seal the lid.

After boiling use a jar lifter to take the jars out and place them upside down on a towel till they cool down completely. Once they are cooled off, flip the can and make sure that the lids are sealed. To tell if they are sealed the center of the lid will not have any bounce to it. When you press the center and you hear a clicking, place that jar in the fridge and eat it within a few weeks. The rest keep in a cool place and enjoy all winter long!

Pin it for later!

Try zucchini spread on the best sourdough bread!

Compost bucket

If you read my other posts, you already know that nothing goes to waste in this Farmhouse! I place all the discards into this compost bucket which then I feed to my chickens. Having this compost bucket sit on my countertop is so functional! I used to put all my kitchen scraps into a bowl and the fruit flies would drive me crazy. With this bucket I no longer have fruit flies in my kitchen. Shop my most used kitchen appliance here.