Name: Ljutenica
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: about 1.6 kg relish
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 1500 g red sweet peppers, whole, washed and dried; 1000 g ripe tomatoes, cored; 250 g hot red peppers, whole; 100 ml sunflower oil; 100 ml wine vinegar, 5% acidity; 60 g granulated sugar; 20 g garlic, finely chopped; 15 g fine salt; 5 g ground black pepper

Yield about 1.6 kg relish

Preparation 45 minutes

Cooking 105 minutes

Passive 120 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Ljutenica with roasted sweet peppers, hot peppers and reduced tomato

Ljutenica sits in the family of Balkan pepper relishes but is defined here by a sharper hot-pepper profile and a substantial tomato base. The technique is designed for fresh refrigerated use: peppers are roasted and drained, tomatoes are reduced separately, then the components are cooked together with oil, sugar, garlic, vinegar and seasoning. Nothing in the method is intended to create a pantry-stable preserve.

Roasting does two jobs. It develops sweetness in the peppers and loosens the skins, but it also releases water. That liquid is useful while the flesh softens in the oven and unhelpful later in the relish, so the peeled peppers get a full hour to rest in a colander. Skipping the drain means the pot spends extra time boiling away pepper water, often at the expense of fresh pepper flavour.

Tomatoes go into the wide pot first because they carry even more free moisture. They should be reduced until the spoon leaves a short-lived line through the pulp. Only then are the chopped peppers and oil added. At that point the heat is lowered and stirring becomes frequent, especially near the end when a thick vegetable mixture can catch on the base of the pan quickly.

Garlic and 5% wine vinegar enter in the final five minutes. The short simmer takes the raw edge from the garlic and distributes the vinegar without requiring a long second reduction. The finished ljutenica should be spoonable and cohesive, not runny and not dry enough to stand like a paste. Its heat should be clear, but roasted pepper and tomato still need to be identifiable beneath it.

Storage is deliberately simple and strict. The hot relish is divided among shallow clean containers, cooled promptly and placed at 4 °C or below within two hours. Refrigerated portions are used within 3 to 4 days; larger batches are best frozen in small containers. A tight lid, hot filling or acidic taste is not treated as evidence that the relish can safely live in a cupboard.

Practical

ControlDrain roasted peppers before reduction.
ControlUse a wide pot so water can escape without extreme heat.
ControlStir more frequently as the mixture thickens.
ControlTreat the finished relish as refrigerated food, not canned pantry food.

Ingredients

Vegetable relish

1500 g red sweet peppers, whole, washed and dried
1000 g ripe tomatoes, cored
250 g hot red peppers, whole
100 ml sunflower oil
100 ml wine vinegar, 5% acidity
60 g granulated sugar
20 g garlic, finely chopped
15 g fine salt
5 g ground black pepper

Directions

Roast and drain the peppers

Roast the peppersRoast the sweet and hot peppers at 220 °C until blistered and softened, turning for even charring. The skins are blistered in many places and the flesh has collapsed without burning black throughout. Roasting develops sweetness and makes peeling practical.
Drain the peeled peppersCover briefly, peel and seed the peppers, then rest the cleaned flesh in a colander so excess liquid drains. The pepper flesh is soft but no longer releases a stream of liquid when lifted. Draining reduces the time needed to concentrate the relish.

Reduce the relish

Reduce the tomatoPeel and finely chop or crush the tomatoes, then cook them in a wide pot until visibly reduced. The tomato mass is thicker, bubbles more slowly and leaves a brief trail behind the spoon. Reducing tomato first prevents the finished relish from becoming watery.
Cook the relishChop the drained peppers, add them with 100 ml oil, 60 g sugar, 15 g salt and 5 g black pepper, then cook while stirring frequently. The mixture is cohesive and a spoon drawn across the base leaves a path for a moment before closing. Slow reduction concentrates the vegetables without hard frying.
Finish with garlic and vinegarAdd 20 g garlic and 100 ml 5% wine vinegar and cook briefly to integrate the final seasoning. The raw garlic edge has softened and the relish remains thick but spoonable. Late garlic preserves aroma while a final simmer disperses it evenly.

Cool for refrigerated storage

Cool promptlyTransfer the hot relish to clean shallow containers, cool promptly, cover and refrigerate at 4 °C or below. The containers are no longer steaming before lids are fully sealed and the relish reaches refrigerator temperature. Shallow containers speed cooling and avoid relying on unvalidated pantry preservation.

Practical

Practical guidance

Wear gloves while trimming and chopping hot peppers, and avoid touching the eyes or face. Because the relish is concentrated, small 50 g servings are usually enough. Freeze in small containers so an entire large batch does not need to be thawed repeatedly. Once thawed in the refrigerator, use it as a refrigerated food rather than refreezing cycles for convenience.

Control points

Relish separates into liquid and pulpGuidance: The roasted peppers were not drained or the tomato was under-reduced.Adjustment: Continue gentle uncovered cooking in a wide pot until the spoon trail holds briefly.
Garlic tastes harshGuidance: It was added after cooking rather than during the final simmer.Adjustment: Give the garlic the full final 5-minute low simmer in the hot relish.

Nutrition

Serving size50 g
Caloriesapproximately 60 kcal
Carbohydratesapproximately 7 g
Proteinapproximately 1 g
Fatapproximately 3 g
Fibreapproximately 2 g
Sodiumapproximately 210 mg

These figures are approximate and can change with ingredient brands, trimming, liquid retention and portioning.

Allergens and food safety

This is not a shelf-stable canning procedure. Cool the relish promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours and keep it at 4 °C or below. Use within 3 to 4 days or freeze. The base ingredient list contains no major allergen.

FAQ

How hot should ljutenica be?

The fixed 250 g hot-pepper amount gives a clearly spicy relish, but exact heat still depends on cultivar. The balance should not hide the roasted sweet pepper and tomato.

Why not fill hot jars for the pantry?

Hot filling alone is not a validated shelf-stable process. Cool the relish promptly and keep it refrigerated or frozen instead.

Result: Ljutenica finishes thick and spoonable, with roasted sweet-pepper depth, clear chilli heat and concentrated tomato rather than a watery sauce.

Key: Drain roasted peppers before reduction.