Characterization of homemade ajvar: A pepper-based relish

Ajvar is a pepper-based relish that represents a mixture of roasted sweet peppers. As a domestic agricultural food product known as vegetable caviar, ajvar is consumed in small portions, cold, in addition to the main meal, or as a spread. This paper investigated the composition of domestic ajvar made of Capsicum annuum L. sweet peppers. Bioactive compounds, mineral matters, moisture, ash, crude protein, and total fat content were analyzed. The identification of bioactive compounds is done using the UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method. The content of mineral matters, in the ajvar sample, has been investigated by ICP-OES. Moisture and ash content are determined by using gravimetric methods, while the Kjeldahl method and Soxhlet extraction were used for crude proteins and total fats content determination, respectively. Out of the bioactive compounds several organic acids and flavonoid derivates were successfully identified in the ajvar sample. Investigation of mineral compositions showed high levels of sodium (3571.703 mg/kg) and potassium (2172.695 mg/kg), as well as the presence of some significant microelements such as zinc (10.740 mg/kg) and copper (4.480 mg/kg). The obtained results of moisture content (73.04%), ash (2.53%), crude proteins (1.78%), and total fat content (9.21%), have further confirmed that ajvar is quite nutritious and can fit into various diet plans.