Classic Sweet Pickle Relish Recipes

CLASSIC SWEET PICKLE RELISH

Steps:

• The chopped vegetables will need to sit at least 2 hours, or overnight, so begin in advance of when you want to make the relish.
• Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. With your knife flat, cut out the seeds and discard them. Or you can scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
• Chop the cucumbers into "relish-sized" pieces. I love to use my Nutri Ninja food processor for this with 3-4 pulses, but you could also chop with a knife.
• Dice the red pepper. You can put this in a food processor, but it seems to make it more "juicy" than simply chopping with a knife. It doesn't matter for this recipe though.
• Dice the onion.
• Put all the chopped vegetables in a bowl. Add the salt, and mix well. Let stand a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight. It seems like a lot of salt, but we'll drain and rinse it so the final relish won't taste overly salty.
• Start preparing your canning jars, by placing in a large pot of boiling water to sterilize. The water must cover the top of the jars. I like to use my spaghetti pot, so the jars aren't resting on the bottom of the pot.
• Put the sugar, vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
• Drain and rinse the cucumber mix.
• Add the cucumber mix to the boiling vinegar mix. Bring back to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the boiling water - carefully! Place them on a heat-proof surface. I use a wooden cutting board.
• Ladle the relish mix into the sterilized jars, with some of the brine, but not all or it'll be very soupy relish. Just enough liquid to make it look like store-bought relish.
• Put the canning lids on the jars. Screw on the rings until just a bit tight. The rings are just to hold the lids in place.
• Carefully put the jars back into the boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove the jars and place back onto your heat-proof surface. All the lid centres should "pop" down over the next few minutes. If you have any that did not go down, simply wait for them to cool and put them in the fridge to use first. As long as the lids are down, the jar is sealed and no bacteria can get in. It is safe to store these jars on the shelf until you need them.

CLASSIC SWEET HOT DOG RELISH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, and salt. Mix well. If this seems like a lot of salt, don't worry: Most of it is rinsed off later. The salt is there to draw water out of the vegetables, a step that results in better texture and flavor in the finished relish.
• Cover the bowl of vegetables and leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Transfer vegetables to a fine mesh sieve or strainer and let drain for a couple of minutes. Rinse well with cool water and drain again. Get out even more of the liquid by squeezing hard with clean hands or by pressing vegetables against sieve with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Whisk cornstarch into cool or room temperature vinegar in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, celery seed, mustard seeds, mustard, turmeric, nutmeg, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to help dissolve sugar and prevent lumps.
• Once syrup is boiling and becoming translucent, add vegetables. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• Scoop hot dog relish into clean, hot canning jars leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Screw on the lids. If canning, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Serve as desired.

SWEET PICKLE RELISH

Steps:

• Combine cucumbers, onions, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper in a large bowl; add salt and pour in enough cold water to cover. Allow to soak for 2 hours. Thoroughly drain in a colander.
• Pour vinegar into a large, heavy stainless steel pot; add celery seed and mustard seed. Stir sugar into mixture and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the drained vegetable mixture and return to a boil, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack relish into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

BEST EVER SWEET PICKLES

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly., In a Dutch oven, combine sugar, water, vinegars, mustard seed, celery seed and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until heated through., Carefully ladle hot mixture into 4 hot wide-mouth 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add 3 garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf to each jar. Remove air bubbles and, if necessary, adjust headspace by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.