Sweet Cucumber Relish
My Sweet Pickle Relish recipe is your perfect kitchen project for a tangy and sweet home-cooked meal. This relish combines cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers with spices. Waterbath canning keeps it conveniently shelf-stable.
Perfect for burgers, hot dogs, and more.
Sweet Pickle Relish Recipe
Equipment
- Boiling water canner
- 6 pint-size canning jars with lids and bands
- Large mixing bowl
- Colander
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 4 cups finely chopped cucumbers (about 4 medium cucumbers)
- 2 cups finely chopped onions
- 1 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
- ¼ cup pickling or canning salt
- 3 ½ cups sugar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
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Instructions
- Chop and Salt: Finely chop cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers. In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped vegetables with pickling salt. Mix well.
- Drain: Cover the bowl and let stand for 2 hours. Then, rinse the mixture in a colander under cold water and allow to drain completely.
- Sterilize Jars: Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
- Combine Vinegar and Spices: In a large pot, mix the sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add Vegetables: Add the drained vegetable mixture to the vinegar solution. Return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Fill Jars: Pack the hot relish into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean, damp cloth. Place the lid on the jar and secure with the band until fingertip tight.
- Process: Place jars in the boiling water canner, ensuring they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a rolling boil and process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove from canner and allow to cool undisturbed.
- Check Seals: After cooling, check that lids are properly sealed by pressing the center of the lid. It should not flex. Store in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Nutrition
More Tips:
To achieve the perfect texture, chop your cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers as evenly as possible to help blend the flavors and make it easier to pack into jars. Plus, it makes sure that you get a consistent ratio of veggies to pickling liquid in every bite.
If you don’t have pickling or canning salt, you can use table salt instead, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Regular salt has additives that can make your relish look cloudy. Plus, pickling salt is better at keeping your veggies crisp.
Remember to let the chopped veggies sit for 2 hours with salt, as it draws out water from the vegetables and keeps your relish crunchy. Skipping it might give you a softer relish than you’re hoping for.
If you want to reduce the sugar, remember that it will definitely make your relish less sweet, but it’ll also affect the preservation. If you want to cut back, maybe try a little at a time.
After filling the jars with relish and before sealing them, take extra time to remove any air bubbles. You can do this by gently tapping the jar on the counter or using a non-metallic tool to stir and release trapped air.
About the Ingredients
Changing the ingredients in Sweet Pickle Relish may affect its taste, texture, or appearance. But you can try out different variations for a recipe that suits your taste.
- Cucumbers: Use zucchini as a close substitute.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: White or white wine vinegar can be used. Don’t forget to check the label for the acidity level.
- Sugar: Honey is a good alternative, but remember that honey is sweeter, so you should use less of it.
- Mustard Seeds: Using dry mustard is a great option, but use fewer seeds. You can buy them from the bulk spice section of bigger grocery stores, health food stores, or online.
- Celery Seeds: Finely chopped fresh celery leaves
- Ground Turmeric: Leave it out if it’s unavailable. Remember that it affects the color more than the taste.
- Pickling Salt: Use kosher salt as a substitute. Look for it in stores with a good variety of canning supplies or specialty food stores.
I’ve been making this sweet pickle relish every summer for years, and it’s become a tradition in our household. I started making it to use the cucumbers from our garden, and it has now become a must-have for our family barbecues.
If you haven’t tried making homemade relish before, now is your time to try it!
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
