Easy Homemade Sweet Relish Recipe | Simple Canning & Condiment Guide
A bright, sweet-tart homemade relish with crisp texture and classic deli flavor. Make a small batch for the fridge or safely can it for pantry storage.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cups finely chopped English or pickling cucumbers, seeds removed if large
- 1 cup finely chopped bell peppers (half red, half green)
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (for pre-salting vegetables)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Instructions
- Finely chop the cucumbers, peppers, and onion into pea-sized pieces and combine in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with the kosher salt, toss well, and let sit for 1 hour to draw out moisture.
- Rinse the vegetables under cold water to remove excess salt, drain thoroughly, and press or squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.
- In a medium pot, combine sugar, white vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and optional red pepper flakes, then bring to a gentle simmer while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Stir the drained vegetables into the hot brine and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly translucent and the flavors are balanced.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or salt to preference while keeping the sweet-tart profile.
- For refrigerator storage, ladle hot relish into clean jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.
- For canning, keep sterilized jars hot, fill with hot relish leaving 1/2 inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude).
- Turn off heat, rest jars 5 minutes, remove, cool 12 to 24 hours, check seals, label, and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Yields about 3 to 4 half-pint jars. Refrigerator relish keeps 1 to 2 months; canned relish keeps up to 1 year; refrigerate after opening and use within 1 month. You can freeze for up to 3 months with slightly softer texture. Variations: add dill, jalapeño or red pepper flakes for heat, yellow or ground mustard for a zesty profile, a pinch of clove for bread-and-butter style, minced garlic, or a little grated sweet apple. Maintain 5% acidity vinegar and a similar liquid ratio for safe canning, and avoid overcooking to keep the vegetables crisp.