Hello!
The recipe this week is for all you canners out there.
It seems every year my garden will produce an overabundance of something. This year it happens to be cucumbers. With all the rain and perfect weather, they are just overachievers this year.
I have canned a ridiculous amount of sweet pickles, so the next step is relish.
It’s not difficult to do and the taste is superb. I have canned this stuff for years.
It goes with about everything. I love it with hamburgers, hot dogs, in potato salad and macaroni salad. I even add some mayonnaise to it and eat it as a tartar sauce with fish. It also pairs well with steak. I love it with ham also, the sweet and salty of the ham is fabulous.
It’s on my table for every holiday, and if I forget it, someone always reminds me. It’s been a staple at my house since the early 1980s.
Any way you decide to serve it, well, it doesn’t disappoint.
Sweet Pickle Relish
6 cups finely chopped cucumbers
2 cups finely chopped sweet peppers red or yellow.
2 cups finely chopped onion
¼ cup salt
4 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon celery seed
Instructions
Place coarse chopped cucumbers into food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure six cups of chopped cucumbers and place in a large bowl
Place coarse chopped sweet peppers, seeds and membranes removed, into food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure two cups of chopped peppers and add to cucumbers.
Place coarse chopped onions in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure two cups of chopped onions and add to cucumbers.
Add salt to vegetables and stir to combine well.
Cover with ice water and set aside for two hours.
Drain in a colander, rinse well and drain thoroughly. Squeeze out excess liquid if necessary.
Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
Stir in drained vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.
Spoon hot relish into hot pint jars, (I like using jelly jars) leaving ¼ inch space.
Top with lids and rings, just hand tighten.
Place jars into boiling water bath and process for 15 minutes
Remove jars and set aside to cool completely.
You should let this set for a few weeks before opening the jars to allow the flavors to go completely through.
Enjoy!
