Sweet Pickle Relish

Donna Matthews's Note:

After much experimentation with ingredients and ratios, this is my favorite sweet pickle relish. I usually can it when the burpless cukes from the garden get away from me.

• Total Time: 5 hrs
• Prep Time: 5 hrs
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 96

Yield: 3.0 pints

• 4 cups cucumbers, deseeded and chopped
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

Directions:

1. To deseed cucumbers, I cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with my finger.
2. I chop the unpeeled cucumbers as well as the other vegetables with a Pampered Chef chopper.
3. Put all the vegetables in a large bowl.
4. Sprinkle the salt over the chopped vegetables.
5. Cover with cold water and let stand for 2 hours.
6. Drain vegetables well, then press out as much liquid as possible.
7. In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar and seeds.
8. Bring to a boil.
9. Add vegetables.
10. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Using a slotted spoon, put into pint jars according to standard canning procedures.
12. (Note: Although some of the brine needs to go in the jars, I use a slotted spoon to keep it from being too soupy.).
13. Process in a hot water bath according to your altitude (10 minutes for up 50 1000 ft.).

Reviews

[Chef #1464675]

I made this today with the following changes and it is scrumptious. Instead of 2 cups vinegar, 1 cup was used. Instead of 3-1/2 cups of sugar, 1-3/4 cup of Splenda/sucralose was used and instead of the celery/mustard seeds, 2 T of pickling spices were used. This was my first attempt at any kind of relish. I ate it warm on crackers - very good! Can't wait until I can put it in some tuna!

[FrankB]

This is a very good recipe. When you make it, cut the sugar and vinegar in half. Then you will not have leftover juice. I also cut the sugar down by 1/2 cup and the end result was quite tasty. After I soaked the veg with the salt water I drained, washed it well and then put it in my cloth bag I use for jelly juice to squeeze out all the juice. Worked quite nicely. I also made a double batch with a single batch of the juice and seeds and it turned out very good. Donna should be commended for the basic recipe. I will keep it to use each year from now on!!

[Chef #1148984]

I used this recipe after my cucumbers overran my garden. It is very sweet, but I like to do some sweet and some hot relish. This one is perfect and easy! I substituted mixed pickling spices for the mustard and celery seeds. Came out wonderful. will definitly use this next year. Thanks!