It'd been a while.
We parted ways late last fall when the last of the tomatoes, the last of the apples, and the last of the late season fruit had been canned and sauced and jammed. It was the end of our season together and I looked forward to a long winter of enjoying the fruits of our labor. I put her in the garage where she sat silent and empty until last night when I pulled her out to make sweet pickle relish.
I've mentioned my sweet pickle relish a time or two haven't I? At least once?
The recipe comes from my favorite canning book. William Sonoma's The Art of Preserving is, without a doubt, filled with some of the most delicious and elegant canning recipes I've come across. This one in particular is a tangy sweet blend of vinegar and sugar, peppers and cucumbers that is so good, my children now refuse store bought relish. I couldn't help adding my own twists.
Sweet Pickle Relish Recipe
(makes 4 pints)
2.5 lbs cucumbers, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced (I once used orange instead of red and it still worked beautifully.)
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1/4 c. kosher salt
3 c. sugar
2 c. apple cider vinegar
1 T celery seeds
1 T mustard seeds (the recipe called for brown, but I used yellow because it was all I could find)
2 tsp whole allspice
1. Before we start in on the recipe, I'm going to tell you that I send all my veggies through the food processor instead of hand dicing them. The picture in the cookbook shows a delicious looking, chunky relish sitting next to gorgeous cheeses. Since ours tends to top hot dogs and tuna sandwiches, a more fine consistency works better for us.
2. Take the cucumbers, bell peppers, and onion and put in a plastic bowl. Cover with water and add salt, stirring gently. Cover and set on the counter overnight.
3. The next day, drain the veggie mixture in a colander. Rinse and repeat. While it's draining, put the allspice in cheesecloth and tie with a string. I don't actually have cheesecloth. I use these amazing little inventions instead. Trust me, even if you don't drink tea, you'll find all sorts of uses for them.
** Now is the time to start your hot water bath boiling and your jars sterilizing.**
4. When your veggies are all nice and drained, put them in a large pot and add the sugar, vinegar, spices and the cheesecloth with all spice. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When it starts to boil, reduce to a simmer and let it go for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the allspice bag and ladle into hot jars. You're going to want to leave about 1/4" head space and you might need to use a knife to eliminate air bubbles.
6. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a damp paper towel and put the lids and seals on them. Process in the hot water bath for ten minutes.
You're done! This is truly one of the easiest recipes I've tried. Go one. Give it a whirl.
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