# Sweet relish



## frabjuslady (Jul 18, 2014)

My family eats a lot of sweet relish so I thought that should be my next canning adventure. I want a recipe similar to the sweet relish you buy in a store. Hoping someone would share... There are just so many relish recipes out there and I am not sure which would be close.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I had never made it before this year, and so far this year I have made one quart and 25 pints of it, and it is great.
I didn't use a recipe, I bought the package of Mrs. Wages sweet pickle relish mix.
It costs about $3 for the package.
You simply boil some vinegar, sugar, and the spice mix, then stir in, if I remember correctly, 6 or 8 pounds of chopped cucumbers. Then pack into jars and water bath can it for 10 or 15 minutes. I get at least 8-9 pints out of each batch.


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## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

My wife makes a lot of it. She does it with no packet. Not sire what she uses but can get it for ya if u want. All I know is it is wonderful and everyone who GETS to try it raves!! Haha


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

This is the sweet pickle relish I use, I've been making it for years, and you can do it in one day. Its a really old recipe, my aunt always made it and when I started canning years ago she shared the recipe with me.

Cucumber Relish

4 cups ground unpeeled cucumber
1 1/2 cups ground green pepper
3 cups ground onion
3 cups finely diced celery
1/4 cup salt
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 TBL celery seed
1 TBL mustard seed

Combine all vegetables in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, cover with cold water. Let stand 4 hours. Drain thoroughly in colander, press out all excess liquid.

Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and mustard seed. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in drained vegetables, simmer 10 min.

Pack into jars 1/2" of top. Process in boiling water bath 10 min.

Yield 5-6 pints



The only thing I do different from the instructions is I don't "grind" up my veggies, I cut them in short chunks then grate them in my food processor.

I also use large over ripe cucumbers or zucchini in this, and I just quarter them lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out that spongy, seed filled center.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

If you have lots of yellow squash, this is a winner..I do not like seeds in mine...

Squash Relish

12 cups grated squash (I use mostly the yellow skin part)
2 cups grated onion
2 large bell peppers, grated
1 large jar pimentos, chopped
5 TBSP canning salt

Sprinkle salt over the above and let set overnight. You can let
it set for several hours during the day. I put ice over mine, let
it set, and then drain it if doing it during the daytime. Drain and
rinse.
At this point, I like mine with hot sliced jalapeno peppers, so I buy a
small jar, drain them, and add them now.
Syrup:
5 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 1/2 TBSP celery seed
1 1/2 TBSP mustard seed
1 1/2 TBSP tumeric
Boil syrup and add drained squash mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Pack in hot, sterilized jars and seal. (hot water bath) I prefer to do pint jars for us.This is so good during the winter months.


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## ROSEMAMA (Jan 12, 2007)

I like the one in the Ball Blue Book. Just took my 4th batch of the season out of the canner.


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## semimoonman (Oct 31, 2012)

I make zucchini bread and butter pickles/relish from the Ball Blue Book using one forgotten monster zucchini. I substitute the Penzey's pickling spice mix (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspicklingspice.html?id=3QNbJbK9) for the total volume of spices in the recipe. 

Usually I'm not a fan of pre mixed spices, but this mix is fantastic. It's all whole spices, so the mix keeps for years without loosing its flavor. In the past I've left it whole in the relish, but that leaves some surprises like whole cloves in the relish. I don't want to strain out the spices before canning because they keep adding their flavor while the pickles are sitting on the shelf. Do you think I could grind the spices before adding them to the pickling liquid? Or would that lead to a weird texture, etc?


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## ROSEMAMA (Jan 12, 2007)

semimoonman said:


> I make zucchini bread and butter pickles/relish from the Ball Blue Book using one forgotten monster zucchini. I substitute the Penzey's pickling spice mix (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspicklingspice.html?id=3QNbJbK9) for the total volume of spices in the recipe.
> 
> Usually I'm not a fan of pre mixed spices, but this mix is fantastic. It's all whole spices, so the mix keeps for years without loosing its flavor. In the past I've left it whole in the relish, but that leaves some surprises like whole cloves in the relish. I don't want to strain out the spices before canning because they keep adding their flavor while the pickles are sitting on the shelf. Do you think I could grind the spices before adding them to the pickling liquid? Or would that lead to a weird texture, etc?


I would think you could do that or maybe use a tea ball to boil it in and remove before canning.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

So I did not like the Ball Complete Harvest Book recipe, it was too watery and not quite sweet and sticky enough ( I too like the store brand with all the crap in it), but since I'm pretty new to canning take it with a grain of salt. I have many jars from last year and will use them, but, meh. It seemed to me that it might have need to be cooked longer. 

I'm thinking of trying Mrs. Wages, but I'll have to pay a lot more than $3 online. None of our closer stores have it.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Vosey said:


> So I did not like the Ball Complete Harvest Book recipe, it was too watery and not quite sweet and sticky enough ( I too like the store brand with all the crap in it), but since I'm pretty new to canning take it with a grain of salt. I have many jars from last year and will use them, but, meh. It seemed to me that it might have need to be cooked longer.
> 
> I'm thinking of trying Mrs. Wages, but I'll have to pay a lot more than $3 online. None of our closer stores have it.


Our walmart and tractor supply carry it.


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## StickyFloors (Aug 4, 2014)

I made this one this year - it was my first relish:
http://pickyourown.org/pickle_relish.htm

and it was lovely! We've already eaten a jar of it. It's done in stages - like making bread and butter pickles. Salt and ice, rinse, more ice, add brine and spices, let sit, etc. 

I used the regular pickling spices from the grocery (had some left over from last year) and let it soak in the brine for 36 hours (the max recommended time) and it was very flavorful. Love it.


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