It can be difficult to make your own sweet pickle relish, but the results are worth the wait.You can either enjoy the relish immediately or store it for a long time.
Step 1: The vegetables need to be washed.
Cucumbers and peppers should be washed under running water.It is a good idea to dry well with clean paper towels.Put the onion and garlic cloves in a bag.Cucumber peeling is not necessary and only a matter of personal preference.
Step 2: The cucumbers have seeds.
Cucumbers are sliced in half.Remove the strip of seeds by dragging a spoon down the center of the half.Cucumbers are the easiest to work with, but you can use regular cucumbers as well.The relish should still taste great because the process will be the same.
Step 3: The cucumbers should be diced.
Use a knife to cut the cucumber.Cucumbers can be diced into small pieces measuring 1/6 to 1/6 inch.To save time, you could use a food processor instead of chopping the cucumbers.Cucumbers can be processed very slowly to avoid turning them into mush.
Step 4: The vegetables should be diced.
The peppers and onion can be diced into small chunks.The garlic needs to be chopped as finely as possible.Before dicing the peppers, you need to discard the stems, membranes, and seeds.You can use a food processor if you want, but chopping by hand gives you more control.Each vegetable needs to be processed separately.
Step 5: The vegetables should be tossed with salt and water.
Cucumbers, peppers, and onions can be placed in a large bowl.The vegetables should be thrown together with the salt and covered with cold water.Don't add the garlic to this mixture.It should be put aside until later.The bowl you use should be non-reactive.The water needs to be very cold to keep the vegetables fresh.To cool the mixture further, you can add 1 cup of ice to the water.
Step 6: Allow the mixture to rest.
Allow the mixture to rest for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature.If you are in a hurry, you can move onto the next step after 2 hours.Vegetables can be allowed to soak overnight.If you plan on storing it long-term, longer resting times should help prolong the lifespan of the relish.The mixture should be checked every hour or so.Add more cold water if the water level goes down significantly.Add more ice if the water temperature gets too warm.
Step 7: The vegetables need to be drained and washed.
The contents of the bowl should be put through a fine mesh strainer.Thoroughly rinse the vegetables.The vegetables need to be washed thoroughly to promote even coverage.The rinse water should be allowed to completely drain from the vegetables.
Step 8: You should soak in fresh water.
Bring the vegetable mixture back to the bowl and cover it with cold water.The mixture should be soaked for another hour.
Step 9: The vegetables need to be drained again.
Remove the water and vegetables from the bowl and put them in a container.You don't have to rinse the mixture this time, but you may need to gently press the vegetables against the sides and bottom of the colander to squeeze out as much excess water as possible.
Step 10: The ingredients of the mixture are the vinegar, sugar, and spices.
In a saucepan, place the vinegar, sugar, garlic, and other ingredients.The pan should be on the stove.You can tint the relish with white, cider, or red wine vinegars, each adding a slightly different flavor profile.You can use either sugar.White sugar and brown sugar work well with different types of vinegar.If you prefer a clear relish, you can place the spices in a bag instead of directly to the sugar and sugar.Before you put the relish into jars, you can remove the bundle of spices.
Step 11: Bring the mixture to a boil.
Allow the mixture to reach a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium and drop the liquid into a pot.Bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes.Before you continue, the sugar should be completely dissolved.
Step 12: The vegetables should be added.
Cucumbers, onions, and peppers should be added to the simmering liquid.Allow the liquid to reach a boil by increasing the heat to medium-high again.After the mixture has boiled, reduce the heat to medium and bring the liquid to a boil.Continue cooking until most of the excess liquid has evaporated.The contents of the saucepan can burn if they are not stirred frequently.
Step 13: Prepare the jars.
Put the canning jars and lids in the boiling water.Dry with paper towels.You can clean jars in the dishwasher if you have a dishwasher.The lids need to be boiled.It's best to perform this step while soaking or cooking the relish in order to reduce wait time.
Step 14: Take a water bath.
The canner should be filled halfway with water.Begin heating it over medium-high heat by covering it with its lid.The water should reach a boil.The water bath should be prepared while the relish cooks.You can use a large stockpot with a heat-proof rack if you don't have a water canner.If you plan on processing cans of relish for long-term storage, a water bath is not necessary.You can skip this part if you want to use the relish within a month.
Step 15: The relish should be put in the jars.
Take the finished relish and put it into the jars that have been sanitized.To release as many air bubbles as possible, gently stir the sides of the jar.To clean excess liquid from the jar rims, use a damp cloth and screw the lid on top of the jars.
Step 16: The jars need to be processed for 10 minutes.
Carefully lower the cans of relish.Allow the water to reach a boil again, then cover the canner and process the relish for 10 minutes.The sides of the canner should not be touched by the jars.The jars should be covered by the hot water.You may need to process the jars longer if you live at higher altitudes.For altitudes between 1000 and 6000 feet, process the jars for 15 minutes.For altitudes above 6000 feet, process the jars for 20 minutes.
Step 17: The jars should be removed.
jar tongs can be used to remove jars from hot water.Cool them on a wire rack for an hour or until they drop to room temperature.Press on the center of the lid after the jars have cooled.The jars are processed correctly if the lid stays down.The jars aren't sealed if it pops up.Store jars the same way you would store opened jars.
Step 18: You can store jars up to a year.
The jars should be placed in a dark place.They should last at least 6 months, but most will last for 12 to 18 months.
Step 19: Open jars can be kept up to a month.
You can use the relish within a month if you keep the jars in the fridge.You should be able to keep the jars in your refrigerator for up to a month if you didn't process them.