Sweet Pickle Relish Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Author Notes

I've been making this relish most of my life. My great-grandmother Agatha made it every summer and wrangled my help with the prep work from the time I was a small child. In those days, everything was grated on a box grater. It's much easier these days with the Cuisinart. I use this relish as a base for tartar sauce, just add mayo or plain yogurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. It's also spectacular on hot dogs and all other sausages. I've also fiddled with the spices - alternately using allspice and juniper and fennel seed in lieu of the mustard seed. Also, replacing some of the sweet pepper with hot pepper provides a completely different and wonderful relish. Source great heritage peppers (Cubano, Jimmy Nardello, Banana) and your relish will be extraordinary. —MrsWheelbarrow

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• 4 cupsfinely chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
  
• 4 cupsfinely chopped sweet peppers, seeded and deveined
  
• 2 cupsfinely chopped yellow onion
  
• 4 tablespoonskosher or canning salt
  
• 2 cupswhite sugar
  
• 1.5 cupsbrown sugar
  
• 2 cupscider vinegar
  
• 1 tablespooncelery seed
  
• 1 tablespoonyellow mustard seed
  
• 8 half-pint jars, lids and rings