10 cups onions (I used Ruby onions)
2-1/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons pickling spice*
2 teaspoons canning/pickling salt
Makes 4 pint jars. (Also fills 5 quilted, 12 oz jelly jars and looks really good on your picnic table.)
(Recipe origin: The Canning Granny)
I did exactly what Granny told me and brought all the ingredients to a boil in a large/deep saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. (To can, see the main canning page first.) Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and process using the water bath method for 10 minutes. Wait at least a couple of weeks to dive in.
Finally, I threw together another quick relish that turned out just as great. It is almost exactly like the one above but switches out the onions for all the other stuff I had hanging around!
Gimme All You Got Relish
4 cups grated zucchini
4 cups finely chopped red or green bell pepper
1 cup grated crookneck squash
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup grated carrot
2-1/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons pickling spice*
2 teaspoons canning/pickling salt
(I also added about several shakes of red pepper flakes and 1 clove finely minced garlic.)
Makes 4 pint jars. (Also fills 5 quilted, 12 oz jelly jars and looks really good on your picnic table.)
Cook as above, but simmer for an additional 10 minutes; 20 minutes cooking time total. Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace and process using the water bath method for 10 minutes. For this one, I’d wait at least 3-4 weeks for the flavors to sink into the veggies.
Wow. Did I miss my kitchen or what? It’s really good to be back inside again. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect with tomatoes, cayenne peppers, cucumbers, bell peppers, potatoes, green beans and corn – all within several days of readiness. And chard. More chard. Oh yeah, squash, hot peppers, onions and plums too. Still got lots of ‘em. (searching for more recipes…)
*Pickling spice
To make, add equal amounts of yellow and brown mustard seed, celery seed and dill seed; with a light dusting of ground ginger and allspice.
Tip: As with any pickling recipe, cook your brine/relish in a non-reactive pot or pan.
Tip: By all means, use that Cuisinart or Kitchenaid attachment when making relish. That’s a lot of work for such a simple recipe.
Tip: For any kind of pickling, try to use wide-mouth jars to make your life a bit easier. Wide openings for pickles help you put that sandwich together much faster (struggle-free, fork and finger friendly) and a wide-mouth makes it easier to spoon out the biggest dollop of relish you’ve ever had so that you can get that hot dog in your mouth in record time.
