Zesty Zucchini Relish is where it’s at. Once I started making it, I turned my back on Sweet Pickle Relish. Well, except in those years when the zucchini don’t pop and the cucumbers are prolific. One must make use of what one has – but I do hope for a bumper crop of zucchini every year, just so that I can make this relish. This recipe makes 5 pints of relish, which is a lot. But we never have enough to make it through the year – It’s a sad day when we pull the last jar out of the pantry in the spring.
Sweating the veg is a key step in this recipe because it draws out the water in the veg, so that the final product has better texture and much more flavor. Once the veg has expelled it’s water, it soaks up the sugar and spices, and most importantly, the horseradish and jalapeño, which is what makes this relish zesty!
Zesty Zucchini Relish
Ingredients
- garden-fresh zucchinis (enough to make 12 cups)
- 4 cups onions
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 green pepper
- ⅓ cup canning salt
- 2½ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ cups white vinegar
- 1 T ground nutmeg
- 1 T ground turmeric
- 4 T prepared horseradish
- 1 jalapeño
Instructions
12 HOURS IN ADVANCE
- Prep the veg – Destem and finely chop the zucchini. Peel and chop the onions. Destem, deseed, and dice the red and green peppers. Destem the jalapeño and mince it, seeds and all, then set it aside.
- Sweat the veg – In a large stainless steel bowl, combine the chopped zucchini, onion and red and green peppers, and ⅓ cup canning salt. Cover and let stand in a cool place for at least 12 hours, or overnight. Transfer to a colander, rinse with cool water, and drain thoroughly. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
MAKE THE RELISH
- Sterilize your jars – Fill your water bath, and add the empty jars. Boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Add your tongs, ladle and funnel to the boiling water to sterilize as well.
- Prep the relish – In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the drained zucchini and peppers, sugar, vinegar, nutmeg, turmeric, and horseradish. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the relish is the texture of thin commercial relish, about 45 minutes.
- Fill the jars – Pull the jars out of the water bath and ladle relish into each jar, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rim, and close the jars.
- Process in the water bath – Return the jars to the water bath, ensuring that they're submerged and covered by at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil and process for 25 minutes. Move off the heat and let the jars rest for 5 minutes before removing them from the water. Cool, label, and store.
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