Summer yum!
Leo and Jane Windham have made an art of living well in their 100 year-old Lamar family home. They entertain and edify visitors to their online residence – www.cottageattherossroads.com – where they share recipes, DIY advice, and gardening projects. Leo also programs a 24-hour online music channel (available through their blog or the Crossroads Radio app) featuring the best of beach, boogie, and blues.
Try this recipe for sweet cucumber relish from guest gourmand Jane Windham, head gastronome for popular blog The Cottage at The Crossroads!
You know it’s summertime when the pickle making begins, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past week or so. That and watering because we have had temps over 100 for about a week now. And cucumbers must have a constant supply of water to keep producing. So today I’m sharing my sweet cucumber relish recipe that is the perfect condiment for those summer cookouts.
This recipe could be made without processing with a water bath and stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks, but once you make homemade relish, you are going to want to have some to use later in the year. Because once you make this, you will never be able to go back to store-bought relish.
To make this relish, you will need about 8 to 10 small to medium sized pickling cucumbers. Wash the cucumbers and cut off the blossom and stem ends.
Cut the cucumbers into chunks and chop them in a food processor, being careful not to over-process them.
Wash, seed, and chop 3 large green peppers into small pieces and do the same to about 5 medium sweet onions.
Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle them with 1/2 cup pickling salt. Stir the mixture to evenly distribute the salt and add enough cold water to cover the vegetables. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer the mixture to a colander set in the sink, rinse with cold water and allow to drain.
Meanwhile, combine 3 cups sugar and 2 cups cider vinegar in a heavy stainless steel or nonstick pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons celery seeds, and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric to the vinegar solution along with the chopped vegetables. Return to boiling then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle the hot relish into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and add lids and screw bands.
At this point, you can store the jars of relish in the refrigerator after the jars have cooled and use the relish within a few weeks. But to truly preserve the fresh taste of summer, I process the jars using a water-bath method for 10 minutes.
This relish is the perfect balance between sweet and tangy and tastes superb on hot dogs and brats! It also is a great addition to potato or egg salad.
If you don’t have a garden, get some pickling cucumbers from your local farmer’s market and try this recipe. Make some for yourself and your friends and family.
If you don’t process your jars, be sure to tell them to store the relish in the refrigerator and use within a few weeks. But if you process the jars, the relish will last for at least a year in the pantry.
Sweet Cucumber Relish
A delicious sweet and tangy relish that tastes great on hot dogs and in potato salad.
Yields 7
Prep Time: 2 hr 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients:
8-10 medium pickling cucumbers, washed and finely chopped
5 medium sweet onions, finely chopped
3 large green peppers, washed, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 cup pickling salt
cold water for rinsing
2 cups cider vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions:
Combines chopped cucumbers, onions, and peppers in a large bowl.
Sprinkle with pickling salt and stir to distribute the salt throughout the mixture.
Add enough cold water to cover the vegetables
Cover and allow to stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
Transfer vegetables to a colander set in the sink.
Rinse with cold water and allow to drain.
In a large stainless steel or non-stick pot, combine sugar and vinegar.
Heat to boiling, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add the mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric to the solution along with the chopped vegetables.
Return to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle the hot relish into hot, sterilized canning jars, leafing a 1/2 inch headspace.
Wipe the rims, add the lids and screw bands.
Process the filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.
Remove the jars from the canner, place on a dry towel, and allow to cool overnight.
Notes: If you do not want to process the relish, store the jars in the refrigerator after they have cooled and use within a few weeks.