If I could only top my hot dog with one condiment, I’d have to go with relish. I like the sweet flavor and crunchy texture in contrast to the meat. Summer Zucchini Relish can be used wherever you’d use the standard cucumber relish we’re more accustomed to. The tastes are very similar.
Small Batch Summer Zucchini Relish doesn’t require a water bath
I like to refer to it as Pardon My Knife Skills Relish because, while I’ve improved, it’s doubtful I’ll ever be able to chop my veggies in uniform size. It’s a one of those things where one has to overcome perfectionism and just enjoy the process (or purchase a chopper to do the work for you. There’s a wide variety, including robust versions for professional relish makers.)
This is a small batch relish heavily adapted from The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving where it’s called Barbecue Relish. This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in preserving their own jams, jellies, condiments and pickles without having to commit to making large batches.
Tips for making Summer Zucchini Relish:
This recipe makes 2 cups (a pint) of relish. As mentioned you won’t need to use a water bath, because the relish will be stored in the fridge.
When pickling any fruit or veggie you’ll have better results is you use stainless steel or enamel ware. Vinegar will react with some metals.
You can, of course, make a larger batch for long term storage provided you use a water bath or pressure canner to seal the jars. If that’s what you want to do I encourage you to purchase a book dedicated to the process or follow tested recipes approved by the USDA or your state’s extension service.
Home preserving is time consuming but not difficult. However, it’s necessary to follow sterile techniques and use tested recipes in order to avoid food poisoning. Tested recipes have the right proportion of acidity and salt to preserve the food and prevent spoilage while the canning process seals the jars.
There’s more leeway with a recipe like this because the refrigerator will safely preserve the end result for a long time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini, finely chopped (one large squash, you may not need the whole thing)
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt kosher or pickling salt preferred
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup white vinegar cider vinegar is fine, too
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Combine the zucchini, peppers, onions and celery in a non-aluminum bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and mix well.
- Cover the vegetables with cold water and allow to stand for an hour or so.
- After an hour, drain the vegetables well, pressing down with a spoon to squeeze out the remaining water. Set aside while you prepare the brine.
- Combine the sugar, vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed and dry mustard in a large, non-aluminum sauce pan. I use a four quart enameled sauce pan.
- Bring all that to a boil, then add the vegetables and return to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a while until the relish becomes quite thick.
- Ladle into a clean pint sized jar (about two cups) and store in the fridge.
More small batch recipes to try:
This would be a great way to use of some of the summer bounty – and a great gift idea 🙂 Thanks for linking up to All My Bloggy Friends – I can’t wait to see what you share this week!
I love the flavor of this relish. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate all work the link party hosts have to go through and I enjoy seeing other blogs 🙂