![\"jars](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/cucumber-relish-square-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Tips for Making Cucumber Relish<\/h2>
This sweet and tangy relish is a great way to use those odd-shaped and overgrown cucumbers from the garden.<\/p>
Cucumbers:<\/strong> Pickling cukes are my favorite choice for making relish, but you can use any type of fresh cucumber for this recipe. If your cucumbers are large, you may want to remove the seeds before chopping.<\/p> Beware of the waxed cucumbers from the grocery store though. The wax blocks the pickling liquid from penetrating the skin. If you are using waxed cucumbers, go ahead and peel them first. No need to peel fresh cukes from the garden or farm stand.<\/p> Peppers:<\/strong> This recipe calls for red and green sweet bell peppers to add color. Feel free to swap out another type of pepper as long as the total amount stays the same. Any variety or colored pepper can be used for this recipe. You can mix orange, red, yellow, and green peppers to add lots of color, or use all green peppers for a traditional green cucumber relish.<\/p> Onions:<\/strong> Any type of onion can be used including yellow, white or red.<\/p> Vinegar:<\/strong> Use commercial vinegar with at least 5% acidity.<\/p> My new favorite kitchen tool is this newly acquired vegetable chopper<\/a>. It takes up very little storage space and comes in so handy for making fresh pico de gallo, dicing peppers and onions for the freezer, and for evenly dicing vegetables to make this relish. Simply cut the pieces to fit, apply pressure, and the tool dices the vegetables into 1\/4-inch pieces quickly and evenly.<\/p> If you don’t have a chopper, you can use a knife, or pulse the vegetables in a food processor. You want uniform chunks, not a pur\u00e9e.<\/p> Peel, seed, dice or chop your vegetables as described in the recipe before measuring using measuring cups. Dice the vegetables in uniform pieces and add to a measuring cup as you go until you reach the required amounts.<\/p> You can also weigh your vegetables using a kitchen scale<\/a>. I have included both cup and weight measurements in the recipe below.<\/p> Making relish is a long process that is completed over a several days. Chopping the vegetables either using a chopper or by hand takes a lot of time.<\/p> There are also several steps where you need to combine ingredients and let it sit for a period of time.<\/p> First you will soak the chopped vegetables in turmeric-salted ice water for 3 hours, and then you will rinse and soak the vegetables in ice water for 1 hour.<\/p> Once you combine the vegetables with pickling brine, you need to let it sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Soaking the vegetables helps maintain texture and infuses flavor. Be sure to read the steps in the recipe and plan for extra time.<\/p> This is a fresh pack relish that is brined overnight, then drained, covered with pickle seasoned vinegar, and canned in a water bath canner for shelf stable jars.<\/p> When canning relish, it is important to use a recipe that has been scientifically tested. This is a tested safe canning recipe from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving<\/a><\/em>.<\/p> If you are new to canning, it may be helpful to review this publication on water bath canning <\/em><\/a>at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.<\/p> A more detailed and printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this article, but these are the general steps for making and canning cucumber relish:<\/p> Rinse the vegetables well under running water. Trim and dice into even sized pieces. Measure or weigh the ingredients and add to a large bowl.<\/p> Add the turmeric, pickling salt, and cover the vegetables with ice water. Stir to combine and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 3 hours.<\/p> After 3 hours, drain the vegetables, cover again with 2 quarts of ice water, and let sit for another 1 hour in the fridge.<\/p> Add the spices a spice bag, or coffee filter and tie off.<\/p> In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, brown sugar, and the pickling spice bag. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat. Fish out and discard the spice bag.<\/p> Drain the vegetables in a large colander. Add the drained vegetables to the pickling brine saucepan, stir and let sit in the refrigerator 12 hours.<\/p> When you are ready to can the relish, wash your jars, lids, bands, and canning tools in warm, soapy water. Rinse well, and set the lids, bands, and tools aside to air dry until you are ready to use them.<\/p> Setup your water bath canner with the canning rack on a large burner of your stove. Place the jars upright in the canner, and add water to cover. Bring the canner to a simmer (180\u02daF) for 10 minutes, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.<\/p> Remove the pot of relish from the fridge, place it on the stove, and bring to a simmer (180\u02daF) over medium-high heat.<\/p> Use the jar lifter to remove a hot jar from the canner, drain, and place on a kitchen towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner, so they stay warm.<\/p> Place the canning funnel on the jar, and add the warm relish to the jar, leaving 1\/2-inch headspace. Run the bubble popper through the jar to release any trapped air bubbles. Make sure all the vegetables are submerged under the brine. Remove any that stick out, and adjust the headspace again if needed.<\/p> Wipe the rim with a damp towel to remove residue. Center a lid on the jar, place the band over the lid, and screw it on until fingertip tight. Place the jar back into the canner, and repeat with the rest of the jars.<\/p> Adjust the water level so it is covering the jars by two inches, bring the pot to a boil, and process the jars for the times indicated in the recipe below.<\/p> Let the jars cool, test the seals, label and date the jars, and store the canned relish in a cool, dark location. Let the stand for about 4 weeks to develop flavor.<\/p>Use a Vegetable Chopper<\/h3>
Measuring the Vegetables<\/h3>
Allow for Plenty of Time<\/h3>
Steps for Making Cucumber Relish<\/h2>
Step 1: Gather your kitchen and canning equipment<\/h3>
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables<\/h3>
![\"chopped](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/cucumber-relish-diced-salted.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Step 3: Make the pickling brine<\/h3>
![\"chopped](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/cucumber-relish-brine.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Step 4: Prepare the canning equipment<\/h3>
Step 5: Can the relish<\/h3>
![\"jars](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/cucumber-relish-horizontal.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>![\"jars](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/cucumber-relish-square-1-150x150.jpg\")
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