Sweet and Tangy Zucchini Relish: Your Go-To Recipe for Preserving Summer’s Bounty
Imagine a dollop of vibrant, sweet, and tangy zucchini relish transforming your next hamburger or hot dog into an extraordinary culinary experience. This fantastic homemade condiment isn’t just for grilled favorites; it’s equally delightful stirred into tuna salad, egg salad, or slathered onto a classic sandwich. It’s truly a delicious and practical way to preserve the abundant harvest of zucchinis from your garden, allowing you to savor summer’s flavors all year long.
Every gardener knows the joyous, yet sometimes overwhelming, reality of zucchini season. One day, you see small, promising blossoms, and the next, you wonder if you have miniature aliens hiding in your vegetable patch, growing at an alarming rate!
Just last night, I swore I heard peculiar beeping sounds and saw strange, pulsating lights emanating from the zucchini rows. This morning, upon inspection, lo and behold… undeniable evidence of an intergalactic visit! It seems these mysterious visitors left behind more than just crop circles.
These little green creatures, or perhaps just exceptionally vigorous plants, certainly gifted me with a monstrous, dad-gum blasted spaceship of a zucchini! But what’s a dedicated kitchen enthusiast to do when faced with such an overwhelming bounty? The only logical solution: shred it up into tiny bits and pickle it into a fantastic, sweet and tangy zucchini relish!
With a few handfuls of aromatic onions and colorful bell peppers, a careful sprinkle of warm spices, a generous drift of sweet sugar, and a glug of sharp vinegar, that enormous zucchini-squash-UFO was transformed into the most delectable, golden condiment. This sweet and tangy homemade zucchini relish is not just a recipe; it’s a testament to turning garden abundance into a year-round delight.
That ought to show those pesky garden invaders! Though, I have a sneaky suspicion they’ll be back, given the sheer size and vigor of our zucchini plants. (And the beans on the left side of the bean teepee are so robust they’re pushing over the poles – perhaps another sign of alien activity, or just a thriving organic garden!).
The Joy of Preserving: A Timeless Tradition
There’s an incredibly satisfying feeling that comes from preserving the bounty of a garden you’ve meticulously seeded, tended, and nurtured. For me, the simple acts of chopping fresh vegetables, stirring a bubbling pot, and carefully filling gleaming jars bring immense pleasure. Looking at rows of homemade preserves sparkling on our basement shelves truly fills my heart with pride and a deep sense of accomplishment. This tradition dates back to my childhood, when, at around ten years old, I began helping my mom can hundreds of jars each summer.
We’d dedicate weeks to canning and freezing the immense harvest our huge family garden provided. Feeding a large farm family with five hungry children demanded massive quantities of food. The prairie winters were long and harsh, and the small town grocery store offered very little in the way of fresh produce. So, we relied heavily on our freezers and mom’s impressively stocked larder, which boasted an astonishing 600 to 800 jars canned every single year! It was a necessity born of circumstances, but it fostered a deep appreciation for self-sufficiency and the rewards of hard work.
While I don’t aim for those monumental numbers today, I still genuinely enjoy canning a select variety of foods annually. Every couple of years, I make a double batch of this absolutely delicious sweet and tangy zucchini relish. It yields enough to share a few jars with appreciative friends and family, and keeps our own pantry well-stocked for enjoying throughout the seasons. This homemade zucchini relish is more than just food; it’s a connection to heritage, a sustainable practice, and a burst of summer sunshine in the depths of winter.
Versatile Delights: Beyond Hot Dogs and Burgers
Of course, this homemade zucchini relish is a classic and undeniably tasty accompaniment for hot dogs and burgers, elevating them from ordinary to extraordinary. But its versatility extends far beyond the grill. Have you ever tried stirring a generous spoonful into your tuna salad or macaroni salad? The sweet and tangy notes add a fantastic brightness and depth of flavor. Or consider a layer slathered on an egg sandwich, or perhaps tucked into a ham and cheese sandwich for an unexpected zing. A dollop alongside a piece of grilled chicken or a pork chop can cut through richness and add a delightful counterpoint. A jar of this flavorful zucchini relish in your fridge unlocks a world of lip-smacking possibilities, turning everyday meals into something special.
Just remember, whatever you do, don’t feed any of this precious homemade zucchini relish to the aliens – or you may never get rid of them! Enjoy the bounty of your garden, and the fruits (or rather, vegetables) of your labor.
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Sweet ‘n Tangy Zucchini Relish
Margaret Bose Johnson
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Ingredients
- 8 cups finely chopped zucchini 1.1kg/2.5lbs
- 2 cups finely chopped onions (2 large onions)
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (1 large pepper)
- ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper (½ of a large pepper)
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 2½ cups (500gms) sugar
- 1½ cups (360ml) white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Using a food processor is highly recommended to finely chop the vegetables, making quick work of this step. While you can chop them by hand, it is quite laborious to achieve the necessary fine consistency. To process them in the food processor, cut the zucchini into manageable chunks, then pulse the processor in batches. Be careful not to over-process them into a mush; aim for fine, even pieces. Repeat the same process with the onions and bell peppers.
- Combine all the finely chopped vegetables with the specified amount of fine sea salt in a large bowl. Allow them to stand for 2 hours, stirring frequently to ensure the salt is well dispersed throughout the mixture. This crucial step helps to draw out excess moisture from the vegetables, preventing your relish from becoming watery. After soaking, drain the vegetables thoroughly in a sieve. Next, rinse them to remove most of the salt: return them to the bowl, cover with cold water, stir with your hands or a spoon, then pour back into the sieve to drain a second time. Finally, press down on the vegetables in the sieve to squeeze out any remaining moisture. You should be left with approximately 5½ cups of vegetables.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, combine the sugar, white vinegar, dry mustard, turmeric, celery seed, and pepper. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Once boiling, add the drained and rinsed vegetables to the pot. Reduce the heat and simmer the relish, uncovered, for 25 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the relish to thicken slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Pour this cornstarch slurry into the simmering relish, stirring continuously to ensure it disperses evenly and prevents lumps. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the relish to thicken further to the desired consistency.
- Carefully pack the hot zucchini relish into hot, sterilized half-pint jars. Ensure there is adequate headspace (usually ¼ inch). Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, hot, wet cloth to remove any food residue, which is essential for a proper seal. Seal with hot, sterilized snap lids and rings. As you get towards the end of the pot, if the zucchini relish appears to be getting a bit dry, you can add a few tablespoons of boiled water (from a kettle) to achieve your preferred consistency.
- Process the filled and sealed jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. For detailed instructions on water bath canning, you can refer to our zucchini salsa post. This step ensures the relish is safely preserved for long-term storage.
- This recipe yields approximately 7 half-pint (8oz/250ml) jars of delicious homemade zucchini relish.
Notes
The chopped vegetables require about 2 hours in their salt-soak to effectively release excess juices. This step is crucial for preventing the relish from being too watery and ensuring a good consistency. If you happen to get busy, the vegetables can even soak overnight in the salt mixture without any issue; just make sure to rinse and drain them thoroughly afterward.
If the pot of zucchini relish appears to be drying out or becoming too thick near the end as you fill the jars, simply add a bit of boiled water (from a kettle) a tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. This ensures all your jars have a perfect texture.
For detailed instructions on how to properly sterilize jars for canning, which is vital for food safety and successful preservation, please see this post.
Guten Appetit!
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