Do you love relish? Here’s how to make an easy, homemade pickle relish without dyes, corn syrup, or unnecessary ingredients!
Who doesn’t love hotdogs or bratwurst topped with fresh pickle relish? This easy pickle relish is quick to make and easily canned for longer storage. It’s a great way to preserve your cucumber harvest to enjoy later!
This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. Please see my disclosure page for more information about cookies collected and our privacy policy.
Want to preserve MORE food this year? Get my Food Preservation Planner to help you plan your family’s food needs and save time by helping you preserve more efficiently!
You may be asking what’s in relish? Well, for the most part- cucumbers, onions, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Basically, think about your sweet pickles, but all chopped up into tiny pieces and that’s what relish is. So if you’ve ever made your own pickles, you can make relish!
How to Make Easy Pickle Relish
You will need:
3-4 lbs Cucumbers (less if using pickling cucumbers, more if using slicers)
1 large onion (~1 cup chopped)
1/4 cup pickling salt
1-2 cups sugar- depending on how sweet you want the final relish to be
3 cups white vinegar
4 cloves garlic- minced
2 tsp Celery Seed
2 tsp Mustard Seed
Dash turmeric
The Process:
Trim ends of the cucumbers and cut lengthwise.
Remove any seeds and cut into chunks.
Dice the cucumber into small pieces. I use my food processor for this step. Just be sure not to over process of you will end up with mush. (But if you do, you can use that mush for cucumber muffins!)
Dice the onion (Again, I use the food processor)
In a large bowl or pot, combine the cucumber, onion, and salt. Cover and set aside for 2-3 hours.
In a mesh sieve or cheese cloth lined colander, drain the cucumbers and onions.
You want to remove as much moisture as possible. If you are making a large batch then you might need to work in batches here. Press to remove any hidden moisture.
Related Reading: How to Make (and Can) Homemade Ketchup
Make the Relish Brine:
To make the brine combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a large non-reactive pot.
Bring to a boil.
Add the drained cucumbers and onion.
Return the brine to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
How to Can Pickle Relish:
Fill pint sized jars with pickle relish, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth.
Place on lids and tighten the rings finger-tight.
For tips on canning, check out these 12 Canning Mistakes
Place the jars in a large canning pot filled with boiling water.
Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove the relish from the canner and let sit, undisturbed, until cool.
Check for a good seal before storing.
Get more ideas to preserve cucumbers on 10 Ways to Preserve Cucumbers That Every Home Gardener Should Know!
Easy Homemade Pickle Relish
How to make and can homemade cucumber relish
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs Cucumbers, less if using pickling cucumbers, more if using slicers
- 1 large onion, ~1 cup chopped
- 1/4 cup pickling salt
- 1-2 cups sugar- depending on how sweet you want the final relish to be
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic- minced
- 2 tsp Celery Seed
- 2 tsp Mustard Seed
- Dash turmeric
Instructions
- Trim ends of the cucumbers and cut lengthwise. Remove any seeds and cut into chunks.
- Dice the cucumber into small pieces. I use my food processor for this step. Just be sure not to over process of you will end up with mush.
- Dice the onion
- In a large bowl or pot, combine the cucumber, onion, and salt. Cover and set aside for 2-3 hours.
- In a mesh sieve or cheese cloth lined colander, drain the cucumbers and onions. You want to remove as much moisture as possible. If you are making a large batch then you might need to work in batches here. Press to remove any hidden moisture.
- To make the brine combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil.
- Add the drained cucumbers and onion. Return the brine to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Fill pint sized jars with pickle relish, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and place on lids.
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove the relish from the canner and let sit, undisturbed, until cool. Check for a good seal before storing.
I’m so glad its fine to use a food processor – my knife skills are a bit rusty so I was worried i’d have to tune them up before making some relish. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Can’t wait to make my own relish at home!
Just finished a batch of relish, looks really good! Thank you for the recipe!
I put all the vegetables through a food (meat) grinder using the disk with the largest holes. It’s fast, easy, gives consistent size pieces and you don’t risk turning to mush like with a food processor.
I have had a red belle pepper and
I added 2 mins to the boil time to reduce the liquid! Its was delicious!
Do cucumbers need to be peeled? How long will relish keep in fridge if put in water bath? Thanks.
No peeling necessary. If you have processed it in the water bath it is shelf stable for about a year (or more)
Hi, Ms. Sarah!
Is the 3-4 Lbs of cucumbers when you get them? Of should this be the weight after Seeding? Apologies if i ovsrlooked this in your previous comments. Thank You!
This is the weight of the cucumber before you do anything to them :)
Recipe says to drain the cucumber salt mixture after setting. Are you to rinse the salt of this mixture or just drain.
You do not need to rinse.
Is the 3-4lbs of cucumbers before or after they are cut up?
Can you freeze it?
How many pints will this recipe make?
I got 9 8oz jars, measured weight AFTER removing seeds… hope it taste as good as it smells! ?
I have never canned. Ever. Can I just put the cans in boiling water in a pot or do I need a canner of some sort?
Dianna, you can use any pot as long as the water level is 1 inch over the top of the filled jars with the lids and bands on snugly. You also need some kind of rack under your jars to keep them off the bottom of the pot, or you could put some other metal item…maybe some canning bands with a cake pan on top …anything to keep a very small amount of space between the bottom of the pan and the jars while also keeping them steady. You don’t want to go to all that trouble to make something delicious just to have it fall over break in the pot.
My mom used to put a tea towel in the bottom of the pot and the jars on it. When the water starts boiling, the tea towel keeps the jars from moving and banging into each other.
Could I make this relish with stevia sweetener or any sweetener instead of sugar. And how much sweetener instead of the sugar will it keep just as well with sweetener and not the sugar
I have not made it with anything other than sugar. Check with your extension agent they should be able to tell you if it’s safe to can it using alternative sugar.
Made a batch yesterday! Smells amazing! How long do you recommend letting the jars sit before eating or is it ready to eat now?
Can sweetener be used instead of sugar, I can’t have any sugar. And how much sweetener would you use the same amount as sugar. Will they keep as well with sweetener then they would with sugar.
Can these be canned in quart jars with the processing time increased from 20 minutes to 15 minutes? I only have quart jars and pint jars are sold out here due to Covid 19.
I only want to make two jars of relish…do I have to do the whole canning process. If not, how long can they be refrigerated? Thank you.
I’d say maybe 6 weeks in the fridge
How long after canning can you eat this? I know with some pickles you need to let them sit in the brine for a few weeks before cracking them open to enjoy. I don’t know if the same applies to relish 😬