Canning condiments is a hobby, not a money-saving enterprise, to be sure. That said, there’s nothing quite like the sound of your jars sealing up as you pull a batch out of the waterbath. It’s music to the ears for canners! This photographs shows the zucchini and cucumber relishes I canned last week.
Most of us who have any kind of vegetable garden grow zucchini. And even if you only have one or two plants you probably have too much zucchini to eat. We make zucchini casserole, muffins, bread, milk (yes, zucchini milk!), and we eat it fried up with olive oil and fresh garlic. But there’s inevitably still extra zucchini lying around come August.
Although most commercial relish is made with cucumbers, zucchini relish is just as good. It has a similar flavor to cucumber relish and you may even find that you prefer it. My co-worker likes it so much she claims to eat it right from the jar! We made this relish using the freshest onions, peppers and zucchini picked from our garden and immediately chopped up. Delicious!
If you have even a couple extra zucchinis and are anxious to have a new canning adventure, this recipe is for you. I got it from my mom who has been making it for years.
Zucchini Relish
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons canning salt
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoon celery seed
Place grated zucchini and chopped onion in large bowl. Add salt. Let sit 2 to 3 hours in refrigerator.
Rinse zucchini and onion mixture thoroughly in a large strainer and drain well. Put mixture in a large stainless steel pot.
Chop peppers in your food processor. Add peppers to zucchini and onions along with all remaining ingredients. Mix well and boil for 30 minutes, or until you feel it is thickened up enough.
Prepare your water bath canner. Make sure your jars and lids are clean and put your lids in a small bowl of warm (not boiling) water. Your jars should be in simmering water to keep them hot.
Remove your hot canning jars from the waterbath and ladle the relish into the jars. Leave about 1/2-inch headspace. Place lids and rings on jars and place jars in your boiling water bath.
Boil in the canner for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, remove cover and let canner sit for 5 minutes.
Remove jars and place on a towel. Let sit for about 24 hours. Our yield was about 5 pints. Enjoy!
