This homemade canned sweet pickle relish recipe is the best! The perfect balance of sweetness and tangy taste from vinegar. The reasons why homemade pickle relish is way better than store-bought: The quality and amount of fresh ingredients that you will use or pick from your garden at home, and you can choose the spices or adjust to your liking.
Canning sweet pickle relish might be a bit intimidating with the amount of work to be done before you see the finished product. Is it worth making a sweet pickle relish from scratch? My answer is definitely Yes! The taste and quality of homemade canned sweet pickle relish are way better and more flavourful than the store-bought sweet pickle relish.
Every summer, we have a bountiful harvest of cucumbers. My husband love cucumbers and pickles. I normally make quick refrigerator pickles and relishes. At first, I was hesitant to do the water bath canning. Since the pandemic, I got interested in canning and preserving food. We don’t have enough room in the fridge to stock up and we need more that will last at least a year. So I decided to do my first water bath canning.
For beginners: Before you start canning please read the home-canning safety guidelines.
Canning might be tedious, but it’s rewarding after you see your finished product. You will be excited to share with your friends and family and you can proudly say “I made that!”
What is sweet relish made of?
Sweet pickle relish is made of cucumbers, salt, sugar, water, vinegar, onion, pickling spices and optional vegetables like bell peppers and celery. You can also make relish from sweet pickles for a quick version. However, the taste and texture are not as good as the sweet pickle relish made from scratch.
How do you make sweet pickle relish from scratch?
First, you have to do is make a plan. Are you planning to can or do a quick refrigerator sweet pickle relish or water bath canning? How much are you planning to make? When and how many hours do you think you have to prepare the relish and finish the canning?
Second, check and organize all the ingredients and equipment you need. If you decide to make a quick refrigerator sweet pickle relish, then you don’t need all the canning tools. You just need clean jars and lids. Clean in hot soapy water or place in a dishwasher and let it dry.
With this step-by-step easy-to-follow recipe, you can make your homemade sweet pickle relish from scratch, and it’s easier than you think.
For a Quick Refrigerator sweet pickle relish version of this recipe, just simply skip the water bath method, let it cool, consume, and refrigerate.
Here’s how to make a sweet pickle relish from scratch.
Step 1- Gather all the ingredients. Prepare and chop the vegetables.
What is the best way to chop cucumbers for relish? The best, quick and easy way to chop cucumbers for relish is in a food processor. Coarsely or finely chop all the vegetables in a food processor and transfer them to a large bowl.
Chopping all the vegetables in a food processor will make your preparation a lot easier and quicker. Just remember to press pulse to chop for few times and NOT to blend.
Step 2- Pickling the vegetables. Mix in the pickling salt, cover, and let it stand in a cool place for 12 hours or overnight.
Step 3- Prepare, wash, and sterilize the jars/lids/bands.
Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water or the dishwasher. This is the time you can inspect your jars and lids for any damage before canning.
How do sterilize jars for canning? Place the jars in a stockpot or canner and cover them with water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and sterilize for at least 10 minutes. Keep it hot until ready to use.
Do you need to sterilize the mason jars before water bath canning?
According to experts in canning. You can skip the sterilization method for jars if you will do the canning and process for at least 10 minutes for 250 ml jars. Some people will process for an extra 5 minutes if they will skip the sterilization before or after bath canning. I think the disadvantage of processing for extra time is you might end up with a mushy relish. Of course, it is always a good idea to sterilize your jars.
Step 4- Cook the relish. Transfer the brined vegetables to a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain vegetables well. Press and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside. Add sugar, tapioca starch or clearjel, mustard seeds, celery seeds, ground turmeric, and vinegar in a large stainless steel saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for a minute until thickened. Add the vegetables stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat.
Step 5- Canning the pickle relish. Ladle the relish in hot jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. With the lid lifter, place the lid on the jar and screw the ring. (Do not overtighten the ring), just until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
Step 6- Water bath canning for pickle relish. Place the jars of relish in the stockpot. The jars must be covered with water at least 1 to 2 inches. Place the lid on the stockpot to speed up the boiling process. Boil and process for 10 minutes (250ml jars). The processing time will depend on the size of the jars and your location. Find your altitude.
Water Bath Home Canning High Altitude Adjustments- Increase processing time.
Add 5 minutes at 1001 to 3000 ft. above sea level.
Add 10 minutes at 3001 to 6000 ft. above sea level.
Add 15 minutes at 6001 to 8000 ft. above sea level.
Add 20 minutes at 8001 to 10000 ft. above sea level.
Step 7- Cool the Relish. Remove from the stockpot and place on a kitchen towel. It is recommended that the pickle relish jars must cool down for at least 24 hours undisturbed.
Step 8- Check the seal of your canned relish. During the cooling process, the lids will make a little noise and bend towards the inside of the jar. Tighten the rings completely. If the lid didn’t bend inward, the jar is not completely sealed. It is recommended to reprocess the jars or consume and refrigerate them.
And finally, Step 9- label the Jars of relish. Indicate the contents and date of canning the relish.
How to store canned pickle relish?
Store in a cool dry place. Keep in the refrigerator after opening.
How long canned pickle relish last?
Stored properly canned pickle relishes should retain their quality for about a year.
Can you substitute pickles for relish? Bread and butter pickles or sweet pickles like dill pickles perhaps are the closest substitute for sweet pickle relish. Finely chop them for a quick version or substitute for relish.
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Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish
Watch How to Make It
Equipment
- 12/250 ml mason jars
- Canning toolset
- Canner pot with rack
Ingredients
- 8-10 medium cucumbers washed, unpeeled, seeded, and finely chopped (5 cups)
- 3 red or white onions 2 cups, or 1 cup red onion and 1 cup white onion finely chopped
- 4 large bell peppers seeded and finely chopped
- 5 stalks celery finely chopped 1 ½ cup
- ⅓ cup pickling salt or Kosher salt
- cold water for rinsing
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
- ¼ cup tapioca starch or 2 1/2 tbsp clearjel
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1½ tsp celery seeds
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- Gather, prepare and chop the vegetables. Coarsely chop all the vegetables in a food processor and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Pickling the vegetables. Mix in the pickling salt. Cover and let it stand in a cool place for 12 hours or overnight.
- Prepare the jars/lids/bands. Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water. Place the jars in a stockpot and cover them with water. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and sterilize for at least 10 minutes.
- Cook the relish/brined vegetables. Transfer the brined vegetables to a colander or strainer and rinse with cold water. Drain the vegetables well. Press and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside. In a large stainless steel saucepot, add sugar, tapioca starch or clearjel, mustard seeds, celery seeds, ground turmeric, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for a minute until thickened. Add the vegetables stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat.
- Canning the pickle relish. Ladle the relish in hot jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rims of each jar with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. With the lid lifter, place the lid on the jar and screw the bands. Do not overtighten the bands, just until resistance is met then increase to fingertip tight.
- Water bath canning of the pickle relish. Place the jars of relish in the stockpot. The jars must be covered with water at least 1 to 2 inches. Place the lid on the stockpot to speed up the boiling process. Boil and process for 10 minutes. Check your altitude and increase the time as needed. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes.
- Cooling the pickle relish. Use the jar lifter and remove it from the stockpot. Place on a kitchen towel (Do Not Tighten the rings of jars). It is recommended that the pickle relish jars must cool down for at least 24 hours undisturbed.
- Check the seal of canned pickle relish after it cooled down. During the cooling process, the lids will make a little noise and will bend inward the jars. Finally, tighten the rings completely. If the lid didn't bend inward, the jar is not completely sealed. Reprocess the jar or consume and refrigerate.
- Label the jars of canned pickle relish. Indicate the contents and date of canning the relish.
- Storing the canned pickle relish. Store in a cool dark place. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
If you like this recipe or made it, please leave a comment. Please check more comments and subscribe to my Youtube Channel here.
A Quick Disclaimer: I am not a professional in canning. All the information and method of canning were gathered from my research. What you decide to do with the recipe here is your responsibility. I shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of the recipe. Any action you take is strictly at your own RISK. Please read my full disclaimer here.
For more information about home-canning safety in Canada. & home-canning Guidelines in USA.
We’re you get the Funnel to like seen in picture
Hi there, thanks for reaching out. For the canning tools, like the funnel I used. You can buy it at Walmart, Amazon or online store😊
Can the sugar be replaced with honey?
Hi Ralph, sure you can. Honey is a bit sweeter than sugar. 1 cup of sugar is about 7/8 cup or 14 tbsp of honey.
I tried this recipe by making a small batch just to try and just using English Cucumbers. I wanted to try it out before making big batch. It is sooo good! I followed recipe and didn’t change anything. I do have a couple questions, for my next batch, can I reduce the sugar a bit? For this first batch, I am keeping it in the fridge as I didn’t water bath it. I am also new to canning 🙂
Rather I water bath or not, do you know how long it would stay good in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Judy, thank you for reaching out and a wonderful feedback🥰. Great questions! You can adjust the sugar to your liking. It’s the acidity (PH level) of the vinegar prevent it from bacteria growth (not recommended to change or less the amount). Homemade Refrigerator sweet pickle relish retains its best quality for a few weeks or about a month. However, if you water bath them and once opened, they retain their best quality for longer than a month in the fridge.