Grandma's Sweet Relish

annie1992

5 years ago

2many diversions asked for this recipe on another thread, and so it doesn't get lost, I told her I'd make a new thread.

If anyone gardens and cans, this is a great use for those great big cucumbers that hide under the leaves and lurk there until they are too big. Since they are all chopped up for relish, the size just doesn't seem to matter, the seeds aren't too tough and neither is the peel. My son in law loves the stuff, so I make it every year.

I put all the onions, peppers and cucumbers through the food processor, although I like the texture better with the grating blade rather than just chopped. You wouldn't think the turmeric would really make a difference at this amount, but it does, do not leave it out. The recipe calls for cooking for an hour but I find that if I squeeze the moisture out of the veggies it cooks in much less time, I cook it until it's "thick enough" to be a viable relish on burgers, hot dogs or pulled pork. Elery sometimes eats it on beans, says it's a southern thing.

CUCUMBER RELISH (GRANDMA'S RECIPE)

4 cups ground cucumbers
4 large onions, ground up
4 green peppers, ground up
1 or 2 red peppers, ground up
1 tbls. Salt
4 tsp celery seed
2 tsp. Turmeric
1½ tsp. Pepper
4 cups vinegar
4 cups sugar

Combine veggies and salt and let stand for 2 hours. Drain well, add rest of ingredients and cook slowly for 1 hour. Pack hot into hot jars and process in boiling water bath 15 minutes for pints.

Makes 6- 8 pints

Annie

Featured Answer

bragu_DSM 5

5 years ago

The monster cukes are perfect for faux apple rings. a day-long soak in lime crisps them up. Peel, slice and take out the seeds and create the large apple-core size cavity first.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

bragu_DSM 5
5 years ago
what, no mustard seed … for that extra 'pop'?

^_^
annie1992
Original Author
5 years ago
Nope, no mustard seed. I think Grandma used all that in her bread and butter pickles, there was a LOT of mustard seed in her pickling spice mixture...

Annie
Related Discussions
What have you put up 2010 Part II
Q
Comments (106)
Gifts of homegrown oranges and Black Plums received so I made 50 half-pint jars of Plum Orange Jam from http://www.thatsmyhome.com/general/plum-orange-jam.htm - doubled and then more. I did not use the peel from the plums since they were not grown organically. The color of the jam is golden, the taste is very orange-y tart. Sorta marmalade, but refined. Gift of Chiogga beets for pickling 8 quarts - not very pretty canned because they are not rich red - kinda sickly pink and the design is OK for fresh but lost in translation. Taste is much more sweet than regular Detroit Dark Red. So -- I have to wait 3 weeks for melding to be sure. My homegrown figs are abundant now - 60 more half-pint jars of jam yesterday. Tried the low sugar/macerate version for 40 jars and love that version more than the pectin high sugar version. Gives a much more intense fig flavor. Coyote Juice - Tiny grape-sized golden heirloom Coyote tomatoes that grow in clusters -- prolifically to the max. 30 half-pints - and at least another zillion jars to fill from the rest of the harvest season to come. Anyone want seeds for next year? Nancy
...See More
Farmer's market overload Please help with recipes
Q
Comments (11)
Sauerkraut (USDA Method) 25 lbs. cabbage 3â4 cup canning or pickling salt Quality: For the best sauerkraut, use firm heads of fresh cabbage. Shred cabbage and start kraut between 24 and 48 hours after harvest. Yield: About 9 quarts Procedure: Work with about 5 pounds of cabbage at a time. Discard outer leaves. Rinse heads under cold running water and drain. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores. Shred or slice to a thickness of a quarter. Put cabbage in a suitable fermentation container and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Mix thoroughly, using clean hands. Pack firmly until salt draws juices from cabbage. Repeat shredding, salting, and packing until all cabbage is in the container. Be sure it is deep enough so that its rim is at least 4 or 5 inches above the cabbage. If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (11â2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water). Add plate and weights, cover container with a clean bath towel. Store at 70Â° to 75Â° F while fermenting. At temperatures between 70Â° and 75Â° F, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks; at 60Â° to 65Â° F, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks. At temperatures lower than 60Â° F, kraut may not ferment. Above 75Â° F, kraut may become soft. If you weigh the cabbage down with a brine-filled bag, do not disturb the crock until normal fermentation is completed (when bubbling ceases). If you use jars as weights, you will have to check the kraut 2 to 3 times each week and remove scum if it forms. Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months or it may be canned as follows: Hot pack: Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices, leaving a 1â2-inch headspace. Raw pack: Fill jars firmly with kraut and cover with juices, leaving a 1â2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.
...See More
Sweet relish recipe anyone have one T&T
Q
Comments (8)
This is our favorite... * Exported from MasterCook * Cucumber Relish Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Preserving Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 quarts chopped cucumbers 2 cups chopped sweer green peppers 2 cups chopped sweer red peppers 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup salt 2 quarts cold water 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 sticks cinnamon 1 tablespoon mustard seed 1 tablespoon turmeric 2 teaspoons whole allspice 2 teaspoons whole cloves 1 quart vinegar Combine cucumbers, peppers and onion; sprinkle with turmeric. Dissolve salt in 2 qt. water. Pour over chopped vegetables; let stand 3-4 hours. Drain. Cover with cold water and let stand one hour. Drain thoroughly. Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag; add to sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil and pour over vegetables. Cover and let stand 12-18 hours in a cool place. Bring to boil; simmer until hot. Pack into clean, hot jars. leaving 1/2" headspace. Adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath: 10 min. at 0-1000. ft., 15 min. at 1001-6000 ft., and 20 min. above 6000 ft. Katie's notes: I add less turmeric, 1/2-1 tsp. Have also used mixed pickling spice in place of the cinnamon, allspice, mustard and cloves. Source: "Ball Blue Book" Copyright: "1989" Yield: "6 pints" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
...See More
The Perfect Hamburger?
Q
Comments (50)
Yes, he's a cute little guy, and an absolute terror in the pasture, LOL. He's also fuzzy and makes you just want to grab him. Fortunately, they're a lot less cute when they become 1000 pounds of bull, and start pushing everything and everyone around! I love my animals, my cows are treated just like my horses, I love 'em all. I pet them and play with them and feed them treats and they follow me around. Even when it's time for them to become beef they don't go into a trailer and spend time in a stock yard, away from their herd in a strange place. I have Dallas come to the farm to slaughter and so they are born here, spend their lives here and only leave here after their death, which is as quick and painless as I can arrange. If I had to eat commercial beef, I'd give it up too. They way they are raised and fed and treated offends me, it's a cruel industry and not a good life for those animals. So, I raise my own. It seems contra-indicative, but I raise my own beef because I DO love my animals, and I believe that everyone should remember where that meat comes from and the animals that produced it, and make their lives safe, happy and contented and their final demise as quick and painless as possible. rgreen, I like a good veggie burger too. I actually eat meat about 3 or 4 times a week, not even every day. I've even kind of lost my taste for bacon and ham, although I know that's heresy, LOL. And yes, I raise my own pigs and chickens too. Now, back to those burgers. olychick, Grandma used to tell me to mix ice chips into the meat and that they would produce steam as the ice melted and keep the meat moister, so it's not a new concept at all. As for size, a quarter pounder is a bit more even than I want, maybe 5 burgers per pound or even 6, although mine don't shrink appreciably and some fattier meat might. I don't want it really crunchy on the outside, but I do want a bit of browned "crust", and warm in the middle, not cold. Annie
...See More
CA Kate z9
5 years ago
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Annie.
bcskye
5 years ago
Thank you, Annie, for sharing.

Madonna
2ManyDiversions
5 years ago
Annie, thank you so very much for sharing - and commenting on the turmeric. And what a wonderful story! I can't wait to try it! Long ago I hated relishes because I'd never tasted or made home-made, and relish meant that awful pickle stuff from the grocery! My first relish was a green tomato, etc, and somewhat sweet also - perfect for hot dogs, burgers, sandwich toppings. I love relishes!

You know, I used to think those darned big cucumbers magically grew over-sized overnight : ) You think you've found them all, and the next day, bam! there is a giant cuke staring at you accusingly, ha ha! Good to know when we get our garden back, I've now got a recipe to utilize those monsters! In the meantime, I will just have to use regular sized... : )
annie1992
Original Author
5 years ago
2many, you are ever so welcome. I make a double batch every year because it's not used in a lot of things, but it's used regularly. Each of my girls takes a couple of jars and the rest stay here.

There is a restaurant in Muskegon, about 50 miles away, called US31 BBQ. They cook the meats over coals and then slice then. They sell a pork BBQ sandwich that is like nothing else I've ever eaten, and you never get them "to go" because the bun will become so soggy it'll just disintegrate. I tried for years to duplicate that sandwich and the closest I've come is pulled pork from the smoker, mixed with that homemade sweet relish. So I have to make it every year!

Annie
2ManyDiversions
5 years ago
Thank you for reminding me you use this on pork sandwiches - I'd never have thought of it, and that sounds good!
cathyinpa
5 years ago
Well, my DH would LOVE this, Annie. I may give this a whirl -- quarter it and just let him eat it fresh (whisper -- so I don't have to can:) I made refrigerator bread and butter pickles for the first time last summer. If a person can be thrilled about pickles, he was:)

CathyinSWPA
annie1992
Original Author
5 years ago
Cathy, a person can definitely be thrilled about pickles, my Grandson loves 'em and is never as happy as he is when I set a jar of pickles on the table. It can be dill pickles or bread and butter pickles or pickled beets or asparagus or onions, doesn't matter to him, he'll eat a whole jar. His mother was going to say something to him and I nudged her and whispered "remember, they're vegetables". She smiled and remained silent, LOL. It does keep in the refrigerator for quite some time, with all that vinegar and sugar as preservatives.

2many, for some reason it just goes really well with pork, although Elery stirs it into his beans, something I'd never have thought of. My son in law likes it on burgers and Bud likes it when I stir some into the dressing for pasta or potato salad. So, it gets used regularly, but not so much that I need to make more than a couple of batches.

Madonna and Kate, my son in law says it tastes just like the jars of relish his Mother buys from a vendor at Pigeon Forge, she always buys several because she doesn't go every year. I told him to tell her not to buy any more, I'll just make some extra! So, if you've ever had that "southern" sweet relish, this is very similar.

Annie
cathyinpa
5 years ago
I love it, Annie! It's the simple pleasures, yes? Your grandson, loving Grandmom's homemade pickles (plus!) and they're vegetables too! HA!

A guy DH works with had a BANNER year of cucumbers last year, and they kept ending up in my kitchen. I sent this pic to the cucumber grower (half eaten jar, no less), and he was so thrilled I got even more cucumbers. Would your grandmother approve of the amount of mustard seed? or maybe just wee a bit more? :)

My "toe-in-the-water" pickling experiment!
Excited to try this relish!

CathyinSWPA
gardengrlz
5 years ago
I can attest for Annie's Grandma's Relish...I use my "monster" cukes that get out of control. This huge white one is "White Wonder"...it's a fun cuke to grow. :-)
annie1992
Original Author
5 years ago
Kathy, I've never grown those, but I grew the "lemon" type, and that was fun, plus they didn't get bitter, I liked them. Everyone else, however, is in a rut and want those plain old pickling type cucumbers. They are just no fun at all, LOL.

Is that yellow cucumber between the two white ones just an overgrown pickler, or is it another type?

Cathy, I think that amount of mustard seed is perfect, I used to actually dig out the mustard seeds and the onion rings from bread and butter pickles and eat those until Sleevendog gave me the recipe for pickled mustard seeds! I still pick the onions out and eat those first, though. I get to because I made 'em, so there!

Grandma also used to make something out of the huge yellow pickling cucumbers called Senfgurkin, it was a sweet pickle too, so maybe the bitterness of those big cukes must be offset by the sugar...

Annie
Louiseab
5 years ago
What is with those people that don’t want to change anything? I get frustrated because I love to try different things.

Grandma's Sweet Relish

bragu_DSM 5

Comments (14)

bragu_DSM 5

annie1992
Original Author

Related Discussions

CA Kate z9

bcskye

2ManyDiversions

annie1992
Original Author

2ManyDiversions

cathyinpa

annie1992
Original Author

cathyinpa

gardengrlz

annie1992
Original Author

Louiseab

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Grandma's Sweet Relish

Comments (14)

annie1992Original Author

Related Discussions

annie1992Original Author

annie1992Original Author

annie1992Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

annie1992
Original Author

annie1992
Original Author

annie1992
Original Author

annie1992
Original Author