Grandma's Sweet Relish

annie1992

8 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

8 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
8 years ago
what, no mustard seed … for that extra 'pop'?

^_^
annie1992
Original Author
8 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 in 2007 PT. 2
Q
Comments (122)
Susan, That is odd about the pumpkin, because they tend to like similar conditions to the butternut squash, so it seems odd the latter is happy and the former is a dud this year! Go figure. (SOmetimes lots of green but no flowers/fruit is a sign of too much nitrogen --- I don't know if there was anything that fertilized the pumpkins but not the squash that might've been nitrogen-heavy? Just one possibility.) But the harvest sounds great nonetheless. And good for you for planting those fall veggies. I rarely can get my head back into a planting space by mid-summer so I often don't get much more than a quick crop of lettuce in. I am just in harvest mode!!! But I saw Ken planted a fall pea crop the other day and with you getting all those goodies in maybe I"ll be inspired to do a bit of fall planting.... Hope your recovery is swift! Zabby
...See More
Cuke Time ! -- photos
Q
Comments (16)
This recipe came from someone here on the forum (not sure who-- didn't mark it )but it's a good tease when you're waiting for Chase's to age. Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Pickles, Relishes & ChowChows Olga's Refrig. Kosher-Style Garlic/Dill Pickles =============================================== 3 lbs KIRBY pickles, 3-4 inch length are best 6-12 large cloves garlic sliced lengthwise into quarters (more is better) Brine-5 cups cool water to 1 cup white vinegar plus 1/4 cup Kosher salt 1 rounded tablespoon dry mustard seeds 5-10 small hot red peppers or red pepper flakes to taste 1-2 Tbsp. pickling spices fresh dill - when not available, dry dill will be just fine . Preparation: Scrub pickles and cut tips from blossom end of pickles. (According to a PA Dept. of Agriculture advisory, by slicing the tips from the blossom ends of pickles, this cuts out much of the bitter taste in most pickles) Combine water, white vinegar and Kosher salt in glass gowl, or stainless steel pot. (Salt must be either kosher or pickling salt. Regular table salt will make the brine cloudy and the pickles become discolored and have a poor taste) Set aside the brine. Select a glass or crockery container, plastic is OK. Place a layer of dill in bottom of container, cover with half the cukes, cover with more dill and add remaining cukes and cover with dill. Add garlic and other dry ingredients as you layer the pickles and dill into the container. Slowly add enough brine solution to cover the pickles entirely. If need be, place a weight on top to keep everything submerged in brine. Cover container and place in refrigerator for 2-3 days at which time the pickles will be ready to eat. The pickles will stay crisp and crunchy for weeks if kept cold. Notes: Mustard seeds help keep pickles crisp and firm. Some hot pepper should be used, but the amount is optional. Sharon-- here's one Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Pickles, Relishes & ChowChows Annie's Grandma's Sweet Relish =============================== 4 cups ground cucumbers 4 large onions, ground up 4 green peppers, ground up 1 or 2 red peppers, ground up 1 tablespoon Salt 4 teaspoons celery seed 2 teaspoons Turmeric 1/2 teaspoon 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 Â 8 pints
...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
If I ever add hot peppers to my canning again I hopesomeone slaps my
Q
Comments (6)
I'm a wuss, I like a little heat but I don't want the enamel on my teeth to bubble. My husband has already completely burned off all his taste buds, so the hotter the better for him, LOL. That said, I don't want hot peppers in everything. I love Linda Lou's sweet pickles and my Grandma's sweet relish and would never consider adding hot peppers of any kind. I'll often make two batches of dill pickles, one with hot peppers for the hubs and one plain for my Grandson. I love a bit of Habanero Gold on a bagel with cream cheese but wouldn't add hot peppers to strawberry or grape. I do have about a dozen jars of pickled jalapenos that will probably get dumped out this year, they're a couple of years old and no one eats them at all, on anything. Annie
...See More
CA Kate z9
8 years ago
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Annie.
bcskye
8 years ago
Thank you, Annie, for sharing.

Madonna
2ManyDiversions
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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