Sweet Pickle Relish - Home Cooking

Guest Author - Sandy Moyer

This recipe is a good way to use green tomatoes that won't ripen before a frost. If you don't have green tomatoes, use 2 extra quarts of cucumbers in place of the tomatoes.

Sweet Pickle Relish

4 bell peppers - cored, seeded, and washed

2 quarts cucumbers, finely chopped

2 quarts green tomatoes, peeled & finely chopped

2 quarts cooking onions, peeled & finely chopped

1/2 cup canning salt (non-iodized)

2 T. mixed pickling spice

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cups sugar

1-1/2 to 2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)

Preparation -
Prepare the peppers, cucumbers, green tomatoes, and onions. Place the chopped vegetables in a large crock or a deep bowl, and stir to mix well. Sprinkle with the canning salt. Place in the refrigerator and let stand overnight. Drain the vegetables in a colander. Place the drained vegetables in a large stockpot. Make a spice sack by wrapping the pickling spices in a piece of very thin white cloth or gauze, tied together loosely. Add the spice pack to the chopped vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the spice sack. Stir in the sugar, cayenne pepper, and vinegar. Simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes. Ladle into clean, hot pint jars. Add the caps and rims. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 25 minutes (begin timing when the water starts to boil.) Remove the jars from the canner. Cool completely; check the seals, label and store. This recipe yields about 8 pints relish.

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