Sweet Pickle Relish
Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish is so simple to make and a great way to enjoy your garden fresh cucumbers all year long!
We have an abundance of cucumbers from the garden this year and Sweet Pickle Relish is one of my favorite ways to preserve our garden cucumbers, sweet peppers and onions.
Pickles can be a little tricky to preserve but with pickle relish you don’t have to worry about keeping it crunchy. We use lots of pickle relish on our favorite burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. Pickle relish is a key ingredient for our favorite Turkey Salad.
Ingredients Needed for Sweet Relish
Find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cucumbers
- Red Bell Peppers – green bell peppers or yellow bell peppers
- Onions
- Salt
- Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Mustard Seed
- Celery Seed
How to Make Sweet Pickle Relish Recipe
- Wash and dry cucumbers and red peppers.
- Cut cucumbers into chunks. Remove seeds if desired.
- Remove stems, seeds and membranes of red peppers and cut into chunks.
- Peel onions, removing ends and cut into chunks.
- Place cucumbers into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure six cups of chopped cucumbers and place in a large bowl.
- Add red peppers to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure 2 cups of chopped peppers and add to cucumbers.
- Next add onions to processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure 2 cups of chopped onions and add to cucumbers.
- Add kosher salt to vegetables and stir to combine well.
- Cover with ice water and set aside for 2 hours.
- Drain, rinse well and drain thoroughly.
- Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir in vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spoon hot relish into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch space. Use a skewer or butter knife, placing down into the filled jars several times to remove any air bubbles.
- Wipe the tops of the jars with a clean, damp cloth. Top with lids and rings, just hand tight.
- Place jars into boiling water and process for 15 minutes in the hot water bath.
- Remove jars and set aside to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
- Yield: This recipe should make 3-4 pints or 6-8 half pints. If using half pints, adjust processing time to 10 minutes.
- Too Much Liquid: I adapted this recipe from the Ball Canning Cookbook. After making it several times and the feedback from others, I increased the amount of cucumbers the original recipe calls for. If you have too much liquid, simply strain off any excess and discard it or use it for quick refrigerator pickles.
Learning to preserve our garden produce has been on my list for quite some time. Luckily my mother in law was kind enough to teach me how. We made this recipe from her Ball Blue Book canning guide.
Learning to preserve our garden produce has been on my list for quite some time. Luckily my mother in law was kind enough to teach me how.
There are a few steps to canning recipes but they are totally worthwhile. Growing our own food and preserving it to enjoy throughout the year is very satisfying.
Squash Relish is another favorite recipe for homemade relish and we grow tons of jalapenos to make Candied Jalapenos. They are so good we have trouble making enough!
Recipes Using Sweet Relish
- Classic Potato Salad
- Tartar Sauce
- Burger Sauce
- Egg Salad, Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad
The tangy flavor of this sweet relish recipe will add a whole new level of deliciousness to your favorite salads, dressings and sandwiches without any artificial colors or artificial flavors. Homemade sweet relish is simple to make and the best way to make the most of cucumber season.
If you love this Recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and a five star review, and be sure to help me share on Pinterest!
Sweet Pickle Relish
Ingredients
- 6 cups finely chopped cucumbers
- 2 cups finely chopped sweet peppers red or yellow
- 2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard seed
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
Instructions
- Place coarse chopped cucumbers into food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure six cups of chopped cucumbers and place in a large bowl.
- Place coarse chopped sweet peppers, seeds and membranes removed, into food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure 2 cups of chopped peppers and add to cucumbers.
- Place coarse chopped onions to processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure 2 cups of chopped onions and add to cucumbers.
- Add kosher salt to vegetables and stir to combine well.
- Cover with ice water and set aside for 2 hours.
- Drain in a colander, rinse well and drain thoroughly. Squeeze out excess liquid if necessary
- Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir in drained vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spoon hot relish into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch space.
- Top with lids and rings, just hand tight.
- Place jars into boiling water and process for 15 minutes.
- Remove jars and set aside to cool completely.
Do you happen to have one for dill? Hubby is diabetic and can not eat this.
We followed recipe but felt it had too much liquid for relish. Is that normal? It would need to be drained before actually using on a hot dog, for example.
I agree… I read your comment and thought maybe you didn’t strain the liquid enough after rinsing, but I see now there is too much liquid so I plan to strain before filling jars then will add back some liquid. I also think 3 1/2 cups of sugar is a lot. I did 3 so we’ll see!
I agree that it’s too much liquid. I used 1.5 times the amount of cucumbers and peppers and thought that I’d have to make more liquid. I still had to strain it to get the liquid out! I love sweet pickle relish but it’s too sweet, imo. If I were to use this recipe again, I’d cut the liquid and the sugar in half.
Wish I’d read the comments before making this. Way too sweet. Also had to drain off the syrup because it was too wet. Following the recipe exactly, got 3 pints of relish and 1.5 cups excess syrup drained off. Added another 4.5 cups chopped onion and cucumber to remaining syrup and got one additional pint of relish. Do NOT use this recipe. Quantities will not give desired results.
Will it be okay if I unseal my jars and thicken the juice with cornstarch. And then reseal them? The tastes is great, but way to much liquid.
Can I use ground mustard instead of whole seeds in the recipe
You can, but it makes your relish cloudy.
Do you use a water bath or pressure canner for the recipe
That would be my question too. Except I saw the cook times so that’s water bath. I just learned … I did not understand initially and pressure canned mine. We will see how it turns out.
How long after making can you use it?
Hi Lea Anne,
I use it immediately after canning.
~ Milisa
THIS RECIPE HAS WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR.I AM MAKING AGAIN USING 1/2 CUP OF SUGAR. LAST BATCH I USED TWO CUPS AND WAS TOO SWEET. OTHER THAN THAT IT IS A GOOD RECIPE.
the sugar is crucial to preservation. You shouldn’t mess with sugar, vinegar (or any acid), or salt amounts in canning recipes. If you lower sugar, keep them in the fridge until use. Don’t can with lowered sugar and expect this to be shelf-stable. If your pH is over 4.5, you can get various diseases that develop as the food sits there, most notably botulism, which is a nasty way to die.
The vinegar and salt is what actually preserves pickle relish. It can help preserve color and texture in some foods, but has nothing to do with food safety. It is simply a matter of taste. https://www.healthycanning.com/sugars-role-in-home-canning/
Ok let me see if I have this. You said,vinegar and salt is what actually preserves pickle relish. It can help preserve color and texture in some foods, but has nothing to do with food safety. It is simply a matter of taste.. So does it or does it not preserve the relish? I am guessing you ment sugar but the is not true, when we can peaches, there is no vinegar and when we can jam again no vinegar, so sugar has to be the preservative
This recipe had way too much liquid I strai Ed my mixture twice and pressed it dry in a collinder. Drained off around 3 cups of extra liquid
Hi Katie,
I have made this a couple of times and the last time I used more cucumbers, 6 cups instead of 4 and it worked out great. I don’t know why sometimes it is too much liquid. The recipe is originally from the Ball Canning book so I know it’s been tested and used by many folks. I have also kept the extra brine, refrigerated it and used it in the next batch.
~ Milisa
When canning peaches and other fruits the fruit is acidic enough for safety without adding additional acid in the form of vinegar or lemon juice. The sugar is there to help keep the fruit looking nice.
vinegar and salt does help to preserve food .https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/vinegar-pickling-garden-produce.htm.
And this recipe does come from the Ball canning book . If the problem is too much syrup put it in the fridge for later use perhaps . I would rather have extra than not enough .
Hi :)! The sugar is just a matter of preference in canning recipes. The fruits that you mentioned don’t require vinegar for water bath canning because they’re acidic enough to safely water bath. Most vegetables are not, which is why it is recommended to pressure can them, unless you pickle them with vinegar which raises the acidity. Hope that’s helpful!
Fruit canning and veggie and meat canning are two different animals. It all has to do with the acidity of the food. The PH level of the canned item. If they cannot be brought to the right PH, you would use pressure canning. I also have a food dehydrator and like to make cucumber chips, dried fruit, and dried cherry tomatoes (turn out like the sun dried tomatoes you get in a bag at the store, but no preservatives. I vacuum seal them in small amounts and they are good to go, or I freeze them because they are still moist, so I don’t want them to mold.
Thanks, as soon as my jars cool off and I hear the seal pop. Onto the shelf they go. And I agree, because I have made peach preserves and stored them on the shelf. I chilled and salted my vegetables for about two hours, then added ice cold water and strain through my sive strainer. Then I heat my vinegar and only 1 1/2 cups of sugar, then add the cucumber, pepper and onion mixture and cook for ten minutes, then I scoop the relish into clean jars and top with lid and tighten up the ring. I made 4 jars, I just heard the first pop…
Is this supposed to be a sweet and sour recipe. Mine doesn’t taste any where near store bought sweet relish.
Why are you yelling at her with capital letters Joan… if you don’t like her recipe that she was kind enough to share, then MOVE ON!
Another recipe I looked at suggested using cheescloth and ringing out all the liquid. I think I will try that. thanks for the suggestions to cut back on the sugar.
Just found your website, made sirloin fajitas and Mexican corn. Gone, no left overs and request for more! Thank you!
Hi Debra,
I am so glad y’all enjoyed the recipes! Thanks for stopping by to let me know.
~ Milisa
My husband thought he was doing me a favor by canning our green tomato relish…He heated the relish with all required ingredients …heated the jars in a hot water bath along with the lids in another pan….He put the cooked relish into the jars added the lid and ring but DID NOT return the jars to the hot water bath for the final water sealing…the jars all did pop a while later…will this be a problem??? My sister said that it might cause botulism.
Would he return the filled jars to a warm water bath and then take them to the hot water bath for the final minutes?
Hi Dot,
I am not a canning expert, so I don’t know for sure. I think you might find the answer on the Ball Canning site, they have lots of good tips and troubleshooting.
~ Milisa
This recipe has way too much liquid and produced half of the jars that the recipe said. Tastes great, though!
You may not have packed your hara tight enough then.
Jars
I have made this for years and won’t ever go back to store bought. I like to know what is in my food. I used it in a macaroni salad for a wedding and everyone wanted to know what was in it. It is a keeper!
Hi Karen,
I will have to try adding it to macaroni salad, great tip!
~ Milisa
I agree , this is my second year making it . I loved having it all winter long!
Yes, this has way too much liquid. I drained and pressed and drained some more. I followed the suggestion to strain out the relish and place in the jars, then add back some of the liquid. We’ll see when we try it.
This recipe is the bomb.com. I added a few jalapeños and squeezed the heck out of the veggies after the rinse. So happy I have something to do with bushels of cukes
, peppers an candy onions.
Hi John,
So glad it turned out for you. I will have to try adding in some jalapeños to our next batch.
~ Milisa
Ohhh adding jalapeños is a great idea! Thank you!
I also had a lot of liquid and had used 6 cucumbers but I was able to work it out. (I probably needed to really squeeze out more liquid than I thought I had and I may have measured slightly lighter on the sugar which acts as a thickener to some degree, so don’t cut it down.)
I ended up boiling for quite some time to evaporate some of the liquid, then added a couple splashes of vinegar again and cooked to reasonable consistency. It turned out great and tastes fantastic!
So, really wring it out before adding vegetables to the vinegar mixture and cook longer to evaporate liquid if needed.
Hi Aud,
Great tips, thank you for sharing.
~ Milisa
Why do you list 6 cups of cukes in the ingredient list but only 4 cups in the instructions?
Hi Ellen,
I originally published this recipe from the Ball Canning book. I have since updated the recipe to add in more cucumbers because I always had too much of the liquid leftover. I just missed that in the instructions and have updated it now. Let me know if you have any other questions.
~ Milisa
I made a few minor adjustments having seen the other reviews about the amount of liquid, and they worked well. First, I removed the seeds and pith from the cucumbers before grating them. Second, rather than an ice bath, I put the veggie and salt mixture into a colander over a bowl. Finally, I stained the veggies through cheescloth to remove more moisture. Perfect results! I wound up with only 3-1/2 pints of product, despite starting with 12 cups of fresh veg, so that gives some idea of how much moisture I managed to get rid of!
Hi Holley,
Thanks for the feedback. I will have to try your ideas soon, our garden is overflowing with cucumbers!
~ Milisa
Great recipe! I replaced all the peppers with hot peppers — we like spicy! — and it is AWESOME. Delicious on burgers, but even BETTER on roast chicken. This one is a keeper :-).
Hi Tracy,
Great idea to make it spicy! I bet it is so good on a grilled burger or chicken. Thanks for stopping by with your idea.
~ Milisa
I agree that it is too sweet. I will reduce it next time. I also will add at least a cup more of each veggie. I had a ton left of liquid. I got 3 pint jars out of it, but I could have made 4 if I added more of each. That said, It was a good recipe, just sweeter than I like. I have not used this recipe before, but I used another Ball recipe in the past. I like trying different recipes.
I had some picking cukes that were way too big (close to 7”) that needed to be used so I used them to make this. I added 2 cups onion and 1 cup red pepper and 1 cup green pepper and the 6 1/2 cups of cukes. I did 3 cups of sugar but will lower that next time as it is very sweet.
I had about a 1/2 cup liquid left over. I wonder for those saying it’s watery if they aren’t straining the vegetable well. I put mine in a cheese cloth and really strained them dry. It worked out very well! I got 5 half pints from this.