Nutmeg Free Classic Relish
Bright, tangy, and loaded with garden-fresh crunch, this homemade relish is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste better — hot dogs, burgers, grain bowls, you name it. English cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, and onion get a long soak in salted water before being rinsed and pressed dry, which is the key step that keeps the final texture snappy rather than soggy. A brine of white distilled vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric gives it that classic sweet-and-tangy punch with just enough warmth to keep things interesting. Store-bought relish often hides a surprising number of spices in its ingredient list, and for anyone avoiding nutmeg specifically, that can make a simple jar feel like a gamble. Making it from scratch here means you know exactly what went in — and what didn't. The whole process is straightforward enough for a weekend afternoon, and the jars keep beautifully in the fridge for easy grabbing all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 4 cups english cucumbers, finely chopped (about 3 medium cucumbers)
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 medium onion)
- ½ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- ½ tsp celery seed
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Combine the chopped cucumbers, onion, and both bell peppers in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the vegetables and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, until the vegetables have released a significant amount of liquid.
- 2
Transfer the salted vegetables to a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Press firmly with your hands or the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible — the vegetables should feel noticeably drier.
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