Black Pepper Free Sweet Pickle Relish
Most store-bought relishes sneak in black pepper or spice blends that make them off-limits if you're avoiding that particular ingredient — but this homemade version keeps things clean and completely in your control. Crisp cucumbers, sweet onion, and green bell pepper come together in a tangy brine of white distilled and apple cider vinegars, with just enough sugar to balance the pucker. Mustard seeds, celery seeds, and a pinch of turmeric do all the heavy lifting on flavor, giving you that classic relish complexity without a single crack of pepper in sight. The salting step draws out excess moisture so the finished relish has the perfect tender-but-snappy texture rather than turning soggy in the jar. Simmering everything together lets the brine soak deep into the vegetables, and the result is bright, glossy, and seriously addictive. Spoon it over hot dogs, stir it into potato salad, or just eat it straight from the jar — no judgment here. Once you've made your own, going back to the store-bought stuff is going to feel like a real step down.
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Learn more →Ingredients
32 servings
- 1 ½ lbs cucumbers (about 3 medium), finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp celery seeds
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Combine the diced cucumbers, onion, and green bell pepper 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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