Paraben Free Sweet Pickle Relish
Store-bought condiments are one of the sneakier sources of unwanted additives, and relish is no exception — preservatives and synthetic stabilizers show up in jars you'd never suspect. Making your own means you know exactly what's going in, and this recipe keeps things beautifully clean with nothing but fresh vegetables, vinegar, sugar, and a handful of warm spices. The combination of white distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar gives the brine a bright, layered tang, while mustard seeds, celery seeds, and a touch of turmeric add that classic relish character without any mystery ingredients. Salting the cucumbers, onion, and green bell pepper first draws out excess moisture, so the finished relish has real texture — tender but still with a satisfying little crunch. The result is sweet, tangy, and deeply savory in all the right ways, perfect piled onto hot dogs, stirred into potato salad, or spooned over grilled chicken. Ladled into jars and kept in the fridge, it's the kind of homemade staple that makes you wonder why you ever reached for the store-bought version.
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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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