Recipe: Pickle Relish (canning recipe)

Chances are that if it was an old recipe it was not safe to use nowdays. The old recipes were often based on vinegar that was as much as 40 percent acidity compared to our current 5% vinegar. Some cheap ones are only 4% and should not be used for homecanning.

Here is a current recipe for your use:

PICKLE RELISH

3 qts chopped cucumbers
3 cups each of chopped sweet green and red peppers
1 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups ice
8 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 tsp each of mustard seed, turmeric, whole allspice, and whole cloves
6 cups white vinegar (5 percent)

Yield: About 9 pints

Add cucumbers, peppers, onions, salt, and ice to water and let stand 4 hours.

Drain and re-cover vegetables with fresh ice water for another hour. Drain again.

Combine spices in a spice or cheesecloth bag. Add spices to sugar and vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour mixture over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Heat mixture to boiling and fill hot into clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process half pints and pints 10 min. in a boiling water bath.

NOTE: ALL foods including pickled foods must be processed to insure safety.