Million Dollar Relish (small batch)

  

Million Dollar Relish. I reckon there are about a bazillion recipes for this tasty pickle relish out there, each one claiming to be the best.  I am sure they are all very good.

This is my version and it is very good.  Its an excellent pickle relish to serve with cold plates, in potato or macaroni salads, or on burgers and dogs.  And (trust me on this one) its excellent stirred into tuna or chicken salad.

 

 

Some recipes out there use ground cauliflower in the mix.  This version does not. Its just a simple kitchen garden variety.

When my children were growing up I made dozens and dozens of jars of pickles, jams and relishes each year.  It was something which I really enjoyed doing. I loved seeing the bejeweled jars of finished goods lining my larder shelves and my family loved partaking of the fruits of my labors through the winter months. 

Now that I have an empty nest, preserving is not something I do a lot of anymore.   I do find myself missing my old favorites however and so this year I am trying to downsize/small batch some of them so that I can enjoy them in the months to come.

A few weeks ago, at the start of strawberry season, I did some Strawberry & Honey Jam. It was a success and so today I decided to make a pickle/relish.

 

This recipe will make two pint jars of this delicious relish. Just enough to last this small household the winter.  I just know that come January it is going to be a delicious taste of summer for me!

In years gone by people used to pickle and preserve to help to use up some of the abundance of their garden plots, so that nothing went to waste.  Things like cucumbers tend to come in gluts and you can only eat so many fresh.

Pickling the abundance only makes sense, as there is not much else you can do with an over abundance of cukes! 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MILLION DOLLAR RELISH

While some recipes do call for cauliflower, this one does not. It looks like a long list of ingredients, but most of it are spices.

• 2 pint jars, washed and sterilized
• 3 whole cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded
• 1/2 pound (226g) onions, peeled
• 1/4 medium green pepper
• 1/4 medium red pepper
• 1/4 cup (60g) pickling salt
• 1 cup (240ml) hot water
• 1/2 cup (120ml) white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1 TBS cold water
• pinch hot pepper flakes (optional)

 

I just used ordinary garden cucumbers.  Wash, quarter and scoop out the seeds with  a spoon, discarding them.  

You will need to trim the peppers, discarding the ribs and seeds. I used 1/4 pepper of each red and green.

Just use regular cooking onions.

If you can't find pickling salt, use kosher salt or sea salt. I would not use iodized table salt.

 

HOW TO MAKE MILLION DOLLAR RELISH

As with most pickle and preserving recipes, you do need to begin these the night before you mean to cook them.

Put the cucumbers, onions, and peppers through a meat grinder, or chop them finely by hand. Place them into a colander and drain them well. 

Once drained, place into a bowl and add the salt and hot water, mixing well together. Cover with  clean tea towel and leave to stand overnight.

 

Next day:

Whisk the cold water together with the cornstarch. Set aside.  Drain the vegetables well, rinse under cold water and drain again. Place into a medium saucepan. Add the vinegar, celery seed, turmeric, mustard seed, sugar and hot pepper flakes, if using. 

Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer at slow boil for half an hour.

Add the cornstarch slurry, stirring it in well with a fork until it dissolves. Allow to thicken.

Make sure your jars are hot and freshly sterilized. (I do this in boiling water) Sterilize your lids and jar bands as well. Keep them hot.

Divide the relish between both hot and sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth and seal.

Store in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate.

 

If you are not really all that familiar with making pickles and preserves, I do recommend that you consult a professional canning resource to make sure you do things right and according to their directions when it comes to prepping your jars, vegetables, etc.

Don't just take my word for it. A place like this can give you expert and up-to-date advice on what the protocol is for making home preserves safely for your family to eat.

When it comes to food safety you cannot be too careful!

 

I have always really loved the way my house smells when I have been putting up things like pickles, relishes and chutneys.  All sweet and vinegary, slightly spicy.

To me it smells like home sweet home.

Preserving has never been work to me. Its just always been something I enjoy immensely.  I like to think I am channeling my ancestors when I do things like this.  They never had shops to buy things like pickles and relishes from.  What they had they made themselves.  There is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from doing so. 

If you have caught the canning buy perhaps you will enjoy a few of these other preserving recipes of mine:

GREEN TOMATO CHOW - This is my ex MIL Elizabeth's recipe and has been pleasing my family for years and years.  It is a full sized recipe, but makes great gifts! 

SPICED PEAR CHUTNEY - Pears, cranberries and plenty of sweet spice.  This is fabulous in midwinter when you crack open a jar to enjoy with a good cheese.

BEETROOT CHUTNEY - This is delicious.  You can vary the strength of the heat by upping or reducing the amount of crushed chilies. 

Million Dollar Relish

Yield: 2 pint jars

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 12 HourCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 12 H & 30 M

This is a wonderful relish to make in the summer when fresh local produce is readily available. Its delicious and goes well on cheese boards, hotdogs, burgers, etc. My family always loved it. I have small batched it for the smaller family.

Ingredients

• 2 pint jars, washed and sterilized
• 3 whole cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded
• 1/2 pound (226g) onions, peeled
• 1/4 medium green pepper
• 1/4 medium red pepper
• 1/4 cup (60g) pickling salt
• 1 cup (240ml) hot water
• 1/2 cup (120ml) white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1 TBS cold water
• pinch hot pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Put the cucumbers, onions, and peppers through a meat grinder, or chop them fine but coarsely in a food processor. (You do not want them liquified, but to have some substance.) Place them into a colander and drain them well.
2. Place into a bowl and add the salt and hot water, mixing well. Cover and leave to stand overnight.
3. Whisk the cold water together with the cornstarch. Set aside.
4. Drain the vegetables well, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Place into a medium saucepan. Add the vinegar, celery seed, turmeric, mustard seed, sugar and hot pepper flakes, if using. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer at slow boil for half an hour.
5. Add the cornstarch slurry, stirring it in well with a fork until it dissolves. Allow to thicken.
6. Make sure your jars are hot and freshly sterilized. (I do this in boiling water) Sterilize your lids and jar bands as well. Keep them hot.
7. Divide the relish between both hot and sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth and seal.
8. Store in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it # marierayner5530

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 

Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again! 

 Follow my blog with Bloglovin