Zucchini Relish Recipe
This Zucchini Relish recipe is a sweet relish made with fresh grated zucchini and onions. Use the canning process to preserve in jars, or halve the recipe for a refrigerator zucchini relish. Delicious served in so many ways–from spreading on burgers and sandwiches, to dipping with cream cheeese. It’s summer in a jar, a fabulous condiment.
We love a good sweet relish, especially when it’s homemade and spread on a tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. It’s even better when it’s home-canned! For this Zucchini Relish recipe today, if you don’t have a garden, then shop the farmer’s market or farm stand for local zucchini! This recipe (otherwise known as onion relish) is a keeper–delicious to can, or halve the recipe and keep in the fridge for a “refrigerator zucchini relish.”
Zucchini Relish Recipe
Paste the recipe on your fridge, gather the ingredients, and grab a friend or 2 to make this recipe by preserving the jars. Canning is a process, so this recipe can take some time. But it’s worth every bite. This recipe brings back years of memories of canning batch after batch, with our garden zucchini from Medford, Oregon.
Why I love this recipe
- Even though it takes time to make, the results are so rewarding (it’s amazing).
- Each jar makes a very special gift to give (think of a hostess gift or Christmas gifts).
- You can halve the recipe and skip the canning process, to store in the fridge. But you will need to consume within 2 weeks!
Gather these ingredients:
- Zucchini (about 10 medium)
- Onions
- Salt and pepper
- Yellow or orange bell peppers
- Pimientos
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sugar
- Ground nutmeg, ground turmeric, dry mustard
- Cornstarch
Equipment:
- Canning jars: we use 4-5 pint-size (16 oz) canning jars or 8-10 ½ pint (8 oz) canning jars
How to make Zucchini Relish recipe:
- Combine the zucchini, onions and salt; let stand overnight (cover and let stand in a cool place (70 to 75°F) for at least 12 hours).
- The next day, using a colander placed over a sink, drain the zucchini mixture (squeezing out all water). Rinse and drain again.
- To make the brine, in a large pot over medium heat, dissolve the sugar into the vinegar and spices; stir until mixed together.
- Add in the zucchini, chopped peppers and pimientos, to the brine and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced and mixture is the consistency of a thick commercial relish, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare boiling water canner. Prepare jars and lids (I jar the relish in hot jars that have been run through the dishwasher).
- Ladle the hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot relish. Wipe rim. Put the lid on jar. Apply band until fit and fingertip-tight.
- Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours, by pressing on the center (it should not flex when pushed down).
- Enjoy, or give away as a lovely gift!
How to serve Zucchini Relish
Here are a few ways we love to enjoy zucchini relish:
- Sandwiches (amazin on tuna!) or salads or a tuna dip
- Burgers, quiches, chicken, meat or fish
- Over goat cheese or cream cheese on an appetizer plate with crackers
- For a low carb snack, serve topped on a seed cracker with a slice of cheese
- Serve on a cheese board.
Tips and substitutions:
- For years I’ve canned this in the summertime, sometimes in 1/2 pint jars, sometimes in pint jars, and it makes a delicious gift. Makes about 4-5 (16 oz) pints. I also like to use 1/2 pint jars to give as gifts.
- Water bath canning required (unless you want to make refrigerator relish).
- Halve or quarter the recipe if you want to make refrigerator zucchini relish.
- I use my food processor to grate the onions and zucchini {easy}, and the rest is very simple.
- It’s not spicy–it’s very sweet.
- Want to make it sugar-free? Use monk fruit blend. But we have not tried a “sugar-free” version preserved. This is a “fresh relish” recipe that you’d want to keep it in the fridge, and it will easily last 2 weeks in the fridge.
- Oh, and most people like homemade gifts, so this makes the perfect hostess gift.
Be prepared to savor each jar! :)
More awesome relish and condiment recipes to try:
- Sweet Smokey Zucchini Salsa Recipe
- Apple Cranberry Chutney
- Pickled Red Onions
- Pickle Relish
- Pickle de Gallo
Get the Recipe:
Zucchini Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 zucchini, grated (about 10 medium)
- 4 cups onions, grated (about 3 medium)
- 5 Tbsp salt
- 2 large yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 small jars pimientos
- 2 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 Tbsp dry mustard
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Equipment
- 4-5 16 oz canning jars or 8-10 ½ pint canning jars
Instructions
- Combine the zucchini, onions and salt; let stand overnight (cover and let stand in a cool place (70 to 75°F) for at least 12 hours).
- The next day, using a colander placed over a sink, drain the zucchini mixture (squeezing out all water). Rinse and drain again.
- To make the brine, in a large pot over medium heat, dissolve the sugar into the vinegar and spices; stir until mixed together.
- Add in the zucchini, chopped peppers and pimientos, to the brine and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced and mixture is the consistency of a thick commercial relish, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare boiling water canner. Prepare jars and lids (I jar the relish in hot jars that have been run through the dishwasher).
- Ladle the hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot relish. Wipe rim. Put the lid on jar. Apply band until fit and fingertip-tight.
- Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours, by pressing on the center (it should not flex when pushed down).
- Enjoy, or give away as a lovely gift!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I left out pimento ingredient out don’t like the texture. Really good flavor.
can’t wait to make this…I have made 3 half batches of your smokey zucchini salsa, and everyone loves it!!
This looks right up my alley. I can see so much potential for delicious eating!!
I love giving homemade gifts! this relish looks amazing!!!
Pinning this to make this summer when I have an abundance of zucchini in the garden! Love the idea of making one person happy each day and what better way to do that then to share some homemade love! xo, friend.
I am saving this recipe for zucchini season!! I am so ready for summer!
NEVER too early to post canning recipes. I can all year long..yes..in Northern Minnesota! If there is a produce sale on onions or peppers, etc at the Grocery store or COSTCO…I bring it home and make sweet pepper and onion relish…OR just make wine jelly :)
What a great recipe! I would enjoy having some more of your canning recipes. Growing up, my dad always had a huge garden and my mother did a lot of canning and freezing. I wish I had paid more attention to this as now I would like to give canning a try. I freeze fresh veggies, i.e., white acre peas, crowder peas, etc., but I would love to can some veggies too this summer.
I will have to try this in the summer when my zucchini is taking over my garden! Sounds YUMMY :)
We didn’t color eggs this year, just did some deviled eggs and those went quick. I love giving and receiving homemade gifts. They are the best.