Sweet Zucchini Relish
This Sweet Zucchini Relish is easy to make with grated zucchini and onions and can in the summer months! Delicious served many ways!
Friends, if you don’t have a garden, shop the farmer’s market or farm stand for local zucchini, for this fantastic Sweet Zucchini Relish recipe!
Gather your recipe, the ingredients, and a friend or 2 to can with, and ENJOY! This recipe brings back years of memories of canning batch after batch, with our garden zucchini. My friend, Cindy, shared this recipe with me over 12 years ago!
Sweet Zucchini Relish
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.
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. And it’s delicious on tuna sandwiches, in tuna salads, or when making a tuna dip.
It’s also great served with goat cheese or cream cheese, as an appetizer!
Ingredients for zucchini relish
All you need are 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
- Canning jars
How to serve Zucchini Relish
Here are a few ways we love to enjoy zucchini relish:
- Sandwiches (amazin on tuna!)
- Burgers
- Over cream cheese on an appetizer plate with crackers
Make one person happy
I found this quote the other day and it made me smile:
Sweet Zucchini Relish
Do you love this as much as I do? What a great thought.
Oh, and most people like homemade gifts, so this makes the perfect hostess gift.
Be prepared to savor each jar! :)
More recipes to try:
Sweet Smokey Zucchini Salsa Recipe
Oh, and what makes the relish so yellow?
It’s turmeric!
We love the spicy and sweet flavors of this relish so much, I think you will, too!
Get the Recipe:
Sweet Zucchini Relish
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 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 Tbsp dry mustard
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 5-6 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.