Got zucchini? At the end of summer, gardens overflow with this green squash and it can be a challenge to figure out what to do with all of it. If you've made zucchini bread and zucchini fritters and zucchini pasta, let us offer another suggestion: sweet zucchini relish. It's a little bit of a riff on the classic chow-chow, centered on summer squash instead of tomatoes. It's easy to make and tastes great on hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken salad sandwiches, and deviled eggs. Really, if it's something you'd put pickles on, you'll want to try this condiment instead.
You can customize this zucchini relish recipe by using your favorite kind of bell pepper and changing up the spices to taste. One note: Although we suggest you store the relish in canning jars, this particular recipe is not for meant for water bath canning. This small-batch version is one you can keep in your fridge for about two weeks, but it's so good, we're betting it doesn't last that long.
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You need about six cups of veggies, so about four cups zucchini, a cup of onions and a cup of bell pepper. You can use red bell peppers or green bell peppers, or a mix of orange and yellow peppers, for an extra pop of color; any combination will do. Stick to yellow or white onions. First, chop everything finely; you can also shred the zucchini in a food processor. In a large bowl, toss the chopped zucchini, peppers and onions in three tablespoons of kosher salt or pickling salt, then cover the mixture with cold water. Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for two hours. Drain the vegetables in a colander and rinse them, then let them drain completely while you start the next step.
Combine the remaining ingredients - sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, celery seed, coriander, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and two cups apple cider vinegar (you can use white vinegar in a pinch, but apple cider vinegar adds a nice flavor) - in a large pan over medium heat; bring the mixture the up to a boil and add the drained vegetables. Cook for a total time of about 12 minutes. Ladle the zucchini relish into pint jars; cover with airtight lids and refrigerate once the relish has cooled.
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Leftover Zucchini? Make Zucchini Relish
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped zucchini three to four medium zucchini
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 tbsp kosher salt or pickling salt
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the zucchini, onion and pepper finely. In a large bowl, toss the vegetable mixture in the salt. Cover the mixture with cold water and refrigerate for two hours.
- After two hours, drain the vegetables in a colander and rinse them, then let them drain completely.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a large pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture the up to a boil, then add the drained vegetables.
- Cook for about 12 minutes.
- Ladle the zucchini relish into pint jars; cover with airtight lids and refrigerate once the relish has cooled.
