Making Dill Pickle Relish

Dill pickle relish is the most common of relishes. Because relish has a bite to it, it is intended to be consumed in small increments, such as in a spread or as a garnish. Making fresh dill pickle relish is a task that can be accomplished easily, and because the most important ingredient is a jar of dill pickles, it can also be made at any time of the year.

For a relish that can be whipped up for dinner in a few minutes, try this recipe.

Dill Pickle Relish Recipe

Ingredients You Will Need:
½ jar dill pickles
½ small jar pimentos
¼ cup wine vinegar
¼ cup olives, chopped
Crushed red pepper and sea salt to taste

Chop all vegetables into tiny pieces no more than ¼ inch. Add the vinegar and let the mixture marinate overnight. Drain it in the morning and salt as desired. If this relish is too bold for your tastes, omit the vinegar and add one tablespoon garlic oil instead.

Canning Garlic Dill Pickle Relish

Ingredients You Will Need:
5 pounds pickling cucumbers (about 14 cups chopped)
2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
5 ½ cups cider vinegar
3 teaspoons dill seed
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons pickling salt

Prepare jars by sterilizing them. Jars should be kept hot until filled and processed. Lids and rings should also be sterilized.

Wash vegetables, discard stems and chop. Measure the vegetables and place them into a large bowl. Set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed kettle, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring until the salt dissolves.

Add the vegetables to the vinegar mix and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes.

Using a canning funnel, fill the sterilized pint jars, leaving a ½ inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles with the sterilized handle of a wooden spoon. Adjust hot lids and rings and process the jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. A hot water bath means the jars will be covered with water by one to two inches and that the water will be at a full rolling boil for the entire 15 minutes.

Remove the jars from the heat and place them on a rack to cool. Leave the relish undisturbed for about 12 hours. Jars that did not seal must be refrigerated.

Always check for spoilage before consuming any product that has been canned. Remember that a jar that has become unsealed-even if no signs of spoilage are present-must be discarded immediately in a safe manner. Not all bacteria produce evidence of their presence.