Pickle Relish Recipe

Say goodbye to store-bought relish forever! This vibrant homemade pickle relish brings the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and crunchy to elevate your summer cookouts and sandwiches.

The secret to this relish’s incredible flavor lies in the perfect blend of fresh cucumbers, crisp bell peppers, and aromatic spices that create layers of complexity you just can’t get from the jarred stuff.

Ingredients

For the Base:

• ¾ cup diced and seeded cucumber
• ¾ cup diced green bell pepper
• ¼ cup diced white onion

For the Brine:

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cane sugar

Seasonings:

• ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ⅛ teaspoon celery seed

Steps

Combine vegetables and vinegar (about 10 minutes):

• Place cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and ¼ cup vinegar in a small pot
• Heat until bubbling (look for small bubbles around edges)
• Maintain gentle simmer – avoid rapid boiling which can make vegetables mushy
• Stir every 2-3 minutes to ensure even cooking
• Vegetables should become slightly translucent but maintain some crunch

Create the flavor base (5 minutes):

• Drain excess liquid thoroughly using a fine-mesh strainer
• Return vegetables to pot
• Add remaining ¼ cup vinegar and all seasonings
• Stir to distribute spices evenly
• Simmer gently – mixture should be steaming but not violently bubbling

Cool and store:

• Remove from heat
• Let cool completely (about 30 minutes) – mixture will thicken slightly
• Transfer to airtight container
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving for best flavor development
• Keeps up to 2 weeks when properly refrigerated

Smart Swaps

• Use monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar (1:1 ratio) for sugar-free version
• Substitute red bell pepper for green to create a sweeter profile
• Try rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for a milder tang

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Replace cane sugar with allulose (2.5 tablespoons) to reduce carbs by 24g per batch
• Use English cucumber to reduce water content and need for sugar
• Portion into 1-tablespoon servings (approximately 2g carbs each)
• Pair with high-protein foods to reduce glycemic impact

Pro Tips

• Dice vegetables to uniform ⅛-inch pieces for best texture
• Pat cucumbers dry before dicing to reduce excess moisture
• Store in glass jars rather than plastic for better flavor preservation
• Let flavors develop overnight for best results