Zucchini Relish Recipe

Ingredients

10 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups diced onions
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 tbsp canning salt
1 ½ tbsp celery seed
¾ tbsp turmeric
3 cups sugar
2 ½ cups white vinegar

Instructions

Shred the Zucchini
The first thing you have to do is shred the zucchini. You can do that manually with a grater, as I do, or you could try a food processor. I’m sure a food processor would be easier, but I don’t have one at my disposal!
Now is also a good time to dice or shred the onions and bell peppers (either method is fine). Get it all in a container. Cover with a thin sprinkling of salt. Let it rest overnight to help draw out some of the moisture, then strain in a colander. You’ll be amazed at how much water comes out!
Combine and Cook the Ingredients
Now comes the easy part! Put all of the ingredients together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. The more it simmers, the more the flavors mingle together.
Prepare Your Canning Equipment
Next, prepare the canning equipment. Get your water bath canner cleaned up and filled with water (about half full). Sterilize your jars and rings in the dishwasher. Boil the lids to sanitize them.
Load the Jars
Once cooked, ladle into pint jars, leaving ½ in. headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Make sure to clean off the rims of the jars before placing them on the lids and rings.
Process the Jars
Process for 10 minutes (pints) or 15 minutes (quarts).
Cool and Store
The last step (and the easiest) is to remove the jars from the canner. Let them cool for 24 hours on a clean dish rag. Make sure they’re out of the path of a breeze so the jars don’t crack. Then you can store them with your canned goods.

Notes

Here are a few more tips for the best-ever zucchini relish!

Don’t Alter the Ratios of Vegetables - Be Exact

When it comes to making and canning zucchini relish, it's important to be exact with the ratios of vegetables. That's because the wrong ratio can throw off the flavor or cause the relish to spoil.

So, if you're planning on making zucchini relish, be sure to follow the recipe exactly. That way, you'll end up with a delicious and safe product that everyone will enjoy.

Choose Firm Fruit Without Soft Spots, Insect Damage, or Wrinkles

Choose firm fruit without any soft spots, insect damage, or wrinkles. This will ensure that the relish has the best texture and flavor.

Big, Oversized Fruits are Ideal

When it comes to making zucchini relish, size does matter. Big, oversized fruits are ideal for this task because they have more flesh.

While they are seedier, this won’t matter much in the relish. This is a great use for those large fruits you can’t find anything else to do with!

Use Vinegar With 5% Acidity

When making zucchini relish, be sure to use a vinegar with 5% acidity, such as apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar. This will ensure that your relish is safe to can and will also give it the best flavor.

Use Pickling Salt, Not Table Salt

When making zucchini relish, it is important to use pickling salt, not table salt. This is because table salt contains iodine and anti-caking agents, which can cause the zucchini to discolor.

Pickling salt, on the other hand, is pure sodium chloride, which will not cause discoloration.

Measure Vegetables AFTER Chopping

One crucial step is to measure the vegetables after they've been chopped. This may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it's actually very important.

If you try to measure beforehand, it’s not only going to be awkward and challenging, but could lead to inaccurate ratios.