Faye's Zucchini Relish

This is the kind of relish that turns a summer zucchini glut into something you’ll be grateful for come January. Grated zucchini, onions, and red bell pepper get salted overnight to draw out moisture, then simmered in a sweet vinegar brine spiked with turmeric, celery seed, and both dry and prepared mustard.

That 12-hour salt soak is the step that separates good relish from watery relish. Zucchini holds a lot of moisture, and if you skip the salting and draining, your relish will be thin and runny instead of thick and spreadable. Rinse the vegetables thoroughly after draining or the finished product will be too salty.

The brine cooks down for 15 minutes before the vegetables go in, concentrating the sugar-vinegar base into a thick syrup. Then everything simmers together for 30 more minutes until the relish hits that glossy, chunky-but-cohesive consistency.

Pro Tips

• Use a non-aluminum bowl for the salt soak. Aluminum reacts with the salt and vinegar and can give the relish a metallic taste.
• Grate the vegetables on the large holes of a box grater. Too fine and you’ll get mush. You want some texture in the finished relish.
• Sterilize your jars right before filling. Dropping hot relish into a cold jar risks cracking the glass.
• This relish is fantastic on hot dogs, burgers, and in tuna or chicken salad.

Variations

• Spicy zucchini relish: Add a diced jalapeno or two to the vegetable mix for a relish with some kick.
• Bread and butter style: Reduce the sugar slightly and add more turmeric for a flavor closer to classic bread and butter pickles.