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Janet's Award-Winning Zucchini Relish

zucchini relish in a jar on a table
Photo Credit
Jennifer Keating
The Editors
Yield
3-1/2 pints
Category
Pickles and Preserves
Course
Side Dishes
Credit
Amy LeBlanc, East Wilton, Maine Common Ground Country Fair
Sources
Blue Ribbon Recipes
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Add the delightful flavors of fresh-picked produce to your next cookout! This delicious zucchini relish also includes tomatoes, onions, and peppers straight from the garden that will tantalize your taste buds. It also makes a great gift for other garden lovers.

Amy LeBlanc credits this recipe to her best friend, Janet Bedard, whose family has handed it down through a couple of generations. This relish repeatedly wins blue ribbons whenever it is entered at the fair. Amy is an organic gardener and inspector who has just gone into business selling her preserves and vinegars.

Are you a zucchini-lover? Be sure to check out these quick ways to cook zucchini.

Ingredients
10 cups grated zucchini
5 medium-size onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 large stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup salt
2-1/2 cups white vinegar
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1-1/4 teaspoons powdered mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2-1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
Instructions
  1. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the zucchini, onion, red and green peppers, tomatoes, and celery. Add the salt and stir well. 
  2. Place a plate right on the vegetables and press down (a stack of smaller bowls works well). Let stand overnight.
  3. In the morning, drain the vegetables and rinse well 2 or 3 times until most of the salty taste is gone. 
  4. Transfer to a large stainless steel pot and add the vinegar, sugar, black pepper, mustard, turmeric, allspice, celery seed, and cornstarch-water mixture. Stir well. 
  5. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is clear. 
  6. Fill ½-pint or 1-pint jars with the relish, cover, and process in a boiling-water bath.
About The Author

The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

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Comments

MICHELE GUEVREMONT (not verified)

12 years 2 months ago

Is it possible to make relish without doing the salt bath? I have to watch for salt

The salt bath helps to draw out some of the water from the zucchini so that the relish doesn't get too watery. Most of the salt will be dissolved in the water and drained off. You can try to make the relish without the salt bath and cook it a bit longer until it is the desired consistency.