COMMENT:
There are many sweet pickle relish recipes available in cookbooks
today, but this one is further enhanced with the spice of jalapeno
peppers. You may also wish to add a dash of crushed, dried red peppers
in the place of the jalapenos. I particularly like this recipe as
an ingredient in my remoulade sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 pound red bell pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 pound green bell pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 jalapeno peppers
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1/2 pound diced onions
- 1 tablespoon broken cinnamon sticks
- 2 pounds cucumbers, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons whole all-spice
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cracked nutmeg
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
METHOD:
Using rubber gloves, peel and seed the bell peppers and jalapenos.
Coarsely chop and place in the bowl of a food processor along with
the onions and cucumbers. Using the pulse button, chop until the
vegetables reach a coarse texture, but not pureed. Transfer the
vegetables to a 4-quart mixing bowl. Blend in the salt and weight
down the ingredients with a plate to keep the vegetables from floating
as the brine forms. Allow to stand 12 hours or overnight in the
refrigerator. Drain the ingredients well, and then rinse once or
twice and drain well again. Place the mixture in a one-gallon sauce
pot along with vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and turmeric. Place
the cloves, cinnamon, all-spice and nutmeg into a cheese cloth bag
and tie with butcher’s twine. Add the spice bag and Louisiana
Hot Sauce to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce
to simmer uncovered and cook 1 hour stirring occasionally. When
done, remove the spice bag and ladle the relish, boiling hot, into
hot sterilized jars. Seal, cool, label and store at least one month
prior to serving.
Note: This recipe was originally featured in Jeanne
Lesem’s book Preserving Today. |
