Pickle Relish

Ingredients:

6 pounds of pickling type cucumbers, about 4"-5" long (which will yield 3 quarts chopped cucumbers)

3 large green bell peppers

3 large red bell peppers

2 onions, chopped to yield 1 cup

3/4 cup canning or pickling salt (non-iodized)

8 cups water

4 cups ice

1 tablespoon each of mustard seed, turmeric, whole allspice, and whole cloves

6 cups white or apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

2 cups granulated sugar

Yields 8 pints.

Directions:

Wash the the cucumbers in plain cold water. Cut off the ends (about 1/4") and chop however finely you like your relish. Chop the peppers to produce 3 cups each of green and red. Chop onions to yield 1 cup. In a large bowl, add the cucumbers, peppers, and onions with the salt; add the water and ice and let stand for 4 hours.

Drain the vegetables and discard the salt water. Cover the chopped veggies with fresh ice water and let it stand for 1 hour more. Drain and discard the water again.

Combine the 4 teaspoons of mustard seed, turmeric, whole allspice, and whole cloves in a spice or cheesecloth bag. In a large saucepan or small pot, add the spices to 6 cups of vinegar and 2 cups sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Pour the spice/vinegar over the chopped vegetables and then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

On the second day, get the jars and lids sterilized and ready for filling. Heat the relish to boiling, stirring as necessary to prevent burning. Fill the pint jars with the relish to within 1/4" to 1/2" of the top, seal the lid and hand-tighten the ring around them. Put them in the water-bath and keep them covered with at least 1" of water. Keep the water boiling for at least 10 minutes.

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place. This usually takes overnight. You can then remove the rings. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, but that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

When can you start eating the relish? As soon as the jars cool!

How long will they keep in cool, dark storage?  Usually 12-18 months.