How to Make Sweet Zucchini Relish | A Recipe to Pickle and Can Zucchini

We usually think of only cucumber pickles, but technically speaking pickling includes any fruit, vegetable, or meat prepared using a pickling process. Pickling involves either fermenting in a brine solution (a salt solution), or packing in vinegar for food preservation. Most foods can be pickled, but because of the salt, or vinegar, pickling most often involves vegetables.


This zucchini relish recipe uses a brine to assist in the crispiness of the pickled zucchini, but it is not fermented. A spicy vinegar solution is used to preserve the zucchini and peppers. A small amount of brown sugar is used to sweeten the relish. It tastes much like the sweet pickle relish we eat on hot dogs, but zucchini is used instead of cucumbers.

Similar recipes may call it, "sweet summer squash relish." Zucchini is the most common type of summer squash and is sometimes referred to as simply, "summer squash."

 

How to Make Sweet Zucchini Relish

• 2 cups shredded or chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sweet green pepper
• 1/2 cup sweet red pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

1. Chop the peppers and onions. Shred, or chop, the zucchini. A food processor works well for chopping and shredding the vegetables, but it can also be done by hand.
2. Place the vegetables from the step above in a very large bowl. Sprinkle the vegetables with the 2 tablespoons of salt. Fill the bowl with cool water until the vegetables are completely covered. Let the zucchini and peppers stand in the brine solution for 2 hours.
3. Drain the vegetables and rinse thoroughly with water. Combine the sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, and vinegar in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the chopped vegetables. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Makes four half-pints. This canning recipe may easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.

 

How to Can Zucchini Relish

Ladle the hot zucchini relish into jars leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. The jars should be sterilized before filling. You can do this by boiling the jars, or simply washing them in a dishwasher on the hottest water temperature setting. The easiest way to prevent spills on the rim of the jar while filling is to use a jar funnel. Spills on the rim of the canning jar may interfere with the seal.

If there are air bubbles in the jars, run a clean rubber spatula around the sides of the jars to remove the bubbles. Screw on sterile lids and rings. These can be sterilized in the same ways as the canning jars. Process the jars of canned zucchini relish in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Enjoy your summer zucchini harvest all year long by preserving it as your own homemade sweet zucchini relish. This canned relish recipe makes an excellent gift for friends and family or a special addition to holiday meals.

More Pickle Canning Recipes

 

Credits:

Zucchini Relish Photo: Heather Schulte
"Ball Blue Book of Preserving." Jarden Home Brands. 2005. Muncic, IN 47305.

Make Ahead Apple Bread Recipe

 

 
 

















Make ahead apple bread mix also works wonderfully for your own pantry. We are all busy cooks, but that doesn't mean you can have oven fresh bread in a flash. 

  Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup broken walnuts

Step 1: Preparing the Make Ahead Mix

In a large sealable bag, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Shake the dry ingredients well inside the bag to mix them. Label this bag, "dry ingredients."
In a separate sealable bag, place the sugar. Label this bag, "sugar."

 

Step 2: Adding the Instructions for the Apple Bread

Attach the instructions for making the apple bread recipe:
In large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, the sugar with the mix, and the apples (coarsely chopped). Stir together well. Add the premade mix. Pour batter into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out clean when the bread is done. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before attempting to remove it from the pan.
This step is important wether you are giving the mix as a gift, or keeping it for yourself. Be sure to attach the instructions!

 

Ideas for Decorating the Make Ahead Apple Bread Mix

Place the apple mix in a paper bag decorated with an apple stamp, attach a wooden spoon with raffia ribbon. Write the words, "Make Ahead Apple Bread Mix," on the outside of the bag in your best handwriting. Cut an apple out of cardstock to attach as a tag with the instructions for making the apple bread, or order the apple tags in the photo from Marzycards.com. Add a few apples to the bag and give them away to your friends and family. This make ahead mix can also be given as a "jar gift" as many premade cookie mixes are packaged for holiday gift giving. When giving this gift to a young couple, or as a housewarming gift, a new loaf pan can be added.

Nothing says falls like the aroma of apples and cinnamon. This premade mix can be mixed up and decorated as a gift, or used to stock your own pantry. It is quick and easy to pop in the oven anytime you have unexpected visitors. It has a shelf life of approximately 1 year. Applesauce can easily be used as a substitute for the oil in this recipe to make it heart healthy and add to the apple flavor of the finished bread.

Image Credits: Apple Bread curtousy of Wikimedia - Apple Bread

 

If you like this, see: More Make-Ahead Bread Recipes!