This sweet cucumber relish recipe is perfect for barbecues and picnics, and it's so easy to make. Just a few simple ingredients come together to create a delicious sweet and tangy condiment that will elevate any meal!
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
Summertime is cucumber season, and there's nothing more refreshing than a crisp, cold cucumber salad mixed with this sweet cucumber relish!
Cucumbers are great for pickling, and it's such an easy recipe to make at home that you can use throughout the year.
Sweet pickle relish is the perfect condiment to spread on sandwiches, mixed in with pasta and salad recipes, or for BBQs.
Everyone loves the sweet and tangy relish because it enhances any meal and has a bright green color.
Homemade relish recipes are perfect for home cooks that have a canner on hand to process the jars to make them last longer. They stay fresh for well over a year unopened, and the taste is far superior to any store-bought pickle relish you can buy.
This recipe uses fresh cucumbers, onions, and green chopped peppers to give the relish a bright green color - and is flavored with aromatic spices of turmeric powder, mustard, and celery seed. Then the sweetness of the sugar and the tanginess of the vinegar balances all the flavors.
🍽 Key Ingredients
The key to making the best sweet cucumber relish is the quantity of sugar to vinegar and the freshness of the cucumbers and peppers.
Vegetables - To keep the tasty relish nice and green, were using fresh pickling cucumbers, green bell peppers, and sweet onions.
Salt - Pickling salt is specifically used in pickle recipes. You can also use canning salt, which is also used for pickle recipes.
Spices - To give the cucumber relish and aromatic, savory flavor, use mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric powder.
Vinegar - The apple cider vinegar balances well with the cucumbers and sugar without overpowering.
Sugar - For pickling recipes, the best sugar to use is granulated white sugar because it dissolves easily without being grainy and doesn't disrupt the liquid clarity.
🔪 How to make sweet cucumber relish
Sweet cucumber relish is a wonderful recipe to make using a water bath canner. Once the vegetables have been soaked and boiled with spices, vinegar, and sugar, the mixture is then transferred to the canner for processing. Easy and absolutely delicious!
To make this sweet cucumber relish, you will need about 8 to 10 small to medium sized pickling cucumbers. ( I have a lot of cucumbers in this photo because I double this recipe!) Wash the cucumbers and cut off the blossom and stem ends.
Preparations
Step 1
Cut the cucumbers into chunks and chop them in a food processor, being careful not to over-process them.
Step 2
Wash, seed, and chop 3 large green peppers into small pieces and do the same to about 5 medium sweet onions.
Step 3
Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle them with ½ cup pickling salt. Stir the mixture to evenly distribute the salt and add enough cold water to cover the vegetables. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer the mixture to a colander set in the sink, rinse with cold water and allow to drain.
Cooking Instructions
Step 4
Meanwhile, combine 3 cups sugar and 2 cups cider vinegar in a heavy stainless steel or nonstick pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons celery seeds, and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric to the vinegar solution along with the chopped vegetables. Return to boiling then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle the hot relish into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving a ½ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and add lids and screw bands.
Step 5
At this point, you can store the jars of relish in the refrigerator after the jars have cooled and use the relish within a few weeks. But to truly preserve the fresh taste of summer, I process the jars using a water-bath method for 10 minutes.
If you have an instant pot, check out Instant Pot canning basics for an in-depth guide to water-bath and steam canning.
This relish is the perfect balance between sweet and tangy and tastes superb on hot dogs and brats! It also is a great addition to potato or egg salad.
💭 Cooking Tips
Allow the flavors to infuse before eating
Let the relish sit in the fridge or cupboard for 4 to 6 weeks before consuming for the flavors to enhance.
Finer consistency
This recipe produces a chunky cucumber relish, but if you want your cucumber relish to be smoother, use a food processor to blend the vegetables before soaking.
Don't try to squeeze them in the canner.
The sweet pickle relish will fill roughly 10 jars, and depending on the size of your canner, you will need to process them in two batches.
📖 Recipe Variations
You can add other ingredients to this sweet cucumber relish recipe, like garden veggies, or make it spicier.
Spicy cucumber relish
If you like your relish more on the spicy side than the sweet, add 1 or 2 chopped jalapenos to the vegetable mixture, then let them soak with the salt before draining and boiling. Add a teaspoon of chili powder with the other spices for an extra spice kick.
Cucumber relish with cauliflower
Cauliflower gives this relish a crunchier texture that blends well with the soft cucumbers. Chop 1 cauliflower head and soak it with the vegetable mixture.
Roasted bell pepper cucumber relish
Give the sweet pickle relish a delicious smokiness by charring the onion and green bell peppers under the broiler for 5 minutes or on the BBQ before chopping them.
🥗 What to serve with
Sweet cucumber relish has many flavors that pair well with lots of delicious main courses and side dishes.
Salad
Sweet and tangy relish is perfect for mixing into various salads to enhance the flavors like potato salad, macaroni salad, and creamy cucumber salad.
Sandwiches
You can also spread this sweet pickle relish on sandwiches like cheese & ham, BLT, and tuna & egg salad. Whatever you love between two slices of bread, add some relish to elevate the flavors.
Meatloaf
There's nothing easy and better-tasting than a juicy meatloaf with succulent ground beef when it comes to meat recipes. This recipe is slightly different than most, but it is packed with flavor and pairs well with a spoonful of sweet cucumber relish on top.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
How long does unprocessed cucumber relish last?
Unprocessed cucumber relish will last up to a month refrigerated. Although, it's highly recommended to process the jars in a water bath canner to maximize the shelf life to a year.
Is there a difference between pickling cucumbers and regular cucumbers?
Pickling cukes have thicker skins than regular salad cucumbers and make for a better relish because they are bred specially for pickling. If you chop regular cucumbers too fine, they turn too much when pickled.
🧊 Storage
Sweet cucumber relish is excellent for eating throughout the year using the water bath canner method and stores well in the fridge or at room temperature.
Room temperature - You can store the jars of relish in a cupboard unopened for up to a year if properly sealed, and once it's open, transfer the jar to the fridge and consume within a month.
Refrigerated - Store the processed jars in the fridge for 12 to 18 months unopened. Once the jar is open, consume within a month.
🍳 Related Recipes
If you like this sweet cucumber relish recipe, check out my fantastic related canning recipes.
👪 Serving Size
This sweet cucumber relish recipe will produce enough mixture to fill approximately 10 half-pint jars. If you want to scale the recipe, you will need to process them in 3 to 4 batches, depending on the size of your canner.
Making relish recipes is so easy with a canner, and they are great for eating throughout the year with your favorite meals. Homemade relish is budget-friendly and super delicious, so give it a try and let me know what you think!
📋 Recipe
Sweet Cucumber Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 8-10 medium pickling cucumbers washed and finely chopped
- 5 medium sweet onions finely chopped
- 3 large green peppers washed, seeded, and finely chopped
- ½ cup pickling salt
- cold water for rinsing
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Combines chopped cucumbers, onions, and peppers in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle with pickling salt and stir to distribute the salt throughout the mixture.
- Add enough cold water to cover the vegetables
- Cover and allow to stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Transfer vegetables to a colander set in the sink.
- Rinse with cold water and allow to drain.
- In a large stainless-steel or nonsitck pot, combine sugar and vinegar.
- Heat to boiling, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric to the solution along with the chopped vegetables.
- Return to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle the hot relish into hot, sterilized canning jars, leafing a ½ inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims, add the lids and screw bands.
- Process the filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the canner, place on a dry towel, and allow to cool overnight.
Patsy Rose!
This is my second year making this delicious Relish! I'd never made Relish before but I had an over abundance of cucumbers last year! I made cucumber Everything! My family loved this Relish so much I'm down to the last Jar! But it harvest time! So here I am again making Relish for my Family! : - ) Thank you so much for your recipe! It's Amazing!
Jane
Aww thanks for the kind words Patty!
Kristy
I’m not sure if my cucumbers are the pickled kind. Do you think any cucumbers would work well?
Liana
To be honest I'm quite ashamed to be using this recipe for years, hooking people to it for years, without enough feedback. Thank you so much for it! Many lives have been changed for the better! hahah
PK Herron
You know I didn't know relish was so important until I made my own with this recipe. The heck with the hot dog I just eat right out of the jar! Thanks for sharing this ones a keeper.
Brooke
I made this a month ago and opened the 1st jar for a party, it was so delicious and I got a lot of compliments! I did tweak the recipe slightly because I didn't have enough green peppers and I wasn't sure what size my pickling cucumbers were considered. I'm new to canning and have come across so much information, however, and am now worried the other 5 jars in my cabinet might not be safe to eat. I saw somewhere that changing canning recipes could change the PH, or making up your own would mean not knowing the amount of time to process the jars. I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on my dilemma? Thanks.
Wes
Ive literally done out 70 jars of pickels, chuntney and preserves this season and found this one so easy, i eaven had my mother in law suffering dementia in on the chopping and well committed. Thanks
LO
This is nearly identical to my relish recipe! It's the best! I do have a question...have u ever tried using zucchini instead of cucumbers? It was not a good cuc year in our area!
Donna Ler
Thank you so much for this recipe looking foward to trying this today. I have had so many cucumbers this year and made many pickles. Looking foward to making a change from pickles. Thank you again. Donna Lee
Jim P
Awesome, thank you!!!
Sarah McLaren
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. The only change I made was adding in one red pepper (simply for color). So easy to make and my family loved it on their burgers and hot dogs this evening - they used a full half-pint! I’m looking forward to making some tartar sauce with it next time we have fish & chips. Yum!
Rose
My mail lady gave us a relish like t his a few years ago. I am so excited to try it myself since I have many cucumbers on hand! But I am new to canning and wonder if I h ave to adjust my canning time-- I am at an elevation of 1285 ft. I just want to make sure I do this right. What do you think...?
Thank you! Rose
Jane Windham
Yes, you will need to adapt the processing time because you are at a higher altitude. I will send you an email.
Ann Stewart
Oh I just saw this. I am over 37oo ft elevation I just put them in the jars getting ready to put in bath. Could you advise
Jane Windham
You have probably already canned your relish but yes, you will need to add about 5 additional minutes to the processing time
VALERIE DUFFY
This is the best! I have been making this recipe for years my MOM passed it to me, The ONLY thing I do different is I add a red sweet pepper so when I give them as Christmas gifts it gives a little color with a red bow on top, my kids mix it with mayo to make their own tatar sauce, Thanks for this.
clair
I am making relish with approx. 24 cups of processed cukes from the latest haul from the garden. Can you give me a cup measurement of a single recipe so I can triple or quadruple it?
Thanks,
Regina
Jane
I tried your sweet cucumber relish recipe, and it was delicious! The instructions was very easy to follow. I'll never buy another jar of relish again. It's a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Jane Windham
Thanks so much for coming back, rating the recipe, and leaving your feedback! Enjoy!
Angela Lock
Hi Jane
Lovely receipe,,,thank you for sharing. There appears to be a lot of sugar/vinegar liquid> I did boild and simmer as stated...should it have been reduced before I bottled it?
Jane Windham
No, you don't need to reduce the solution. It does not need to be thick and syrupy.
Carol Hutton
This has been a hit around here! I have had a bumper crop of cucumbers this year - not pickling cucumbers but they have still been amazing in this recipe! Thank you!
Anna
Made this back in August with our last few homegrown cucumbers and took the first jar to a dinner party - everyone raved about how good it was! Absolutely delicious!
Jane Windham
I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for coming back and giving the recipe a rating!
Patricia L. Barley
Dear Jane
I am very happy to finally find some recipes that will preserve my cukes other than just pickles & I am so excited to try them. Thank you so much for being here.
Sincerely,
Patricia
Mary preziosi
Thank you for this recipe. I made it last summer and had relish to give away throughout the year. Everyone said it was the best they ever tasted. I don’t remember how many jars this recipe makes. Can you advise approx how many jars one recipe will fill? This would be quite helpful so I know how many jars to sterilize. Thanks again!
Jane Windham
I believe that I got 7 pints from this recipe. When I make this again, I will update, if necessary.
Jennifer Myers
Pretty easy recipe, its simmering now, i'm doing half pints though because some will be gifts. It. Smells. AaaaaaaaaaaMAZING!
(ESTIMATING 11 HALF PINTS AND ONE FULL PINT)
Jane Windham
Thanks so much for your feeback! I give relish as gifts a lot and it is always appreciated.
Kim
I made this recipe on 6/25/19 using the water bath method. Just opened a jar last night for the first time and my dad and my husband both said it was the best relish they had ever ate. I’m pretty critical of my canned foods and while they’re good I never feel they’re awesome but this recipe was definitely awesome. Instead of 3 sweet peppers I used 2 sweet peppers (bell) and a handful of whole jalapeños (seeds and all). This gave the relish a wonderful mild spice. I also only used 3 onions. Making another batch today. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Jane Windham
Thanks so much for coming back to the blog to leave your feedback! I'm glad you're enjoying the relish.
Jill
I made this recipe using Kim’s suggestion to add a couple of jalapeños. I also added a red pepper for color. I made about 14 jars this fall; and they are going fast. So delish. My daughter said she never wants to eat store-bought relish again. Definitely try adding the jalapeños. If you’re afraid if the heat, devein and deseed the jalapeños. I only added a few seeds. It was zesty but had no heat. Perfect!
Jane Windham
I'm sure that I'd love the addition of the jalapenos!
Jill
I am making this recipe again today (with the jalapeños). I only have a few jars left from last year. Best relish I have eaten.
Donna Rowand
Hi Jane
I just got a batch ready to sit for 2 hours. I also make cucumber jelly and i put the cucumbers through my juicer for that. The pulp that is left over i put in with the chopped vegetables and looks like it will work well. No waste!! I will let you know how it works.
Amber
This recipe sounds great! My mom and I are going to start this recipe this week and was just wondering if you could tell me about how many jars this recipe makes? Thank you in advance!! We can’t wait to start!
Jane Windham
I believe I was able to get 7 pints.
Charlene Greene
I got almost 7 pints but I may have been short a bit of cucumber. My son let his grow too big so I seeded and chopped and they made a nice batch.
Linda Cashin
I am going to try this recipe but i wonder if i could add celery to it. Would I have to change anything if I did so, Thanks Linda
Jane Windham
Linda, I have never tried this recipe using celery so I cannot advise you on this.
Mandy
Hi there! Your recipe sounds wonderful. Would you use your relish to make tartar sauce? That's my main concern as I am going through several relish recipes--it must make good tartar sauce! ????
Thank you!
Jane Windham
Yes! I use this relish to make my own homemade tartar sauce. Good luck with your canning!
GAYLENE WILLSON
was given cukes and don't eat them raw so thought about relish hope to make some to use up the cukes
Jane Windham
Oh yes! This is an easy recipe. You can't mess it up and once you make the relish, you'll never want to buy it at the store again!
Diane hebb
What can I do to thicken up my relish it's a bit runny.
Jane Windham
Diane, I wouldn't do anything to thicken the relish. I would go ahead and can it as is. When you get ready to use it, you can remove it from the jar with a slotted spoon or drain it.
Teresa J
Is the quantity of 3 large green peppers for a single batch or the double batch that you made?
Jane Windham
Theresa, my peppers from the garden tend to be on the small size so I use 3 small ones for the single recipe. If you are using large peppers, you may just want to use 2. To add some color to your relish, you could use one green and one red one.
Denise Rochon
Very goody
Billy
I was always curious how to get the cucumbers down to a small enough size like they do in the grocery store - looks like I'm going to have to go and buy a food processor if I want them to be proper! Thank you for sharing your recipe, super excited to start making my own relish at home!
Natasha
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I was wondering what to do with my cucumbers as I already put up 48 jars of pickles. This was the perfect solution!!!!
Jane Windham
Thanks for coming back and leaving the rating!
Anne gaiennie
Your recipe sounds wonderful!!! I plan to try it this week! Thanks for sharing
Wendy
This really looks delicious. My mouth is watering. Thank you for the recipe.
Saralyn Youngblood
So impressed with the taste of this recipe I am finishing up our third batch. Have given several of the pints away so had to replenish our supply.
Jane Windham
Thank you so much for coming back to the blog and leaving your feedback about the recipe. I am delighted to hear that you've really enjoyed it!
Linda
7 of what, half pints, pints?
Jane Windham
Pints
Suzann
Thanks for the recipe Jane. I make a 'pickled squash' using small yellow squash cut thinly, vidalia onions, chopped green and red pepper and follow the same principle as your relish. Even the same amount of sugar, vinegar & spices. We love it with pinto beans and corn bread 🙂 I know your relish is going to be just as great! Thanks again!
Shirley@Housepitality Designs
Looks so wonderful Jane....love relish and can't imagine how great your homemade relish is!...Thanks for the recipe!
Dawn
Sounds yummy Jane, I love pickles....hubby hates them so I never make relish or pickles. I wonder if I could use stevia in this recipe, sugar is one of my new food allergies 🙁 Love the pile of cuke pic.
AnnMarie
I have never made anything like this but it sounds so good. Cukes are in season locally so now is the time. Thanks for the recipe!
Jane Windham
AnnMarie, this recipe would be a good place to start to learning all about preserving your own food. Make it the first time to enjoy now, and then once you get your feet wet, explore more about the canning process.