Table · field guide
Zucchini Relish
When two zucchini plants bury you in squash, relish is the trick that clears the pile and stocks the pantry. This is a vinegar-based relish, so the acid keeps it safe for water-bath canning. It tastes like the sweet pickle relish you buy, but better, and it uses up the zucchini nobody wants to grill again.
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Why this one works
Zucchini is bland on its own, which is exactly why it makes great relish. It takes on the vinegar, sugar, and spice and turns into a bright, crunchy topping. One large batch clears about 3 pounds of squash and gives you 6 half-pints, roughly a year of relish for most families.
The salt-and-drain step is the part people skip, and it is the part that matters. Zucchini holds a lot of water. Pull that water out first or your relish ends up thin and watery in the jar.
Pick and prep the zucchini
Use young, firm zucchini about 6 to 8 inches long. Big baseball-bat squash works too, but scoop out the seedy center first because it turns mushy. Grate or finely chop the squash along with onion.
Toss the grated zucchini and onion with canning salt, then let it sit 2 hours in a bowl. Drain it, rinse it once, and squeeze out the liquid by hand. This is the freshness cue: the drier the shred, the crisper the relish.
Keep it safe
This relish gets its safety from vinegar, so do not cut the vinegar or swap in a weaker one. Use 5 percent acidity vinegar, the strength on a standard bottle. That acid is what makes it safe to store on a shelf instead of in the fridge.
Leave 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Process half-pints and pints for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner, and adjust the time up for your altitude. After 12 to 24 hours, check that every jar sealed and the lid does not flex when pressed. Refrigerate any that did not seal and use those first.
How long it keeps
Sealed jars keep their best quality for about 12 months in a cool, dark pantry. Label every jar with the date so you eat the oldest first. Once you open a jar, keep it in the fridge and use it within a month.
One honest note: relish takes real time. Between the 2-hour salt-and-drain, the simmer, and the process time, plan on the better part of an afternoon. The payoff is a year of relish from squash you would have otherwise composted.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups grated zucchini (about 3 lbs)
- 4 cups finely chopped onion
- 5 tbsp canning or pickling salt
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 1/2 cups 5% white vinegar
- 1 tbsp celery seed
- 1 tbsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional, for color)
Method
- Toss grated zucchini and onion with the salt in a large bowl. Let sit 2 hours.
- Drain, rinse once with cool water, then squeeze out the liquid by hand.
- In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed, and turmeric. Bring to a boil.
- Add the drained zucchini, onion, and bell pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Wash jars and keep them hot. Ladle hot relish into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe rims, set lids and bands finger-tight, and lower jars into the canner.
- Process half-pints or pints 10 minutes at a full rolling boil, adjusting for altitude.
- Cool 12 to 24 hours, check every seal, and refrigerate any jar that did not seal.
Keep going
Questions, answered straight
No. The vinegar is what makes this relish safe to store on a shelf. Use 5 percent acidity vinegar and do not cut the amount. If you want it sweeter, add a little more sugar instead.
Yes. Zucchini holds a lot of water. If you skip the 2-hour salt-and-drain, the relish comes out thin and watery in the jar instead of thick and crunchy.
Sealed jars keep their best quality for about 12 months in a cool, dark pantry. Label each jar with the date. Once opened, refrigerate and use within a month.