It’s relish like this that makes eating a sandwich or hot dog just that much better. It also adds a wonderful dimension to your pasta and potato salads. Last Summer I posted my recipe for Sweet Pickle Relish and here is the more savory version with a more pronounced dill flavor. It’s so easy to make and comes with instructions for canning so you can enjoy it all the year long.
Let’s get started!
We’re going to use regular cucumbers. They’re much cheaper than English cucumbers (the ones that come shrink-wrapped) or pickling cucumbers and taste exactly the same. I prefer to peel them since the peel is fairly tough. We’re also going to remove the seeds.
So peel the cucumbers and thinly slice them lengthwise. Slice them into strips, discarding the inner strip of seeds. Then very finely dice the cucumbers.
Very finely dice the onions, garlic and red bell pepper. You can use a food processor, just don’t let the onions and bell pepper get mushy. I prefer to just do it by hand.
Note: There are no green bell peppers shown in the pictures and they weren’t added to this particular batch, but they belong in it. Okay, now that that’s clear, let’s move on.
Place the diced vegetables in a large bowl along with the salt. Cover with water and let it sit for at least 6 hours or overnight.
(Ignore the fact that some of the cucumber peels are on. The second batch I made I peeled the cucumbers and the result was better.)
Put the sugar, vinegar and spices in a large stock pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain the cucumber mixture in a colander, thoroughly rinse, and drain again.
Add the mixture to the stock pot. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
Ladle the hot relish into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and seal tightly with the lids. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Ah, the masterpiece is done!
Best eaten at least a week later after the flavors have had time to meld and the vinegar mellows out a bit.
It’s so satisfying to see the end result of your labors – and you can enjoy this relish all the year long!
Homemade Dill Pickle Relish
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs cucumbers ,peeled, center row of seeds removed, and finely diced
- 1 large yellow onion ,finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper ,finely diced
- 1 small green bell pepper ,finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic ,finely minced
- ¼ cup salt
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar (optional or use less according to taste)
- 2 teaspoons dill seeds
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Place the diced cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Combine with the salt and pour water over the mixture until covered. Let sit for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Drain the cucumber mixture in a colander, rinse thoroughly with water, and drain again.
- In a large stock pot, add the sugar, vinegar, and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the drained cucumber mixture and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
- Ladle the hot relish into hot sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and seal tightly with the lids.
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Sealed jars will store in a cool, dark place for a year. If the seal is broken, the relish will keep in the fridge for at least a month. Makes 4 pints (you can use pint-sized or half pint jars). Best eaten at least a week later after the flavors have had time to meld and the vinegar mellows out a bit.
Arlene Lantzer says
How many pint jars do you fill with this mixture? I think I cut too many cuckes.. :) Just making sure –
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Arlene, this makes about 4 pints.
linda atkins says
can yellow bell peppers be added to it and celery
Rosemary Rosales says
I do not have fresh green or red peppers on hand, but I do have some frozen. Can I use frozen peppers in this recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rosemary, that should work just fine. Happy canning!
Rosemary Rosales says
Thank you. Want to get started now so they can sit overnight.
vicki says
The head space should be 1/2 inch not 1/4 inch when canning relishes.
Hazel says
Hi Kimberly,
Just trying the relish, I’vegot it in the water with salt… do I leave it at room temp or in the fridge and do I cover it?
Thanks in advance
:)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Hazel, just leave it out at room temp and if you have flies buzzing around go ahead and cover it.
Andrea says
Hi. I’ve followed your recipe exactly and it’s in the jars after the bath. It seems a bit runny from viewing it. Will it thicken as it matures or has it gone horribly wrong? Cheers. Andrea
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andrea, it will thicken a bit once it has fully cooled and has sat for a while.
Anonymous says
Thanks Kimberley, it looks like your photos so fingers crossed. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Laurie says
Going to try this recipe this weekend just confused by the salt
Not sure if I should go on the hunt for pickling salt or use what I have in the house
I have never did any canning before
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laurie, no, you don’t need to use pickling salt. Kosher salt and sea salt are both great alternatives. You can use regular table salt too but because it has iodine and anti-caking additives in it, it can negatively impact the color and texture of the pickles, but it’s safe to eat.
Cami Weyland says
Excellent relish, love the flavor! Will be making another batch tomorrow!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Cami, thanks so much for the feedback!
Laurie says
Kimberley, I just opened my jar from last weekend and the relish is perfect …followed the recipe just used fresh dill from garden. It’s so good even after one week. I used Kosher salt all good. Thanks for sharing I’m passing on this recipe to some friends. :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Laurie, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
April Minor says
Laurie, how much fresh dill did you use per batch? I have fresh dill and was wondering. thanks.
Anonymous says
April not much really I pull some dill from garden chopped it fine and threw it in the pot, I would say maybe only a table spoon // I can literally eat this relish out of the jar with a spoon so easy & good
Matthew J Frost says
I tried this recipe and it is very good i found it too sweet for a dill pickle relish and although it only calls for 2 tsp celery seed the taste of the celery seed comes through too strong, i will make this again omitting the sugar and using half the celery seed called for in the recipe. Thanks, I’ll post how the 2nd batch comes out with the slight changes.
Thies says
I just finished making this and am canning it now. It’s exactly what I wanted. I had a bunch of overripe cukes and an odd mixture of onions and peppers from the garden and just used what I had. I had never made relish, so now I know the basics, thanks to you and can carry on experimenting with corn, etc.
Incidentally I just guessed at the amount of diced cucumbers and I ended up with exactly two pints! Thanks much for your recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Thies, I’m so glad you liked it, thank you!
Tara says
This is wonderful! It taste so much better than the store bought kind. It has so many layers and depth of flavor. I’m reminded of bread and butter pickles by the spices. I love it! The recipe made 4 pints and I’ll give one to my mom along with an Indian apple chutney I made 3 pints of. I used Boston pickling cukes from this year’s garden which had a beautiful yellow and green skin that was thinner and more tender than the dark green ones in the store, so I opted to leave the skins. Thanks so much for this recipe. Relish is one of those thing we use rarely and always forget to purchase. This is my first year canning and I’ve made salsa verde from garden tomitillo, tomato sauce, paste, and red salsa from garden tomatoes as well as the relish and chutney. I have 6 pint jars left and plan on more salsa but I’ve been down with the flu, so hopefully the tomatoes can wait….
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Tara, thanks so much for the feedback! You’ve been on a canning roll, that is so exciting! I hope you feel better soon. Best, Kimberly
J'Marinde says
I came to this fro a google link where I searched for REFRIGERATOR – meaning no boiling water baths) homemade dill pickle relish. I am very disappointed to find yet another boiling water bath recipe. Can this be made as refrigerator pickling? I am 71 with arthritic hands/wrists and don’t feel safe working with hot glass and boiling water of that capacity.Thanks
Sue says
I have a question, earlier in the comments sectio- feb. 2029 you replied that it doesn’t matter if you use a slotted spoon, as pictured, but in 2018 you replied: “Hi Jennifer, no slotted spoon, ladle it in with the juices. The relish will thicken over time and the acidity of the juices is what acts as the preservative. Happy canning!”
I used a slotted spoon and canned 5 pints this morning, 07.19.19. Are they ok for shelf life?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sue, to clarify, I didn’t say it doesn’t matter if you use a slotted spoon, I said how much liquid you add to the jars is largely personal preference. But yes, you’ll need to add some of the brine to the jars so that the relish isn’t dry. Looking at your jars now, are the relish pieces submerged in liquid, a similar consistency to the store-bought relish?
Sue says
Teo more question/ comment: I consider myself still a novice canner so forgive me… there was a lot of the spices left in the brine after canning. As I asked a bit ago, I’m going to reheat the brine after soaking cucumber chips tonight and make hamburger pickles, how will the PH be affected? Should I have kept stirring the brine while putting the mixture in the jars with the slotted spoon? Thanks for your patience.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sue, no, you should never re-use the brine because it will become too watered down and yes, that will impact the pH so that it’s no longer safe for canning. You’ll need to make a new batch of pickling brine.
Michele says
I made this recipe using zucchini, followed the same instructions. Turns out great… and uses up all that extra zucchini.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Michele! My mom used to make zucchini relish a lot, it’s a perfect substitute for the pickles.
Jasmine Johnson says
Giving this a try! Why do the veggies need to sit for 6 hours or overnight in the salt water? What is the purpose? Can that time be shortened? Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jasmine, sitting in salt water will draw additional liquid out of the vegetables which is important for canning – if too much liquid is still in the vegetables it will dilute the vinegar solution and lower the pH level making it unsafe for canning. They need to sit for at least 6 hours.
Jasmine Johnson says
Thank you ❤
Bernie Duty says
I made a batch of this relish, and tasted it right after making it and didn’t like the taste; however, after 2 weeks I opened a jar and wow, I love it! It definitely makes a difference when you wait a couple weeks for the flavors to mellow out. I found that this is true also of my hot salsa. I put some of this relish in some mayonnaise to make Tartar Sauce for some fish and OH-My-Goodness! Delicious! I ate the dill Tartar Sauce with a spoon. Now I’m going to put the dill relish in my deviled eggs for dinner tomorrow. Thanks Kimberly, for sharing this recipe!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Bernie! YES, letting it sit for a while is key. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Tianna says
Could you provide a measurement in cups for the veggies? I’m trying to halve the recipe but I’m unsure if I have the proper veggie to vinegar ratio.
Deb says
Hi, I’ve just drained the salt water liquid off the vegetables. Is it all right if I put the vegetables in the fridge overnight and finish the rest of the process tomorrow?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Deb, yes, that should be just fine.
Maura says
I’m a bit confused about how you fill the Jars. Should you ladle the veg and liquid together or add them separately? Also I’m in the Uk and use twist on lids. Can I use a deep pan and water bath in that and I presume the lids need to be on tight or water will get in. Sorry for long question but this pickle is just what I’m looking for as we have over 20 ridge cucumbers to use up….and more growing. Thanks for any advice.
J'Marinde says
I keep looking and searching for a homemade REFRIGERATOR dill pickle recipe and I keep getting fed these water bath recipes. Isn’t there any such thing as refrigerator dill pickle relish?
Jean Perry says
Is that 2 1/2 pounds of cukes before peeling and seeding, or after?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jean, it’s before peeling and seeding.
Jean Perry says
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this!