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!
It’s so satisfying to see the end result of your labors – and you can enjoy this relish all the year long!
- 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
- ¾ cup sugar (optional or use less according to taste)
- 2 teaspoons dill seeds
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 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.
I made a batch of this yesterday and kept a little out to try now. It’s fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing this! Looking forward to enjoy all of my jars of it throughout the upcoming months 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it, Evelyn! It really is so satisfying to have a stash of homemade canned goods you can open up any time to enjoy. This is my husband’s favorite relish. I like using this in pasta and potato salads and slightly prefer the Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish for sandwiches. My husband prefers the dill pickle relish for everything.
Going to try these today…Thanks
Wonderful, Carol, enjoy!
BTW, I am wanting to try the recipe for dill relish, but amounts and ingredient list is not available…Please email this recipe to [email protected] as I might not be able to find this again on here…(not very techy)
Hi Carol! You’ll get an email letting you know that I replied to your comment. The ingredients list is at the very bottom of the recipe post along with the directions. You’ll the recipe box and it has the ability to be printed out.
ok, thanks…I thought there were 2 different recipes here..
I forgot to drain the water off and added vinegar and spices then hot water bathed the batch. All jars sealed but I did it wrong. Should I throw jars out. All 21 of them.
Oh no! 🙁 We all make cooking mistakes and I know, it’s so disheartening, especially when you’ve put a lot of time and effort into it. Well, your relish is going to be very salty and very watery and the flavor will be a little diluted. Whether you keep them or toss them is up to you and how you think it tastes. When you open the jars you’ll definitely need to drain off the liquid so that it’s more of a relish consistency, but it still won’t have the thickened consistency that it would have had. Drain off the liquid, taste it and determine if it’s usable.
i was like carol day, I thought it was 2 different recipes because it said sweet and savory dill pickle relish. thanks for sharing this with us ,my grand babies love dill pickle relish an I wanted to try an make it for them .
We’re huge fans as well. We love this stuff on sandwiches, in pasta and potato salads and on hot dogs. My personal favorite is the Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish, which may also interest you.
Hi Kimberly, ive just set my vegetables in the salt water mixture.. and i was curious if there was a maximum amount of time to leave the mixture set i just put it in at 8:00 PM EST would it be okay if it set until 5:00 PM the next day when im off work or should i wake myself up early?
Hi Caleb! Yes, that will be perfectly fine to wait until you get home. I just made a batch of the Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish (we’re huge fans) and am making another batch of the Dill Pickle Relish this weekend as well. Happy relish-making and I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve never made a cucumber relish and would like to know i
Hi There;
I’m making my first batch of this relish today and the recipe looks tasty and easy 🙂 I was just wondering, if I wanted to make a second “Spicy” batch what would be the best way to do it? Should I just add in a Jalapeno?
Hi Beth, that’s fantastic! Yes exactly, youu either use green jalapeno or red chili for more color.
I put it in roasted chicken salad. Not too dilly. Very good.
Wonderful, Nancy, thanks so much for the feedback!
I followed your recipe to the T and for some reason my relish did not come out as green as your pictures you posted. Did I do something wrong? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Marissa, I think I left the skins on the pickles for more color for this particular batch. That was merely personal preference and it doesn’t in the least bit affect the flavor of the relish.
Delicious relish – and so nice to find a savoury relish recipe! Do you test your canning recipes for their acid level? I’ve been reading a couple of blogs that have me a bit spooked about the idea of untested recipes!
Hi Erin, thank you! Yes, you will find plenty of sources out there that will spook you enough to where you’ll never ever want to can! Fortunately our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had more common sense than that as do Western Europeans who continue to can without all the excessive precautions that we take over here. You can buy pH strips to test but I don’t. As much acid (vinegar and sugar) as there is in this recipe – combined with the water bath processing – that bacteria really doesn’t stand a chance. Botulism is so incredibly rare. And of course the sure way to know if a canned recipe has gone bad is if the lid has popped.
I have started making my own tarter sauce but was using store bot dill pickle relish. In your opinion would this work nicely for making tarter sauce?
Hi Susie, absolutely! Happy relish and tartar sauce making! 🙂
Planning to make this over the weekend. One question, however…. Do I use table salt or kosher salt ? (I am assuming Kosher). Thanks so much. Going cucumber shopping now
Hi Joan, I’ve used both but most would probably recommend going kosher. Happy relish-making! 🙂
I’ve just made this. It’s not very often I make something that looks exactly like a picture in the recipe but this was spot on. Tasted some before canning & it was immediately delish. Even hubby tried & liked it! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. BTW – I’m in New Zealand, it’s that time of year!
Thanks so much, Karen, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for your feedback and I look forward to “seeing” you around 🙂 Greetings to New Zealand!
Hi, this recipe looks good and I’m going to give it a crack next week. Apologies if you’ve already answered this but how long would a jar keep once opened?
Cheers
Hi Chris, that’s awesome! That’s such a hard one because stuff like this will always last vastly longer than the “official recommendations.” However long you normally keep your store-bought relish open, this should last just as long because of the vinegar/sugar content. If it’s bad there will be mold on top so just a keep a lookout for that.
Can I substitute Zucchini for the cucumbers?
Hi Barbara, I haven’t used zucchini for this specific recipe but zucchini relish is wonderful and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work just as well here.
I was wondering if you could double the recipe? Would it do anything to the out come?
Hi Karen, yes you can absolutely double it. I just made a double batch myself two days ago 🙂 Just be sure to follow the steps to let the chopped veggies soak in salt water (preferably overnight) and then rinse and thoroughly drain.
Are you supposed to refrigerate the veggies and salt water or leave them out?
Hi Daniel, just leave them out at room temperature.
I’m wondering how well this would work in smaller jars. How long do you think to process them? I was thinking about jelly jars or even smaller. We don’t use a lot of relish, but I had some cucumbers left after canning pickles.
Hi Heather! Yes, you can absolutely use as small of jars as you like and the processing time is the same no matter the size.
i usually make sweet pickle relish (just made some this weekend), and would like to make some dill for my 90 yr old stepdad who hates sweet pickled stuff. how pronounced is the sugar in the finished relish? can i use less sugar?
thx
Hi Debbie, I also make (and prefer) sweet pickle relish but yes, this dill pickle relish is far less sweet. I’d say it’s not even as sweet as most brands of store-bought dill pickle relish.
thanks, any thoughts on reducing the sugar a little anyway?
appreciate it!
deb
Hi Debbie, yes, you can reduce the sugar by however much you want. The vinegar content alone should be sufficient to get the pH level where it should be.
This is my second year making this recipe and the other half insisted i make more than last year. He absolutely loves this relish and I love the ease of it. Thank you so much for sharing!
That’s wonderful, Jen, I’m so happy to hear that – thank you!
Question . Why do you have to cook the cucumbers for relish but not for pickles?
Hi Suz, it’s a texture thing: Pickles are supposed to be crunchy-crispy whereas relish is generally a little softer but still with a little crunch. Cooking the relish a little achieves that. If you prefer a relish that is really crunchy and aren’t interested in canning it for long-term storage then you can experiment with skipping the cooking step and see if you prefer it that way.
Thanks!!!
Made a batch of this relish today! Can’t wait to try it! After it’s processed how long should it be left sealed before trying it?
Fantastic, Denise! For the best results I wait about a week or two to eat it. And though this relish can be stored for a very long time without any safety risks (I just opened up a jar that I canned 3 years ago!), for best flavor it should ideally be used within 6-8 months.
I was also wondering how long I should wait before opening it, but caved in and tried it before I read this! I made it yesterday. So how will the flavor change after it sits a week? I didn’t rinse it very much, so I’m not sure if its saltier than its supposed to be, and I used slightly less sugar. But its pretty good so far!
Hi Brandy! Yes, it’s probably very salty if you didn’t rinse it but whether something too salty is in the eye – or rather the mouth – of the beholder 🙂 There’s no rule about how long you should wait to use it. I generally say to wait about a week just so the flavors from the spices can penetrate the relish a bit more, but this last batch I made I used the next day and everyone loved it. So just dig in! 🙂
I cannot find Dill Seed at the store. Can I substitute with fresh dillweed? If so, how much would you suggest? Thanks.
Hi Alysia, you can substitute with 2-3 heads of dill or 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill weed. Without trying it myself I can’t make a recommendation for specific quantities, but there’s a ballpark estimate.
This is my first time making relish I’m almost done. Fillings jars now. Wish me luck. 😃
Terrific and congratulations on your first ever batch! 🙂
Hi, I’m curious about the veggies and the salt water and letting them sit. Most recipes I’ve looked at call for them to sit for a while(from a couple of hours to overnight). Is that to draw out the extra moisture from the cucumbers or to add flavor? By the way I will be using your recipe today. Minus the turmeric(I don’t have any) and maybe less sugar( I will probably go by taste). Thanks!
Hi Margarita! Yes, the purpose of letting them sit in salt water is to draw out the water in the cucumbers. That’s critical otherwise when you can the relish there will be excess water that will dilute the brine, lower the pH level (not enough acid) which will render the relish unsafe for canning (ie, it will spoil). The purpose of the turmeric is mostly for color (there’s a small flavor element).
This is my second year making your dill pickle relish. I’ve tried other recipes and yours is by far favorite and the one I’ll be continuing to use. We went through it very fast last year so I’m making a double batch (maybe even triple) this year. Thanks for such a great recipe!
That’s terrific, Candace, I’m so glad you like it, thanks for the feedback! Happy relish making 🙂
Oh thank you for such a quick reply! I am getting my kitchen set up so I can get to work on the cucumbers.
Can I let the veggies soak for less time? With sweet pickles I let them sit for about two hours.
Recommendations vary from anything to 2 hours to overnight. Removing water from the cucumbers is critical (that’s the purpose of soaking them in the salt water) to not dilute the pH level so the relish is safe for canning, and it’s also what helps keep the relish crunchy. I prefer to meet the recommendations halfway and aim for at least 6 hours.
Is the weight for before or after dukes are seeded and peeled?
Hi Joann, it’s meant to be before they’re peeled and seeded but I’ll often go just a tad over the weight.
Hi Kimberly,
I use a lot of dill relish an usually buy it by the gallon. So, I thought I would make it by the gallon. Is that possible? I haven’t checked to see if I can hot water bath a gallon in my pan, but if I can, how long do you think I would I need to bath it? Also, what is the purpose of the turmeric? Is it mainly for color?
Hi Pam! From what I understand, no research has been done using half gallon or gallon canning jars (do those even exist?) and so there are no official guidelines for water bath times those quantities, only for half pints, pints and quarts. Yes, the turmeric is mostly for color (to a smaller extent flavor) – it’s a natural and effective alternative to the yellow food coloring most store-bought relish uses.
If you like sweet relish, you’ll probably like this recipe. If, on the other hand, you were looking for dill relish, this IS NOT the recipe for you. I saw the sugar and wondered. I read the comments, including the one by the author that says, “this dill pickle relish is far less sweet. I’d say it’s not even as sweet as most brands of store-bought dill pickle relish.” I don’t know what store-bought dill relish she’s eaten, but this is straight up sweet relish with a little dill flavor. I even reduced the sugar a little and added extra dill and garlic.
Unfortunately, I made a double batch. So now I have to try to unload 8 pints of sweet relish, as no one in my family will touch the stuff. What a sad waste of time, energy and ingredients.
I want to make sure and note that if you like sweet relish, this is perfectly good. It’s just not “Dill Pickle Relish”. What an enormous bummer. 🙁
Hi April, I’m sorry it’s sweeter than you like it. Dill pickle relish and sugar are not mutually exclusive and there are many variations of it. And of course personal preferences vary, which is why I suggest to anyone who is unsure to use less to begin with and you can always add more after tasting it.
I have been searching for this recipe. I used to make it a lot and always used my Dads but somehow lost it along the road. I think this morning I have read about 100 different recipes and then finally I found your’s. This is so close to Dads recipe. A couple differences but so close. Just finished chopping and shredding (one of the differences) a few cucumbers and they are chilling out in their salt bath. Tomorrow there will be relish on my dinner plate somewhere lol. Thank you so much for posting this 🙂
That’s wonderful, Tina, I hope you found what you’re looking for – let us know how it turns out!
So I made it yesterday and there was about a 1/2 a jam jar left over. Put it in the fridge and OMG it is amazing even without sitting for a week. It was so good went to the garden and pulled 3 giant Zucchini and made a couple minor changes to the recipe and right now I have 12 jars of Zucchini Relish popping away on my counter. SO happy to have found this recipe. Thanks Again.
Yahooo! I’m thrilled to hear that, Tina, thanks for letting us know! Nice move with the zucchini, too, it makes a great substitute and is the perfect way to use up all that extra squash.
Could we dispense with the cooking and use kosher dill pickles, onion and red pepper?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried that before but theoretically it seems like it should work and a shortcut worth trying.
Hi . how many cumumbers do you think I wound need for the recipe as I have no way to weight the cukes?Anne BlairA
Hi Anne, that’s hard to say since it would depend on the size of the cucumbers. Are you getting them from your garden? If so, I’d take a look at their size and when you go to the grocery store grab some of comparable size and weigh them, then you’ll know how many of your own cucumbers you’ll need.
Can’t wait to try this. So in the directions, are you saying it’s ok to eliminate the sugar if wanted? Or do you still have to add a little?
Hi Mary, yes, it’s perfectly fine to eliminate the sugar entirely if you prefer.
hi there just wondering if you would discourage a food processor to prep the veggies instead of dicing them
Hi Jenna, using a food processor won’t alter the flavor in the least, it’s simply a texture thing. A food processor tends to crush/shred/mush ingredients whereas dicing them gives you those nice tiny squares and a crunchy texture. If you’re not particular about the texture or having that nice diced appearance, then using a food processor is perfectly fine.
Did you make any dill chips for hamburgers when you were making all the relishes?
I sure did, Ruth! I have a really cool mandolin that I brought back from Germany that makes the wavy-shaped pickle chips.
when will you be posting that recipe?
Hi Ruth, it’s identical. The only difference is the shape, how you cut the cucumbers.
I am trying out the receipe with hog fruit get is seedless and using fresh dill. Shall complete it tomorrow as dehydration with salt and antimicrobial action wit salt water and turmeric is going on.
Ill let you know how it turns out.
Last batch I did was with gherkins and minus sugar. Oh. Every person. Youth and adult enjoyed.
Thanks
Dr.Suvarna
Great, Dr. Antao, I look forward to hearing how it turns out.
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe it turned out fabulous my family wants me to make a bigger batch this season
Wonderful, thanks so much, Michelle! 🙂
Made this a month ago, left it alone to develop the flavours and we got to try it yesterday with our BBQ’d burgers – it was sensational! Anyone who likes a Dill Pickle in their burger will love this relish and some! Cheers Kimberley 😉
Thank you so much, Melvin, and I appreciate the feedback!
Hi Kimberley I sent some comments/ feedback through but they don’t seem to have been published? Keep up the good work – I love this site and do subscribe.
Regards,
Melvin aka The Rockin’ MC
Hi Melvin, your previous comment was just published. Thanks again and thanks also for subscribing! 🙂
Excellent relish and my go-to recipe from now on. Thanks!
Wonderful, thanks so much, Nathan!
How much dried dill weed (jar purchased) would you suggest as a substitute for seeds?
Hi Darlene, without having tried it with dried dill weed I’m not sure how much to recommend without tasting it. If I were using fresh dill I’d probably aim for 1/2 cup chopped – the equivalent in dried is roughly 2 1/2 tablespoons.
Have you ever tried using dill pickle relish in tuna salad? Its a staple of mine every time I make it. I love sweet pickle relish but on the rare occasion I use dill relish it is nearly just as good. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I think it is about time I start making my own at home!
Hi Billy, yes, I usually use dill pickle relish in tuna salads. I’ve used sweet before too and agree, both are good.
Sorry…. I am just learning how to can…do we use canning salt to soak or table salt??? For the dill relish if I add the sugar will it still be dill and not sweet relish..
Hi Diana, most people recommend avoiding salts that contain anti-caking agents or iodine, not because they are unsafe to use (they are safe), it’s just that those substances can affect the quality and color of the vegetables you’re canning. So as long as you have table salt, sea salt or kosher salt without anti-caking agents and iodine in them you’re set to go.
As for the sugar, it helps temper the harshness of the vinegar but you can definitely reduce the amount if you prefer.
Hi, I read a response from someone that said this wasn’t really a dill relish, but more of a sweet relish. I have s good sweet relish recipe, but was hoping this was more “dill ish”. Should I just reduce maybe half the sugar or double the dill seed?
Thanks
Dorothy
Hi Dorothy, I have a sweet pickle relish on my blog also – different flavor profile and definitely sweeter. Yes, you can simply reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer it more tart/tangy.
Just wondering if I should weigh the cucumber before or after peeling and deseeding. Thank you for a timely response making this tomorrow
Hi Kathy, I usually go closer to 2 3/4 pounds of cucumbers so that I end up with roughly 2 1/2 pounds after peeling and seeding them.
Why do you soak the cucumbers, et al in a salt brine?
Hi Paul, it seems counterintuitive, but the salt brine draws out excess water from the cucumbers (important for getting the right pH level and preventing the relish from being too water-diluted) and it also improves texture.
When it sits in the water over night should it be in the fridge
Hi Donna, just leave it out at room temp.
I made this recipe a few months ago, turned out great! This evening I made a second batch. This time I added two hot peppers (1/2 cup) and substituted half as much brown mustard seed instead of yellow. Nice flavour but may be too spicy for some.
Fantastic, Ed, thank you!
Can I add jalapeno to this? I think my husband would love that.Thanks for the recipe! I have SO many cucumbers and wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them all.
Absolutely, ShaLane! That’s a great way to add a little heat. And I’m so jealous of your huge cucumber crop – the chickens got all of ours this year 😉