Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish
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This Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish recipe is my copycat version of Harry & David’s popular treat. It’s delightful mixed with cream cheese and spread on crackers or used as a glaze for pork and chicken. And it makes a fabulous gift!
I always enjoy receiving homemade gifts. When someone takes the time to make something for you, whether it’s a simple plate of cookies or some elaborate craft, it says a lot. It makes you feel all the more unique, special, appreciated and loved. Cooking happens to be one of my biggest passions, and so naturally I particularly enjoy making gifts for people that are edible. This Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish makes the perfect gift and has always been a hit with everyone.
If you’ve ever tried the popular Harry and David Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish you know how delicious it is. It’s also quite pricey and you get such a small amount – which is pure torture because you want enough of it so that you can eating it without worrying about running out! Well this homemade version solves that problem. It yields 12 half pint jars and at a fraction of the cost! And I promise you, it tastes AMAZING! Slather this relish on chicken or pork before baking for a marvelous glaze or mix it with cream cheese and serve it with crackers – it’s fabulous!
Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish Recipe
Let’s get started!
Combine all the ingredients, except for the pectin, in a large stock pot.
Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Be sure to simmer it uncovered so that some of the liquid evaporates. Now it’s time to add the pectin. You won’t need much because most of the liquid will have evaporated by now.
Add the pectin. For this recipe I use and recommend Ball’s Realfruit Classic Pectin. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Immediately ladle the hot relish into hot sterilized canning jars with sealable canning lids.
Process in a water bath canner with the water covering the top of the jars by least 3 inches and process for 20 minutes.
Remove the jars from the canner and let them rest for 24 hours undisturbed before moving. This Sweet Pepper & Onion Relish will keep up to a year.
This recipe makes about a dozen 1/2 pint jars. For the ones you want to give away as gifts, just tie a ribbon around them with a little label. Are they cute or what?
Enjoy this relish mixed with cream cheese and spread on crackers, as a glaze for chicken or pork, or however else your imagination inspires!
For more delicious homemade relishes try my:
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Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish (Harry and David Copycat)
Ingredients
- 6 cups skinned, seeded and diced tomatoes , first blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds for easy peeling (a few readers have reported success using the equivalent of canned tomatoes; drain first)
- 6 cups seeded and diced red bell peppers
- 4 cups diced yellow onion
- 4 jalapenos , seeded and diced
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 5 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 6 tablespoons Ball Classic Realfruit Pectin , or equivalent (I have only used and tested this recipe with the Ball product)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, except for the pectin, in a large stock pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add more cayenne to taste if desired. Add the pectin and quickly bring to a boil for 1 minute. ***See NOTE below.Remove from heat and ladle the hot mixture into hot, sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process the jars in a water bath canner with the water at least three inches above the jars, for 20 minutes. Remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Store in a dark, cool place. This relish will keep for up to a year.Makes about 6 pints or 12 half pint jars.
Notes
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet November 21, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Is it possible to make this, but skip the canning step?
Hi Taylor, yes you can forego the canning step and just store the relish in the fridge. It just won’t keep for very long without canning – maybe a week or so.
I’m just about out of my first every jar of H&D brand. Now I’m looking for a recipe to make myself. I put this jam on burgers then melt cheese on top. sometimes I’ll add a bit of bacon, too. it’s delicious and I can’t wait to make this!
If using canned tomatoes do I add the juice from the tomatoes
Hi Joni, yes, include the juice.
Hi Kimberly, I make your delicious relish at least twice a year, I can’t keep it in my pantry! But I wanted to weigh in to say that I do ‘lightly’ drain the cans of tomatoes when I use them to make it in the winter months- draining some of the juice means the tomatoes are still wet and juicy but not as watery- using all the juice from the five cans, I found I needed to add more pectin, even after simmering uncovered for an hour and a half.
Thanks so much for that feedback, Dee, I appreciate it!
This relish turned out great in my opinion. I am not an experienced canner, and during research about the process found some things missing from the instructions for this recipe:
Leave 1/2″ air space at the top when filling jars
Tighten the ring only fingertip tight, air needs to leak out during processing
Water must boil for the entire 20 minutes during processing
In my opinion I think that one would need all the vinegar to ge the PH level to the right amount. I tested mine today with the exact measurements and it was at 4.1. Refusing vinegar would out you over 4.6 which would make it a low acid food and need to be pressure canned.
Used to love the Harry & David’s stuff, but this recipe was inedible as is. Half both vinegars, much better. Cut sugar a bit & introduced chopped fresh pomegranates (3) and it was out of this world. (A couple thai chilies in the batch was really nice also!) I probably wouldn’t eat the H&D anymore (and certainly would not pay that price!)
I checked this recipe out as well as the one on food.com and I read all the reviews and comments from both. I really really wanted this to come out and not be disappointed. Here is what I ended up doing. I had frozen a number of tomatoes from the garden, WHOLE and vacuum sealed. When thawed, the skins came right off. Then I used my food mill, over a bowl, to remove any seeds. I did use the same amount of sugar and salt but used 2 tablespoons of red chili pepper flakes from the garden. I only used 3 cups of white vinegar, nothing more. I also added one 6 ounce can of tomato paste. I used three large onions chopped. My bell peppers were red orange and yellow. Here’s where it gets really different. I used approximately 10 jalapeño peppers ranging in size from one and a half inch to 3 inches and removed the seeds from some while leaving the seeds and others. I placed all in my ninja IQ and brought it to a boil on the stove top setting. Then I put it on low slow cooker function as I had work to do outside. Once I got my electric water bath canner ready to go, I added the whole entire jar of pectin, totaling 5.4 ounces. I stirred and stirred and worried because it’s still looked liquidy but it seemed to be thickening so I felt hopeful. Then I placed into the canner and processed. I ran out of jars and lids so I had 1 quart left over that would have made four more half pint jars totaling 16 jars but as it is I got 12 jars +1 quart that I stuck in the refrigerator as I was up late doing all this and was tired. This morning when I checked on everything, including the quart in the refrigerator, everything came out beautifully and I am so very pleased and thankful as all the comments were completely instrumental in the success. The pectin I used was the ball real fruit classic pectin in the 5.4 ounce container. This will make wonderful gifts. I think for me I could have tolerated it a bit hotter but for giftgiving I think the heat was just right.
Can you use vidalia onions instead of the yellow? thanks
You sure can, Kris! Happy cooking!
This has fast become my ‘go too’ relish! Its so delicious that its hard to keep for just us- everyone asks for a jar! I make it all year round using the canned diced tomato option. Many have inquired about the number of cans you need to use- I find that 5 of the 28 fl oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained well- make the 6 cups- I always have a sixth can on hand just in case.
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Dee, thank you! Thanks also for the quantity info for the canned tomatoes.