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!
I am so looking forward to trying this! Thanks for sharing your recipe, and thanks for all the helpful tips.
Thanks, Trish! There’s a lot of info in the comments, too, if you run into any problems. Enjoy!
Why do you say it will keep “up to a year”? I always thought that home canned goods were good for a bit longer than that?
Hi Beth! That’s simply USDA language. Yes, canned goods generally do keep longer than that, though the quality of taste can be compromised.
I used 1 package or 3 oz of RealFruit Pectin by Ball. I also added 2 more cups of sugar, as I wanted a sweeter, less tart, flavor. The consistency is runny, but usable. Now the question is did the relish not set up because of the brand of pectin or the amount used. There are only 3 reviews of the RealFruit Pectin on the Ball website and all 3 are very negative about the achieved results. Using a substitution ratio of 1T liquid to 2 t of powder, I should have used only 4.5 T of liquid pectin. I added 6 T and as I said, it is still runny. I am going to try Certo brand the next time and see if it makes a difference. If anyone does that soon, would you please post your results. Regardless of consistency, the flavor is great. Thanks, Kimberly.
Joann, Ball is the only one I’ve used for this recipe and it always works for me (I use it for my jams as well). I haven’t experimented much with liquid pectin or other brands so I’m afraid I can’t offer much info there in terms of a comparison of results. Yes, any feedback on varying results depending on brand and type of pectin would be much appreciated from anyone!
Thanks. I saw that after I posted my question. Since I cannot use products with dextrose, I am going to try with the liquid. I’ll post my results. J
I haven’t made this with liquid pectin before, let us know how much you used to get the right consistency. Thanks, Joann!
Are you using liquid or powdered pectin?
Hi Joann, in the recipe box I include a link to the pectin I use and recommend: Ball’s RealFruit Classic Pectin. It’s powdered.
Very interesting fine, Kimberly today. When I printed out your recipe on 7/3/14, for some reason, the recipe calls for 1 tbs. pectin and I noticed today, your recipe now says 3 tbs. That would totally explain why ours was runny. do you remember changing it at some point?
I do! Read through the previous comments for an explanation. Also note, depending on the elevation where you live, the simmering process may cause the liquid to evaporate more or less, so you may need to tweak the amount of pectin you use accordingly.
I followed your recipe with great success. Many smiling faces. Thanks!
Wonderful, Greg, so glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the feedback!
Sorry for all the comments but as for the plate test, you do that before you put in the jars and it should not runny? I would hate to go through all the work and money and it be a wreck! Guess you can always add more, not remove it. Thanks again, appreciative all your helpful hints and who knows, maybe it is helping others.
No problem at all! This thread will be helpful to anyone reading it. Yes, perform the plate test right after you’ve added the pectin and rapidly boil the mixture for a minute. Turn the heat off and dab a little spoonful onto a cool plate. Wait for about 2 minutes and then check the texture. Keep in mind it’s a relish and you don’t want it to be thick like jam. But it shouldn’t be watery either. If it’s still too watery add a little more pectin and boil for another minute. It can be tricky though because it can take pectin a full 24-48 hours to set properly and you don’t want to end up with a really firm texture. Let us know how it goes!