Canning sweet pickle relish is my next big project this week! I know…why not buy it? Well…I use pickle relish mixed with my vegan mayo to make my own salad dressing, which I also use as tartar sauce for fish and dips for raw vegetables. I seldom use plain vegan mayo by itself. And yes…I can buy it easily, but I have yet to find a brand that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it, or have bits of tough cucumber skins. When I make my own, I can regulate the amount of sugar and make sure to process the cucumber chunks into smaller pieces. I also enjoy the satisfaction of having a year’s worth on the shelf.
Last week I picked up a box of small to medium size cucumbers at the Amish Farmer’s Market for $18.
As I washed them, I counted 75 in total. I use a packet of relish seasoning that makes the process easier.
For each packet, I needed about 25 cucumbers, which will make 5 pints. I had three packets for my 75 cucumbers.
First I started cutting the cucumbers into chunks…the chunks filled my largest bowl…13 quarts!
Next, in small batches, I put them in the food processor to grind them up.
By the time I was done, I had about 10 quarts of ground cucumbers.
Next, I stirred in pickling salt and let the kettle sit on the counter for several hours.
When the 2 hours were up, Bert helped me strain the cucumber pulp through cheesecloth to get rid of much of the extra salty water. That reduced the volume almost in half.
Then, I added white vinegar, sugar and the seasoning packets to my 12 qt. pot.
Then the cucumber pulp was added and brought to a boil.
I was able to fill 16 pint jars. They processed for 15 minutes in a water bath. Of course, I didn’t get any pictures while I filled the jars! Sorry. However, those jars will look great on my shelf all winter!
My final canning project for this summer will be tomatoes into pizza sauce (here’s the link to canning pizza sauce from last year: https://marykisner.com/time-to-make-pizza-sauce/). Small batches of just cooked tomatoes to freeze will be my end of year project. Enjoy!
Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.
Oh thank you so much for the step by step pictures and directions!!! Now all I need is to find an Amish farm here in California! Thank you again for the inspiration!! Love you
At the end of a growing season you should be able to pick big baskets of cucumbers or tomatoes…although your local growers may be able to plant year round so just ask if they sell in bulk. Good luck!