Cucumber recipes are always a great way to enjoy the fresh flavours of summer, and this sweet cucumber relish is one of the most satisfying recipes to make at home. It is delicious, somewhat tart, and just slightly crunchy. The ingredients are simple and the preparation is easy, making it an easy recipe for beginners, too.
This delicious homemade cucumber relish is made using fresh cucumbers, colourful bell peppers and onions slowly simmered in a sweet and tangy vinegar mixture. The end product is a relish with a delightful sweetness, sourness, and crunch. Is a tasty substitute for regular sauces or chutneys and is excellent on burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, egg salads, and grilled meals. When you add the mustard and celery seeds, it takes on a subtle depth of flavour.
This sweet and tartly-flavoured relish is one of the simplest additions to your food for flavour and texture. This pickle relish is also very simple to make, and you probably have most of its ingredients in your kitchen. No canning is required, no complicated equipment, just some chopping, a brief rest and about 10 minutes on the stove. Prepare once, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
If you have a food processor, grate the cucumbers using a food processor fitted with a grating disc. Otherwise, the medium-sized holes on a regular box grater work well too. You want small, even pieces and not large chunks. Once the cucumbers are done, switch to the steel blade (or a sharp knife) and pulse or chop the onions and both peppers.
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Step 2: Salt and rest the vegetables
Combine all the chopped vegetables in a medium bowl. Add the kosher salt and stir everything together until the salt is evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter for 30 minutes. This step draws out excess moisture and you will see quite a bit of liquid pooling at the bottom.
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Step 3: Drain and rinse
Pour the salted vegetable mixture into a fine-mesh strainer set over the sink. Rinse everything under cold running water to wash off the salt. Then press the vegetables firmly against the sides of the strainer with a rubber spatula to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
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Step 4: Make the pickling brine
In a medium saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds. Set the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring as it heats up to help the sugar dissolve. You will know the brine is ready when it is bubbling steadily and the sugar has fully dissolved.
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Step 5: Simmer everything together
Add the drained vegetables to the saucepan with the brine. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the relish simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. The vegetables should soften slightly while retaining some crunch.
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Step 6: Cool and store
Take the pan off the heat and let the relish cool to room temperature on the counter. Once it has cooled, transfer the relish to an airtight container or mason jars and store it in the refrigerator. Serve after it’s cooled or chill for a few hours to allow flavours to meld and deepen.
Choose firm, crisp cucumbers with minimal seeds for this cucumber recipe. Fresh cucumbers provide better texture, flavour, and crunch, resulting in a more delicious relish.
Homemade cucumber relish tastes best with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Avoid malt vinegar, as its stronger flavour can overpower the relish.
Salting draws excess moisture from the vegetables, preventing a watery relish. This simple step concentrates flavours and helps create a crunchier texture.
When preparing this cucumber relish, thoroughly rinse the salted vegetables several times. This removes excess salt and ensures a balanced, flavourful relish.