In the 20 years that we had a country home, my husband had a huge garden where he harvested every kind of vegetable but was especially fond of growing zucchini and yellow squash. I was overwhelmed with the quantity of produce and as a novice at country living, felt I had to use every single zucchini in the bottomless basket that he brought in every day. I found a lot of recipes and this is one of my favorites – a sweet/sour relish that I made in large quantities and canned for the coming winter.
Now, that my husband has passed away and I’m living in a little bungalow with a small yard, I pick up my produce at the grocery store or farm markets and make a small amount of relish at a time – in this case, 1-1/2 pints.
ZUCCHINI OR YELLOW SQUASH RELISH
- 2-1/2 cups chopped zucchini or yellow squash
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
- 2 Tblsp. pickling salt
BRINE:
- 3/4 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
FOR THICKENING RELISH
- 1/2 Tblsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tblsp. white vinegar
In a medium sized bowl, combine the zucchini/squash, celery, onion, red pepper and pickling salt. Cover and let set at room temperature at least 8 hours.
Drain vegetables, rinse and drain again.
In a large sauce pan, combine the BRINE mixture: 3/4 cup vinegar, sugar, celery & mustard seed, and turmeric. Bring mixture to a boil, then add the drained vegetables. REMOVE FROM THE HEAT AND LET STAND FOR 2 HOURS.
Return the pan to medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add the thickening ingredients: Cornstarch and vinegar mixed together. Let relish simmer at medium heat for 15 minutes.
Pour relish into sterilized jars and cap. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. I’ve found an asparagus steamer is good for processing just a few jars. Let jars cool on a rack before storing. Allow relish to cure for a week before using for best flavor.
This is a good web site for information on canning and preserving foods.
Optional: Add one-half of a medium dried red pepper to the jar after filling. This “hot” version won a 2nd place ribbon at the Hamilton County Fair (Ohio) in 1988.
Yield: 1-1/2 pints
Oh, this sounds wonderful, and such a great way to use some of the loads of squash that comes in during the summer. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Oh, that looks so very good!!! I’ve never thought of using squash that way. So creative!
(and congratulations on the prize!!!)
Lillian, your colander, bowl and serving bowl are so, so pretty! I’m loving them!
Nice looking relish. I hadn’t heard of a relish using yellow squash before.
Hope that finds you well
distracted at the last moment! Lillian, I hope that THIS finds you well!
Lillian, you are a breath of fresh air! I just love your blog. I grew up on a ranch, and have so many fond memories of learning how to make jams, pickles, even wine. I think your canned goods are nearly too lovely to eat. I got a lot of help from your post on how to clean white resin patio furniture. I will be trying that technique soon.
[...] used this recipe for the squash relish and multiplied it, but I skipped the thickening part and I did not add [...]
Can you use zucchini and yellow squash in the same batch? I have some of each.
Yes, you can use both kinds of squash – I’ve done that many times. Lillian
This is such a hit with my family I have quadrupled the batch and made it four times!!
Thank you so much for letting me know. It’s something I always keep on hand. Lillian
Do you have a recipe for a big batch of this squash relish?
Yes, I used to make bigger amounts of this several times during the summer. The recipe I posted was 1/4 of the original.
INGREDIENTS FOR SIX PINT JARS OF ZUCCHINI/SQUASH RELISH 10 cups chopped zucchini or yellow squash 2 cups chopped celery 4 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped sweet bell pepper 1/2 cup pickling salt
BRINE: 3 cups white vinegar (5% acidity) 3 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp. celery seed 2 tsp. mustard seed 2 tsp. turmeric
FOR THICKENING RELISH: 2 Tblsp. cornstarch 1/2 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
The method of making the relish would be the same.
Thank you for your interest in this recipe. Lillian
Thank You Lillian!This looks so good ,can’t wait to make it! Out of all the recipes I’ve looked at, this one I liked the best!