The Canning Kitchen (15 page)

Drain and rinse the vegetables in a large fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer the vegetables to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 3 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to release any air bubbles, topping up the relish if necessary. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Dry mustard is sometimes labelled ground mustard or mustard powder. It’s all ground yellow mustard seeds, and it adds a tangy, satisfying zing to your cooking.

Z
UCCHINI
S
WEET
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ELISH

This incredibly tasty relish is a perfect way to use up an abundance of fresh garden zucchini in summer. Use it on barbecue night with cheeseburgers and smokies or add a few spoonfuls to your meatloaf mixture. If there’s a perfect relish, this is it.

MAKES FOUR 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

3 lb (1.4 kg) zucchini

2½ cups (625 mL) finely diced yellow onion

1 cup (250 mL) finely diced red bell pepper

¾ cup (175 mL) finely diced green bell pepper

¼ cup (60 mL) pickling salt

2½ cups (625 mL) granulated sugar

2½ cups (625 mL) white vinegar

1 tbsp (15 mL) celery seeds

1 tbsp (15 mL) yellow mustard seeds

Rinse the zucchini under cool running water. Trim off and discard the tips. Coarsely shred the zucchini on a box grater or finely chop in a food processor. In a large bowl, stir together the zucchini, onion, red pepper, green pepper and salt. Let stand for 1 hour to allow the salt to draw excess moisture from the vegetables.

Drain and rinse the vegetables in a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a large double layer of cheesecloth. Firmly squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer the vegetables to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, celery seeds and mustard seeds. Bring to a bubble over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 4 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to remove any air bubbles, topping up the relish if necessary. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
For a flavour twist, experiment with brown or black mustard seeds. The darker the mustard seed, the hotter they are. For a colour twist, try sunny yellow zucchini instead of green.

TIP
The best relish starts with the best ingredients. Use the juiciest plump tomatoes you can find. For a spicy tomato relish, add some cayenne pepper along with the other spices.

T
OMATO
R
ED
O
NION
R
ELISH

Enjoy your sun-ripened garden tomatoes all year in this classic hamburger relish that will bring back memories of barbecues gone by. A few spoonfuls of this tomato relish also brighten up pasta and rice dishes, or mix with sour cream to make a delicious chip dip.

MAKES FIVE 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

7 lb (3.2 kg) tomatoes

4 cups (1 L) finely diced red onion

1½ cups (375 mL) finely diced red bell pepper

⅓
cup (75 mL) pickling salt

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 cups (750 mL) red wine vinegar

¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) celery seeds

1 tbsp (15 mL) mustard seeds

½ tsp (2 mL) ground allspice

¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cloves

Using a sharp knife, score an X in the bottom of each tomato. Immerse the tomatoes in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of cold water. (You may prefer to do this in batches.) Slip off and discard the skins. Dice the tomatoes, adding them to a large colander lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Add the onion and red pepper. Gently stir in the salt. Let drain for 1 hour, in the sink or over a large bowl, as the salt draws excess moisture from the vegetables.

Rinse the veggies under cool running water and drain well. Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess water. Transfer the veggies to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the garlic, vinegar, sugar, celery seeds, mustard seeds, allspice and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue boiling, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 5 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to remove any air bubbles, topping up the relish if needed. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

C
HIPOTLE
C
HERRY
T
OMATO
R
ELISH

You’ve never had relish like this before. Halved cherry tomatoes are combined with finely chopped red peppers and onions, then seasoned with big spices like chipotle and cumin. I love this one at breakfast, spooned over scrambled eggs on toast. Smoky, sour, sweet and spicy, it’s an instant favourite of anyone who loves relish—and maybe even those who don’t.

MAKES FIVE 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

3 lb (1.4 kg) cherry or grape tomatoes

2 lb (900 g) red onions

1 lb (450 g) red bell peppers

⅓
cup (75 mL) pickling salt

2¾ cups (675 mL) cider vinegar

1¼ cups (300 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) chipotle chili powder

1 tsp (5 mL) celery seeds

½ tsp (2 mL) ground cumin

Rinse the tomatoes under cool running water. Slice in half, adding them to a colander lined with a large double layer of cheesecloth. Peel the red onions. Remove the stems, ribs and seeds from the red peppers. Using a knife or a food processor, finely chop the onions and peppers, then add them to the colander with the tomatoes. Gently stir in the salt. Let drain for 1 hour, in the sink or over a large bowl, as the salt draws excess moisture from the vegetables.

Rinse the veggies under cool running water. Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer the mixture to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, chipotle, celery seeds and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, until the tomatoes are no longer firm. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 5 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to release any air bubbles, topping up the relish if necessary. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
To halve small tomatoes quickly, spread them in a single layer between two dinner plates, then run a long sharp knife between the plates. A chipotle is a smoked and dried mature jalapeño pepper. It’s important to use powdered chipotle rather than chipotle peppers in oil because oils shouldn’t be boiling water bath canned. Most grocery stores sell this popular spice in powdered form, and all spice merchants will carry it.

R
AINBOW
P
EPPER
R
ELISH

Use a rainbow of bell peppers to make this tasty relish that goes great with burgers, grilled meats and vegetables and spread inside a grilled cheese sandwich. It turns out rainbows are as delicious as you thought they were.

MAKES FOUR 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

5 lb (2.25 kg) bell peppers in various colours

1 lb (450 g) yellow onions

¼ cup (60 mL) pickling salt

3 cups (750 mL) cider vinegar

1½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) celery seeds

1 tbsp (15 mL) mustard seeds

Rinse the peppers under cool running water. Cut them in half and remove the stems, ribs and seeds. Finely chop the peppers using a knife or food processor. Peel the onions and finely chop using a knife or food processor. Add the peppers and onions to a large colander lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Gently stir in the salt. Let drain for 1 hour in the sink or over a large bowl.

Rinse the vegetables under cool running water. Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and press out the excess liquid. Transfer the vegetables to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, celery seeds and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 4 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to remove any air bubbles, topping up the relish if necessary. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Bell peppers come in green, red, orange, yellow, white and even purple. Use a mixture of colours to get the look you want for your relish. Look for peppers that are firm with shiny, wrinkle-free skins and healthy-looking stems.

S
OUTHWEST
C
ORN
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ELISH