Cucumber Relish with Garlic and Chili

The weather gods decided to send me a frost night in the middle of September, just as my cucumber plants were loaded with fruit. That meant changing my plans for the day and figuring out what to do with several kilos of cucumbers before they all went to waste.

Cucumbers are actually one of the hardest crops to preserve. They don’t freeze well, and no matter how much you like fresh cucumbers, there’s a limit to how many you can eat. I’d already made just about every variation of pickled cucumbers I could think of, and my pantry was home to nearly twenty jars. Considering my family doesn’t exactly eat pickled cucumbers by the bucketful, I started to suspect that making even more would simply become an inheritance for the next generation.

After thinking it over, I settled on cucumber relish. It’s actually far more versatile than most people realize. Besides being perfect on a grilled hot dog, we often use it in cucumber mayo and as the base for homemade remoulade sauce.

This is my own version, made with garlic from the garden and chili peppers from this year’s harvest. The result is a cucumber relish with a little more flavor and a lot more character than anything you’ll find in the grocery store.

Cucumber Relish with Garlic and Chili

Print Recipe

This homemade cucumber relish combines fresh cucumbers with onions, sweet peppers, garlic and chili for a flavorful Swedish-style relish that's just as good on hot dogs as it is in homemade remoulade sauce.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Swedish

Keyword chili cucumber relish, cucumber relish, garlic cucumber relish, homemade cucumber relish, hot dog relish, Swedish relish

Total Time 1 day d 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 kg pickling cucumbers
• 4-5 yellow onions
• 4-5 red and yellow bellpeppers
• 8-10 chili peppers
• 20 garlic cloves
• 350 ml 12% vinegar
• 200 ml water
• 4 tsp salt
• 400 ml water
• 4 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2-3 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

• Finely chop the cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, chili peppers and garlic.
• Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and mustard seeds in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add the chopped vegetables and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix the cornstarch with a small amount of the cooking liquid until smooth.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture back into the relish and bring it to a gentle boil. Simmer for another minute or two until slightly thickened.
• Spoon the hot relish into clean, warm jars and seal immediately.

Notes

• Remove the chili seeds if you prefer a milder relish.
• Adjust the amount of chili to suit your taste.
• Perfect for hot dogs, burgers and sandwiches.
• Also makes an excellent base for homemade remoulade sauce.

 

Storage

I water-bath can my cucumber relish for long-term storage.
If you don’t preserve it, store the jars in the refrigerator.
Once opened, keep refrigerated.