Hellas Relish Recipes

THE BEST RELISH I'VE EVER HAD

Steps:

• Grate the cucumbers and onions into a large bowl using the large holes of a box grater. Sprinkle the pickling salt over the top. Cover tightly, and allow to rest at room temperature overnight.
• Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the cucumber mixture; set aside. Whisk together the sugar, flour, turmeric, ginger, and celery seed. Heat the vinegar and water in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the sugar mixture until smooth. Stir in the cucumber mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the relish into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process pint jars for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

THE FIRES OF HADES - HELLISH RELISH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the peppers, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, horseradish, dill weed and olive oil. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

CLASSIC SWEET HOT DOG RELISH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, and salt. Mix well. If this seems like a lot of salt, don't worry: Most of it is rinsed off later. The salt is there to draw water out of the vegetables, a step that results in better texture and flavor in the finished relish.
• Cover the bowl of vegetables and leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Transfer vegetables to a fine mesh sieve or strainer and let drain for a couple of minutes. Rinse well with cool water and drain again. Get out even more of the liquid by squeezing hard with clean hands or by pressing vegetables against sieve with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Whisk cornstarch into cool or room temperature vinegar in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, celery seed, mustard seeds, mustard, turmeric, nutmeg, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to help dissolve sugar and prevent lumps.
• Once syrup is boiling and becoming translucent, add vegetables. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• Scoop hot dog relish into clean, hot canning jars leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Screw on the lids. If canning, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Serve as desired.

SWEET AND SPICY PEPPER RELISH

Steps:

• Wearing rubber or latex gloves, trim tops off chiles. Working in batches, pulse chiles, bell peppers, and onion in a food processor until chopped into fine bits, about 1 minute per batch. Transfer to a nonreactive 3-quart pot.
• Stir sugar, vinegar, and salt into chile mixture and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring more frequently toward end of cooking to prevent scorching, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Pour or ladle relish into clean, wide-mouth, half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Apply clean lids. Enjoy immediately, store in fridge 2 to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months.