Moms Fruit Relish Recipes

SUMMER FRUIT RELISH

Steps:

• Mix 1 cup each diced nectarines and papaya, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1 1/2 tablespoons each lime juice and chopped cilantro and 1 teaspoon minced Serrano chile. Season with salt.

MOM'S THANKSGIVING CRANBERRY RELISH

Steps:

• 1. Using a grinder or a food processor, (not a blender) grind the cranberries and alternate with chunks of orange and lemon, including the rinds. Add sugar to the mixture. Mix well. This is best if made about 2 days ahead of time and kept refrigerated. (Gives the flavors time to blend well!) **Mom says that a grinder works best, but you can use a food processor (just pulse it) if you take care not to let it turn to mush. The idea is to have a coarse "relish" consistency. This recipe is not only delicious, but really looks pretty.

THREE-FRUIT RELISH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, marmalade and lemon juice; mix well. Stir in the cranberries, raspberries and apples. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Stir before serving.

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.

MOM'S FRUIT RELISH

Steps:

• This recipe requires a lot of prep work; I recommend you prepare it with a friend and split the bounty!
• Have ready a large preserving kettle.
• Peel tomatoes, seed, and dice; place in kettle.
• Peel pears, core, and slice 1/4 inch thick; place in kettle.
• Peel peaches, remove pit, and slice 1/4 inch thick; place in kettle.
• Peel and finely chop onions; place in kettle.
• Remove seeds from red peppers and dice; place in kettle.
• Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; let mixture simmer (NOT a gentle simmer) until it is thick; this will take two to three hours.
• Stir frequently.
• Discard spice bag and ladle relish into prepared, hot sterilized canning jars and seal.
• My mother-in-law never processed this, and neither do I; if you can it in pint jars and want to process it; I recommend a 10-minute boiling water bath.

FRUIT RELISH

Steps:

• Put all ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Cook over high heat until it begins to thicken then reduce heat. Stir frequently to prevent sticking and burning until very thick. (3 to 5 hours in all). To speed up this process, place fruit in a colander overnight to allow some of the juices to drip out first.

SWEET AND SPICY FRUIT RELISH

Steps:

• Combine jalapeno and celery in a large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, combine orange juice, sherry, and honey; season with salt and pepper. Pour orange mixture over jalapeno-celery mixture. Add orange zest; toss to combine. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine pears, apples, ginger, sugar, and lemon juice; set aside. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Grill onion rounds, basting with a little liquid from pear-apple mixture. Cook each side until softened and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer onions to a cutting board; cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Add to jalapeno-celery mixture.
• Grill apple and pear quarters in batches, until golden brown on each side, basting with collected juices in bowl, 2 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Add to jalapeno-celery mixture along with juices. Chop celery leaves; add to jalapeno-celery mixture along with lemon zest. Stir to combine. Let sit at least 1 hour at room temperature. Season to taste.

QUEBEC FRUIT KETCHUP

Steps:

• Peel and cut the tomatoes in big chunks.
• Peel, cut the core away and cut the apples in pieces.
• Slice the celery stalks thinly.
• Cut the pepper, slice off the seeds and cut in small pieces.
• Peel the onions and slice them to obtain nice thin slices.
• Pour the fruit cocktail can through a sieve and keep only the fruits.
• Put all the ingredients except the fruit cocktail in a big pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat so that it only makes little bubbles (slow to medium-slow heat).
• For the whole cooking period, put 3 pennies evenly spaced on your burner to avoid the sticking in the bottom of your pot. Also, it is important to stir often: cook for one hour then add the fruit cocktail pieces and cook for another hour. The consistency of the liquid part of this ketchup is similar to a thick syrup and you can verify by putting a spoonful in a cold saucer when near the end of the cooking time.
• Put in sterilized jars (Mason type) and close the lids.
• Store in a dark cool place.