Zucchini Relish

Every summer we would have a garden and it always contained lots of tomatoes and zucchini.  Inevitably a week would go by when we'd forget to pick the zucchini.  What we would find was the biggest zucchini know to man, well at least to Italian men.  We would call it a "gugutz" and we would make relish, zucchini bread and zucchini chocolate cake all from the same zucchini.  Once my wife tasted this relish she will no longer eat any other kind.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Servings: 5 Cups of Relish

6 C of Shredded Zucchini

2 ½ TBS of Kosher or Sea Salt

½ TBS Dry Mustard

1 ¼ C White Wine Vinegar

1 ½ C Sugar

¼ Tsp Pepper

½ Tsp Corn Starch

½ Tsp Turmeric

½ Tsp Nutmeg

¾ Tsp Celery Seed

½ Red Bell Pepper (diced small)

2 C Yellow Onion (diced small)

5 8 oz. (1/2 Pt) or 10 4 oz. Ball/Kerr canning jars and lids

In a large bowl, sprinkle the salt over the zucchini and mix well.  Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, drain the zucchini.  If you did not do this you would end up with a soupy mess instead if relish.

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring it to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer (medium-low) so that is it barely maintains a light boil for 30 minutes.  Stir frequently.

While the relish is cooking prepare the jars for canning.  This is an important step since food spoilage occurs easily if the canning is not done properly.  I suggest you go to your favorite source to find out what the best practices are for canning, such as www.homecanning.com. Follow the directions for high-acid foods exactly. 

The relish will keep opened in your refrigerator for at least two weeks.  If you don't eat a lot of relish I would recommend that you use the small 4 oz. jars so that they are open the least amount of time.  This also means that when you give a jar to a friend you are only giving them half as much, leaving more for you.  After all you did all the work.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Zucchini Relish.