Name: Sweet Pickle Relish
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound English cucumbers , cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 garlic clove , minced; 1 cup distilled white vinegar; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

Why This Recipe Works

For a homemade sweet pickle relish that's miles better than store-bought—more balanced, a little savory, and more wholesome—we started with list of ingredients you can actually identify without a degree in chemistry: a pound of cucumbers, ½ cup each of chopped red bell pepper and onion, and a clove of garlic. The onion and garlic added a fresh savory bite, and the bell pepper added color and pleasant sweetness. We used the food processor to make quick work of the chopping and then salted the vegetables for an hour before squeezing them dry in a dish towel to remove excess moisture. (Skipping this step meant that we had to simmer the relish for longer, which muddied the flavor and turned the relish mushy.) To finish our relish, we simply combined the vegetables with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and ½ cup of sugar in a large saucepan and simmered them for 15 minutes until the vegetables were translucent and the mixture had thickened.

Before You Begin

You can substitute pickling cucumbers (sometimes called Kirby cucumbers) for the English cucumbers, if you like.

Instructions

Pulse cucumbers in food processor until pieces measure roughly ¼ inch, 8 to 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to large bowl. Pulse bell pepper and onion until pieces measure roughly ¼ inch, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to bowl with cucumbers. Stir in salt and garlic. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Drain vegetables in colander, transfer to clean dish towel, and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Combine vegetables; vinegar; sugar; and turmeric, if using, in large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are translucent and mixture has thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.

Let relish cool completely, about 2 hours. Transfer relish to airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

to make ahead

Relish can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 4 months.