Sweet Zucchini Relish

I have made a similiar recipe for about 20 years now. Once you have tried this relish you never want to go back to store bought. The difference between this recipe & mine is.. I use apple cider vinegar, 4 cups sugar, 1 TBSLP dry mustard & 1/8 cayenne pepper and a 2 tsp. cornstarch. I found mine just perfect for sweetness. So, to all you relish users..... try it...You'll love it!!!!

I made 2 versions. First one was as written and it was really good...but a little too sweet for our tastes...would be great on a hotdog! 2nd version, I reduced the sugar to 2 cups, and added 5 finely chopped and seeded jalapenos. I will make this EVERY year. Easy prep...doesn't involve a 4 day process.. Great recipe!

This recipe may not be safe for canning due to lower acidity! With every addition you make of peppers, onions etc...you are lowering the acidity of this product. Using anything other than 5% vinegar will also render it unsafe. Water bath canning may not be appropriate. Remember...Botulism is deadly. "I haven't killed anyone yet'' isn't a good excuse. Please consult your extension office or contact the Ball Canning hotline prior to making this. They can assist you in determining the safety of these old recipes. ~A Master Food Preserver

Thank you for submitting this recipe! This is a wonderful use for the zucchini that seem to take over my garden over night. The only change I made was to sub a little of the white vinegar with cider vinegar as I was about 1/2 cup short. I used half-pint jars and processed for ten minutes. This is a keeper and I will be making it again and again!

I adapted this recipie and used my B&B Zucchini process technique - - shred the Zukes, prep the onions, add the two together then toss with the salt. Cover the mixture with a layer of ice cubes, cover the bowl, and then place in the refidgerator. Chill for 3 - 6 hrs. I did not find any need to go the full overnight method. Substituted Apple Cider Vinegar and added 1 Tablespoon slightly cracked Mustard Seed, reduced Sugar to 2 cups, omitted the Corn Starch, added 2 diced red Jalapeno peppers . If you really want it thicker - I suggest Clear Gel - a modified starch for canning and pie fillings. Clear Gel is just that, clear, no clouding and very reasonable. - this is wonderful and the acidity is safe per my Ph Paper test.

We love the flavor of this zucchini relish and found that it is easier than I thought to can. One reader mentioned concern over the safety of canning this recipe. Their concern was over the acidity, because of the addition of peppers and onions. However, this recipe actually calls for less peppers then the Ball book of home preserving. That means there should be no issue or concern with the hot water bath method of canning as long as you follow directions. I actually like this recipe better then the Ball recipe because of the seasonings used here. Also, this recipe calls for one less pepper resulting in what I feel is a better flavor. I do add one half teaspoon of mustard seed because I like that flavor included in my relish. Two recommendations, 1) you could use ClearJel (a modified cornstarch made to withstand heat) instead of the cornstarch. Mix the clear gel with the sugar first before adding it to the rest of the mixture. 2), leave 1/2 inch headspace in the canning jar and you will run into less problems. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

Great recipe, my review is for the recipe as stated. However, 6 cups of sugar, in my opinion is way too much. The ratio of sugar to vinegar should be the same. I used 2 cups of sugar and apple cider vinegar instead of white. I will definitly make this again with those changes.

I have been making this relish for years. This is better than any sweet pickle relish I have ever had. Really yummy on hot dogs! I also make this with splenda for a sugar free version. Try it you'll like it : )

Love it! I did make a couple changes though. I used apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar and left out the cornstarch. I will use this recipe again!

This is my first year growing my own vegetables and to my surprise, I have zucchini coming out of my ears. I think I have made every zucchini 'something' you could think of. I stumbled across this recipe and thought I'd give it a go. I've never canned anything before so I was a little gun shy because after all the work, I didn't want to fail. So I jumped in. I followed the instructions and wala! - sweet zucchini relish. It's by far, the most popular thing I've made and everyone begs me for more or just helps themselves to a jar when they're over. The first time I made it, I forgot the onions but everyone raved about it so apparently no one noticed. Now I include the onions and people still rave about it. My sister and 13 yr old nephew like to eat it as salsa with chips. I don't think there's a wrong way to eat this. I have other friends who buy food around my relish. Who knew zucchini relish could have so much power? Great recipe.

I like it hot, so, I added 4 thinnly sliced and seeded jalapenos to the batch. Nice zing.

I've been looking for a way to use up some of the zucchini from my garden, so when I found this recipe, I was very excited. I made it today, and it is soooooooo good!!! I only got 5 1/2 pint jars out of it instead of the 7, though. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will definitely keep it for next year, and maybe even make more this year if I get a lot more zucchini.

I only had about 4 cups of zucchini so I substituted green tomatoes for the rest. I also added some mustard seeds just because I think mustard seed should always be in relish. Turned out fabulous!!

I made this last year at the end of zucchini season and my family can't get enough !!! Will be making several batches this year.

Too sweet. Need to reduce the sugar like some other reviewers mentioned.

The garden is producing so many zucchinis, we can't eat them fast enough! I found this recipe and with the suggestions of others made the relish and boy do we ever like it. I am going to make my second batch next week. Suggestions were to cut the sugar down to 2 1/2 c., added 3 chopped jalapenos, used apple cider vinegar and a 1/2 T. of dry mustard. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Made half recipe because I didn't believe it could be so darn good. So guess what I'll be doing again tomorrow.

Thank so much! just made this yesterday and tried it for lunch today, just like my mom made. I wouldn't change a thing.

I halved the sugar in the first batch and it was still plenty sweet, so next batch I only used 1/3 and still sweet. Great tasting and very easy to make. Will definitely make again next year.

Thankyou soooooo much for this recipe! I love it. I didn't put 6 cups of sugar, 2 cups is much better for teste. The other thing that I did diferent is the vinegar, I made it with apple vinegar so it is not so strong the flavour. Thanks again.

Wow. I didn't realize how easy it was to make a sweet relish and get rid of too much zucchini. This was great. Will be giving some away for christmas.

This relish is delicious! I followed the recipe except 1 thing. I didn't have green pepper, so I added hot peppers from my garden. It turned out great! I gave many jars away and got many glowing reviews in return. I will be making more next year for sure. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!

Great recipe!!! Everyone loves my relish.

This recipe is fantastic just the way it is!! I make this all the time.. My family LOVES it!! I always make a recipe as stated. If you are going to rate it. rate the actual recipe not the changes YOU made to it. Cucumbers and zuchhini are interchangeable in this recipe.. Thank you Gail for posting this yummy relish recipe :)

Such a great relish! I fell in love with it! I did reduce the sugar like others mentioned down to 4 cups and it's still pretty sweet! Mine only yielded 4 1/2 pints instead of the seven, but that's still plenty! I mixed my white vinegar with apple cider vinegar and it gave it a nice flavor!

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. Better than Willy's Relish, which my hub LOVES but is soooo overpriced! I used apple cider vinegar. I will make this again and again for sure!!

SO delicious!! I cut way back on the sugar as suggested in other reviews. I doubled the recipe and only used 5c sugar. It is still very sweet. With a double recipe, I got 11 pints. I squeezed out as much water as I could after rinsing it, and am glad I did, as it would have been very watery otherwise. It is the perfect consistency and I can't wait to BBQ burgers again and have it!

I found that it was a bit toooo sweet, so I cut the sugar in half and we LOVE it!! Thanks for the recipe!

EXCELLENT!!! Everyone loves it, I will be making it this year again.

They weren't kidding when they called this "Sweet" Zucchini Relish. It's REALLY sweet. I halved the recipe, and only got 1 1/2 jars out of it. I'll likely make this again - but I might adjust the sweetness a bit. I think taking it down by 1/2 a cup would be a huge benefit.

Easy and very good! I also used cider vinegar since it is what I had on hand. I used a large zuccini that had been in the fridge a few days so the skin was tough and the relish came out a little crunchy. Still fabulous.

Used this recipe last year. It was my first time ever canning and quite frankly, it went over TOO well. I will be using this recipe again! It has become a staple! :)

This is a very good zucchini relish recipe. I made just a few adjustments. I used a roasted red pepper, and I used only four cups of sugar instead of six cups. The relish is plenty sweet with the lesser amount of sugar. In fact, I thought it's still almost too sweet. I used my food processor to make quick work of the shredding and chopping. I processed the jars for 10 minutes (I've never proceesed any other relish for 30 minutes!) I only got about 5 1/2 pints from this recipe. This reminds me of my grandmother's relish. Loved it.

Fantastic flavor and appearance and a great way to use up some of the monstrous zucchini in my garden. I followed the instructions to a T and all worked out well. Thank you so much for posting this. We now, proudly, have 10 12oz jars of this in our root cellar.

I had to change my review! After it sat for a while, it turned into one of my favorites! It is so easy to make, and I'm adding hot peppers to the next batch. I'd suggest anyone wanting to make relish...try this one! Only thing I would comment on, is to chop the zucchini instead of shredding it. The texture seems better when chopped. Have fun with making this recipe!

Was looking for a good starting point to use my zucchini...but wanted some zest. Substituted five cups of peppers (3 habaneros, 12 jalapeños, and the rest anaheims) for three of the cups of zucchini and ended up with The Best Darned Relish in Washington! I sat down and ate all the remains that would not fit in the jars with a spoon!

This is a great relish. Love it on hotdogs and in beans. Have canned for years and made many types of pickles, but this is the best relish I have made.

Wow, I made these this morning and I got to taste some of the leftovers from scrapping the pot. I somehow overlooked the onions and forgot to put them in but it still tasted great. I got 11 jelly jars full of relish with this recipe. Putting them in a basket full of home made goodies for Christmas this year. Definately will be one I will make year after year. Except I won't forget the onions next time. Thanks for sharing!!

This turned out really well, tastes almost exactly like pickle relish. Great way to use that zucchini, esp the huge ones!

Spot on spices for my tastes. Easy to make and keeps well. I put it up last October and have just opened the last jar now June.)

This is a great recipe just tried it and it is a real keeper. I am making a second batch tomorrow. I added a hot pepper and decreased the amount of sugar to 2 1/2 cups and is sweet enough for us. Thank you Gail for a wonder way to use zucchini.

I have been making this relish for many years. For anyone concerned about the low acidity and question if it's safe to can, it actually freezes well. I just put it up in containers and freeze. I believe one reason it calls for so much sugar is to make it safe. So you can safely reduce the sugar if you freeze it.

This is Excellent! Second year in a row making! I canned in Jelly Jars and got 12 jars! No one can tell it's zucchini either! Highly recommend as is!

I've been making a variation of this recipe for many years. I use my zucchini relish in all recipes that call for sweet pickle relish. After the first time I made this we were hooked.

Tastes great with some revisions... 1.5 times the recipe fills seven 500ml jars perfectly and uses 18 cups grated zucchini! I squeezed the water by hand from the zuke/onion mixture after rinsing and draining. Sugar was reduced from 9 c to 3.5 cups; for vinegar I split it evenly between white and apple cider; added 1 T dry mustard and 6 finely diced jalapenos. Deelish!

Everyone I gave this too LOVED it - thanks!!

This is very good. It is different than any relish I have every made. Making some more tomorrow and add ing some hot sauce to make it sweet hot zucchini relish. Should be good.

I made this relish and my husband couldn't get enough of it. Everyone loved it!

I have looked forever for this recipe that was my Mothers. Lost it several years ago and this is exactly it, except she used half yellow crook neck squash. Otherwise the same. Thank you so much! I use 1/2 cup in baked beans and serve with winter beans,; pintos and white navy beans.

This is excellent relish, the only thing I changed was I added a couple jalapenos chopped. This gives it just a little zest to it.

WOW! very good! I took the advice of oher reviwers and cut the sugar to 2 1/2 cups and it was the right balance between sweet & sour. I also used cider vinegar. I didn't jar it as I knew I was going to use it in recipes for the week and give to family to try. I'll have to go back to the farmers market and get more zucchini.

It tastes great. It is the only relish we use anymore. That said, I felt uncomfortable with the processing method, though it certainly seems adequate, provided you use 5% acidity vinegar. In any case, a phone call to Ball informed me that according to this recipe, 15 minutes boiling water bath was adequate. Note, though: Sugar adds acidity, (hydrogen) so don't go changing the amount

Made this yesterday. Easy to make, looks great in the jar and tastes good too. A great way to use up all my extra zucchini.

Rather than giving my friends extra zucchini, I am passing out jars of this relish. It's perfect on a grilled chicken sandwich!

My garden is overflowing with zucchini and now I have found the perfect thing to do with it! Loved this recipe. I did add some jalapeno to the mix to spice it up and dropped one cup of the sugar.

This is the second year for me to make this zucchini relish and once again I won a blue ribbon at the fair. It is incredible!! I make mine with more yellow zucchini so it looks a bit different, but tastes just as good.

This relish is nice and sweet. If you're looking to add a little kick try addinng chopped jalepeno peppers. I added 2 finely chopped jalepeno peppers but it was still quite mild and didd't add much kick. Next time I will try adding 4. Great recipe! Everyone that has tried wants the recipe.

I lost my zucchini relish recipe and it has been so sad. Thank you for making this recipe available. This is the best zucchini relish and it is the old recipe that I had. My family is so happy to eat good relish again. You are awesome.

This was for sure a 5 star recipe, however, the only thing that did not go as planned, according to the recipe, is I only ended up with 8 cups of relish (or four 2 cup jars) instead of the 7 indicated in the recipe. And I even added 2 extra cups of grated zucchini because someone else said they only got 5 jars. I also added the recommended amount of turmeric and another table spoon just because it is really good for you and we like it and 1 tbsp of celery seed for the same reason. Guess it's back to the garden for another zucchini to get another 4 more jars! LOL Thanks for this wonderful recipe to use up my BIG zucchinis!

This is the second summer I have made this with all of my garden zucchini, and I have to say, I can eat it by itself! I made a few changes to it this year: I omitted the nutmeg and added curry powder and cumin. I love to look at recipes and get ideas from them, but it's always hard for me to follow one exactly. Everyone's taste is different, of course. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who loves relishes and has a lot of zucchini to use! More next year, indeed!

I only used 3 1/2 C sugar, still pretty sweet, good thought, next time I'll use like 2C and add some pickling spice, I added about 1/2 tsp of mustard seed. Confused on the size thought. I used about 13 to 14 C zucchini (packed Cups), I made 1/2 pints jars so I would have more but it only made 9 half pint jars, was expecting 14 plus a little extra to toss in the fridge. Over all it was going, but would like to have more of a dill pickle kind.

My entire family loves this recipe! We haven't bought relish in over 2 years now!

I reduced the sugar to 3 cups and doubled the corn starch to keep the thickness. It was perfect! I took it to work and all enjoyed. Next batch I added some chopped hot peppers to spice it up!

This relish won over two skeptics. My dad who hates zucchini and me who has never been a big relish fan. All I've heard since this year's zucchinis have started coming has been - "Make more zucchini relish like last year!" So glad that I had put this recipe in my allrecipes recipe box - I'll need it every year!

Another great base recipe! I used half gold half green zucchinni this year, and due to an onion miscalculation, I used a red onion too. What a difference from last year! Lots of great flavors. Don't get me wrong, last years was awesome as well, this is just different in an amazing way!

I love this recipe! I've made it 5 times in the last week. My husband likes it with a little more heat, so I added 2 hot peppers - with seeds - to two of the batches. Thanks for submitting it.

This turned out great! As others suggested, I cut the sugar back to about 2 1/2 cups and put a little apple cider vinegar in it. I also added a couple chopped jalepeno's that didn't make it spicy, but gave it another level of flavor. I didn't take the time to let it sit overnight in the fridge so I just added a little more salt and left it in the fridge for 2 hours instead. Will definitely make more of this with zucchini out of our garden this summer.

My mom made this when I was a kid and now I started making it and giving it to her! We both love this recipe!!

This is close to zucchini syrup! I'm new to canning, so I trusted the "6 cups of sugar". Meanwhile my gut was asking me "are you making candy or something?". Unless your household is filled with sugar addicts, this recipe is way too sweet. I think I will have to rinse mine before using.

My family raves about this relish. The flavor brings back memories of grandma's homemade bread and butter pickles.

This is a very good recipe for hot dog, hamburger or sandwich topping. The only change I would suggest is a little less sugar. As prepared it is a little to sweet for me.

Absolutely wonderful relish. I highly recommend this recipe if you want a fresh, sweet relish (and if you have a zucchini coming out your ears).

Wonderful recipe that uses a lot of zucchini. On the advice of others, I used less sugar and am glad I did. I used 1/2 cup less sugar but wish I'd used 1 cup less. Is still a bit too sweet but is very, very good! Will be making this for years to come! I did the water bath for only 10-15 min. instead of the 30, which I feel is way too long based on many other similar recipes.

Great way to use our abundant zucchini. My family and our friends love it.

My family LOVED this relish so much that they are hounding me to make more. They are afraid we will run out! I am making a double batch this time and my co-workers will receive a jar for Christmas. Delicious.

FANTASTIC! This recipe deserves more stars!! I added a little green food color to achieve a darker color.

Sounds like a plan for this years garden. I think I may add some hot banana peppers to give it a little zip. It will probably be good on a steak or grilled chicken sandwich too. :)

I love it. I used 4 cups of sugar, apple cider vinegar, and added 2 t mustard powder, 1/2 t mustard seed, and 2 jalapenos.

Found this recipe this year while looking for something to do do with all my zucchini. It is delicious. Family loves. Will be making again next year. May cut down on the sugar just a bit, but it is great the way it is. Thanks.

Great recipe for a relish my mother used to make. My dad loved to plant gobs and so we were always looking for a way to use them. I agree 6 C sugar is waaaaay too much. Am making it again and will use only 2 C sugar. Also left out the peppers as I have friends who are allergic. It's no great loss to the overall taste. Subbing in cider vinegar also will add complexity to flavor. like also the idea of adding mustard seed. Glad to have the suggestion about the ice cubes and 4-6 hrs chill instead of overnight. I need to make something all at once when I have a sliver of time!

I was perhaps too conscientious in squeezing too much liquid out of the zucchini, and the concoction ended up a little dry to pack in the jars, so I added a little water toward the end of simmering. I used 2 cups sugar, and it tastes yummy. Far better than the horrid store bought stuff. I got 5 pints.

Awesome!!!! Made as written, with the exception of using only 3 cups of sugar and processed in half pint jars for 10 minutes. Our first attempt at canning - YUM!!!! Easy!!

This recipe is absolutely FABULOUS! I too will never make relish with cucumbers (they are harder for me to grow) and now my abundance of zucchini will never go to waste. You can't tell the difference and the flavor is awesome. Even my kids love this on hot dogs!

always looking for ways to use up zuchinni and this recipe is great. I make bread and butter pickles and this is almost the same. Will make it again

We also did a batch where we kicked it up a notch and added some red cracked pepper to the brine and erythritol for a hot/sweet combo that is low carb/sugar free.

I've made this recipe for many years, first time I've seen the recipe shared. you won't be disappointed. Uses a lot of zucchinis and tastes great. Love it with roast beef.

With my food processor this was embarrassingly easy to make! My first time water bath canning, 2jars didn't seal but they taste so good we'll be eating them soon. Better to leave a 1/2 inch of head space in the jars. I did use half apple cider vinegar and half white since that's what I had on hand, and used only 2cups of sugar. Red & yellow peppers, no green. Very forgiving recipe, thank you for sharing!

Really like the taste of this relish. Only got 5-1/2 pts. so next time I will increase ingredients slightly. Made a couple changes, only added 2-1/2c sugar and used 2-1/2c apple cider vinegar. Also added 1/2 tsp. of dry mustard.

I didn't have tumeric or the nutmeg on hand. So I left it out. Happy accident! Loved this relish!

Excellent! A family favorite. I used cider vinegar and reduced the sugar to 5 cups.

We make this every year and it's always a hit with us and also our guests! We leave out the cornstarch and it's still plenty thick. This recipe is a really great way to use up all the zucchini we have in our garden every autumn.

This relish turned out perfectly. Hubby loves it! I did not have any red bell pepper on hand, tasted delicious without it. Will continue to use this recipe in the future.

Excellent ! Very good with vegtables. However 6 cups of sugar is just too much. Will adjust next batch.

Simply delicious! Fantastic on Bratwurst!

My family calls this relish "The relish of the gods". I make it every year with my surplus of zucchini. This is fantastic on burgers or brats. My father in law even eats it on toast!

Good recipe! As other suggested, I cut the sugar to 2 cups, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp mustard seed. I also added 2 jalapenos (should have done 4!) and only cooked the mixture for 15mins as it got to the thickness i wanted. I cooked in water bath for 10 mins.

This recipe is easy to do and absolutely fabulous. I do double the spices though because that's how I like it. Husban, kids, and family and friends love it when I make it.

made this recipe with yellow zucchini (buttersticks) and purple onions because that's what I had on hand. Very pretty and delicious. Maybe next time will add a shredded carrot for color... Only put in 4 cups of sugar per previous comments, mater of preference I think. I will make this again!!!

I made 2 batches of this simultaneously. One batch just as written and one batch I added Jalapenos to the mix. So I have a sweet relish and a sweet hot relish. I marked the jar lids with a sharpie before I water bathed them just to make sure that nobody got a surprise. My house smelled like a hot dog cart! This is very yummy and between the 2 batches, I got 14 pints.. just like the recipe predicted.