This easy Refrigerator Sweet Relish Recipe is crisp and tangy with just the right amount of sweet! Made with cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions, it’s the perfect condiment for hot dogs, burgers, potato salad an more. And no canning is required!
Sweet Relish is crisp, colorful, and perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy and a whole new level of deliciousness!
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Homemade Refrigerator Sweet Relish
This homemade relish is bursting with flavor and made with crunchy cucumbers, colorful bell peppers, and sweet onion.
An easy and delicious way to use fresh summer produce from your garden or the farmers market.
This no-canning refrigerator relish is quick, easy, and requires no special equipment.
Use this topping as a burger relish, hot dog relish, stirred into potato salad, pasta salad and egg salad and more! The possibilities are endless!
Making your own Refrigerator Sweet Relish is not only easy but also incredibly satisfying.
Spoon it onto burgers, mix it into salads, or simply enjoy it as a tangy topping on your favorite foods and add a flavor boost.
Once you taste the freshness of homemade relish, you’ll never go back to store-bought again!
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How to homemade sweet pickle relish recipe
This is a quick overview of how to make this no canning relish recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Heat the vinegar mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
- Step 2: Meanwhile, finely dice the cucumbers, bell peppers and sweet onion and combine them in a bowl.
- Step 3: Add the chopped vegetables to the saucepot. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to two mason jars. Add the brining liquid just up to the bottom of the rim, discaring any extra liquid. Cool, uncovered, to room temperature then cover and refrigerate.
Hint: Your homemade refrigerator relish should be stored in airtight glass jars or containers.
Expert recipe tips
- Chop the vegetables evenly – Be sure to finely dice the cucumbers, peppers, and onion so the relish texture is consistent.
- Adjust the sweetness – For a tangier relish, you can reduce the sugar slightly. For a sweeter relish, add an additional tablespoon or two of sugar.
- Let it marinate - For the best flavor, refrigerate the relish at least 24 hours before serving.
- Remove cucumber seeds – If your cucumbers have lots of seeds, or if you use another type of cucumber instead of minis, I recommend removing the seeds before dicing the cucumbers. Mini cucumbers tend to have little or no seeds so I did not have to remove any seeds when I made this recipe.
- Adding more flavor - If you want to enhance the flavor, add one teaspoon mustard seed and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Substitutions
- Cucumbers - If you don’t have mini pickling cucumbers you can use English cucumbers but I recommend peeling and removing the seeds.
- Vinegar – You can substitute white vinegar for apple cider vinegar, however white vinegar is slightly sharper.
- Sugar – For a natural sweetener, honey or maple syrup for a natural sweetener are good sugar substitutes for granulated sugar although it will change the flavor slightly.
- Peppers - Green pepper can replace the red bell pepper or the yellow bell pepper for a more traditional relish look and flavor. However, red and yellow bell peppers are sweet peppers and give this relish some of its sweetness.
- Onion - For a sharper onion flavor you can use a yellow onion or red onion instead of sweet onion.
Variations
- Spicy Sweet Relish – For a relish with some heat,add a finely chopped jalapeño or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Dill Relish – Add about ¼ cup chopped fresh dill and 1 clove minced garlic to the relish for that classic garlic dill flavor.
- Zucchini Relish – Replace the cucumbers with fresh zucchini. You can finely dice the zucchini or even grate it for a softer texture.
- Classic Hot Dog Relish – Stir a bit of yellow mustard into the relish before refrigerating for a more classic hot dog relish flavor.
- Curry Relish – For a warm aromatic twist, add a pinch of curry powder.
Storage
- Refrigerator – When properly stored in airtight glass mason jars or containers, relish will keep for about 1 month in the refrigerator.
- Freezing – I do not recommend freezing relish because that will affect its crisp texture.
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Ingredients
Ingredients for refrigerator relish
- Pickling or Mini Cucumbers - These small, firm cucumbers are ideal for relish because they stay crunchy and hold up to the vinegar brine.
- Red Bell Pepper – This bell pepper adds a pop of color and a hint of sweetness.
- Yellow Bell Pepper – Yellow bell pepper adds a mellow flavor and sunny color contrast.
- Sweet Onion – Sweet onion adds a mild, sweet flavor and a crispness.
- Granulated Sugar – White sugar adds a sweetness that balances the vinegar and salt for a sweet relish flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is the base of the pickling brine addig tang and depth with a subtle fruitiness.
- Kosher Salt – Kosher salt makes all the flavors pop.
- Ground Turmeric – Turmeric adds a golden hue and a light, warm flavor.
- Water – Water helps to dilute and mellow out the vinegar to the perfect balance of tart and sweet.
Summer Condiment Ideas
What to serve with sweet relish
These recipes are delicious when topped with sweet relish!
Homemade Sweet Relish
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Ingredients
- 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 medium sweet onion finely diced, 1 cup
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced, 1 cup
- 1 yellow bell pepper finely diced, 1 cup
- 4 mini cucumbers finely diced, 2 cups
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Instructions
- In a medium saucepot, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt and turmeric to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion, red bell pepper and yellow pepper, tossing until combined.
- Stir the chopped vegetables into the saucepot and return to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the vegetable mixture into two mason jars (12 ounces each). Add the liquid just up to the base of the rims of the jars, discarding any extra liquid.
- Let stand, uncovered, until the mixture comes to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- To serve, using a slotted spoon, transfer the relish to a serving bowl. You can also serve the relish directly from the mason jars but serve it with a slotted spoon.
Notes
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion, red bell pepper and yellow pepper, tossing until combined.
- Pack the cucumber mixture into two mason jars.
- In a small saucepot, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt and turmeric to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the hot brine over the vegetables in the mason jars and let come to room temperature, uncovered.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
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