Easy and Spicy Squash Relish Recipe
This easy and spicy squash relish recipe is perfect for summer. Fresh is always best and we use our summer bounty of yellow squash to bring you an easy canning recipe for any level of cook.
Summer is here and I have an overabundance of squash. We love to give away what we don’t use but sometimes, people need something already prepped and ready to eat and this is one of our favorite ways to give something ready to eat as food gifts.
Being southern, I love any kind of squash. We have lots of creative ideas for all kinds of SQUASH. Perhaps our favorite way is the tried and true southern way of FRIED SQUASH and it never disappoints. Be sure to check out the many ways to make this beloved vegetable.
Ingredients
What is great about this recipe is that squash is in abundance or can be found in most every time of year. We like this recipe either with yellow squash or even zucchini as those two types of squash are interchangeable.
- Yellow squash – we seed these and cut off the ends. Slicing and dicing to small bites for our relish. If you find yourself with an abundance of zucchini, you can use those as well.
- Red bell peppers – our ratios of all vegetables are about the same but you have lots of flexibility here. More of one, a little less of the other two. You do you! Green bell peppers or even banana peppers work great too!
- Onion – white or yellow varieties work best to not overpower the seasonings we add but if you want a much spicier relish, by all means use a red onion for more flavor. Any will work great.
- Canning salt – this not only adds flavor to the vegetables but will aid in the process of removing a lot of the liquid the vegetables will have.
- Sugar – a must in pickling, you can use a comparable sugar substitute as long as its granular and cup for cup measurements.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – We feel this adds more sweetness to a somewhat tart recipe but regular distilled white vinegar can be used.
- Mustard seed – a staple canning or pickling recipe, whole mustard seeds adds tartness to the relish.
- Celery Seed – another classic pickling ingredient, this adds a pop of freshness to the pickling brine we are making.
- Nutmeg – this is the perfect example of how nutmeg adds warmth without any other addition of flavor. Most people think nutmeg is only for sweet dishes but in truth it adds warmth without a ton of flavor. When most folks think they don’t like nutmeg it usually is a clove or another powerful one in that family that is typically in the all spice family. Nutmeg gets a bad wrap so we encourage you to be sure to use it to see the difference.
- Cayenne Pepper – you can use a little or a lot but these are spicy so we just about 1/4 teaspoon to give the tad of spice we are looking for without making them too hot to eat.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe is easy in its own right. The hardest part will be waiting for the steep time and deciding what to have the relish with. Let us be the first to recommend using it in place of your regular relish on your HOT DOGS!
Deseed the squash and red bell pepper. Chop squash, bell pepper and onion all of the same size and add to a large bowl.
Add 3 tablespoons of canning salt to squash mixture and mix well.
Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Drain vegetables and rinse with cool water. Squeeze excess liquid out while vegetables are in a tea towel or cheese cloth.
In a large boiler, add sugar and apple cider vinegar.
Add in mustard seeds.
Add in celery seed, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Simmer over low heat until sugar dissolves.
Add vegetables in and mix well. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a soft boil. Lower to simmer and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Carefully pack into warm, sterilized pint or quart jars. Place lid and ring on and tighten just slightly.
Process in a water bath for shelf stable relish or allow to seal as it comes to room temperature and keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
This relish is for so much more than hot dogs. It is perfect for field peas or to even eat as a tasty side dish. We sometimes just like to dip chips in it. It is so versatile and delicious.
Why Brooke loves this recipe!
Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!
Food gifting is one of my love languages. It’s one thing to share the bounty of your garden if you have an overabundance of squash or zucchini, but it’s another to take time to prepare something already made with it. This recipe does that!
Substitutions
- Squash – Zucchini or even Okra work really good with this recipe
- Apple cider vinegar – white distilled vinegar can be used just like with our PICKLE recipe.
- Red bell peppers – any color will work. If you are using yellow squash, you want it to be colorful, so to us, red bells or even green bell peppers are beautiful. If you wanted to kick the spice up, you can use any of your favorite hot peppers here too in addition to the bell peppers.
Equipment
🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!
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Storage
We are in a way canning. If you wanted to take this recipe and make it shelf stable, you will need to process your filled jars in a hot water bath process. Be sure to do your research to learn how to do that safely and easily.
If you choose to only allow the jars to seal on the counter like we do, these can be kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.
Easy and Spicy Squash Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 yellow squash seeded and finely diced
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and finely diced
- 1 onion diced
- 3 tablespoons canning salt
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Want to save this recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Deseed squash and peppers. Slice or finely chop all around the same size. Add squash, red bell peppers and onions to a large bowl. Top with canning salt and mix well. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.4 yellow squash, 2 red bell peppers, 1 onion, 3 tablespoons canning salt
- After marinating time, strain and rinse vegetables. Place in a tea towel or cheesecloth and squeeze to remove excess liquid. In a medium boiler, combine apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, nutmeg and cayenne.. Over low to medium heat, stir to melt sugar.1.5 cups sugar, 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add drained and squeezed vegetables and mix well. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Carefully ladle the mixture into sterilized jars, leaving about 1 inch of head space. Place sterilized lids and rings on and just tighten just enough to close. Allow to cool and seal on the counter at room temperature.This recipe yields enough for about two pint jars.
See How To Make It!
Notes
- These can be kept in the refrigerator as is once cooled for 2 to 3 weeks or processed further in a hot water bath to keep shelf stable for up to a year.
- This recipe yields enough for about 2 pint jars.
- Please research water bath canning well before attempting to make this shelf stable. Most county or Parrish extension offices have websites that are a great resource for safe canning procedures.
🍴 PRO TIP!
I love processing my vegetables by hand. It helps me keep my knife skills from getting rusty. It is also sort of therapeutic to me. If you wanted to make this job easier and quicker, you can use the amazing food processor to do this in a snap. We recommend pulsing to get an even texture on all of the vegetables and so not to turn them into mush.
🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S
We recommend you use good quality canning jars. Those made specifically for canning tend to be stronger and can stand up to high heat. Hot jars made good relish!
While we think these are a great investment, they are not necessary. This can be done without a pressure canner. Now, this means they will not be shelf stable but will be fine to keep in the refrigerator.
Canning salt is the most effective in getting the moisture out of the vegetables while not making them overly salty. However, if you do not want to purchase anything, kosher salt works for this too as it has no additives that make it too high in the salty taste and will be effective in removing moisture well.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍽️ SERVING SUGGESTIONS. What goes great with this recipe? Let me tell you!
These are my favorite dishes to serve with spicy squash relish:
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Reader Review
“I loved the freezer tips and made a double batch so we could enjoy some next week. This easy delicious recipe is a keeper.”
– Karen
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How many jars & size (1/2 pint or pint) did this yield?? And how long would you water bath for long term storage please :):) looks yummy :):) thanks!!:):)
This made about 2 pint jars for me. We do not process these for shelf stability and in the post we recommend if that is something you wanted to pursue that you research that. Most county extensions have websites that give great water bath canning recommendations.