Dill pickle relish is a great way to transform your sandwich, is a great accompaniment to mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta, or eaten as is… This dill pickle relish is one of many ways to use up a mountain of cucumbers when they are in season, too.
Of course, you can make pickle spears and dill pickles in brine, but this recipe for dill pickle relish is incredible to have on hand because you can store it in the pantry and enjoy jars all year long.
This recipe for dill pickle relish uses regular cucumbers. Get started by pulling out your peeler and peel the skins, halve the cucumbers lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Then dice them and throw them in a bowl.
You’ll want to dice your onions, and bell peppers, combine with the diced cucumbers and add your minced garlic. Combine your salt with just enough water to cover and allow the diced veggies to sit for 6-8 hours or even easier, overnight.
In the morning, dump your diced veggies into the colander and rinse thoroughly with water. In a medium stockpot, combine your bay leaves, spices, vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer on low/medium for 5 minutes.
Add the diced veggies, and bring to a boil once again – turn down the heat to low/medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and spoon the cucumber mixture into pint size wide-mouth canning jars. Seal tightly with the lid and band, and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
Carefully lift the hot jars out of the water bath canner and allow to cool. Store in a dark, cool pantry for up to 1 year. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Enjoy this delicious homemade dill pickle relish alongside baked potatoes, potato salad, on your sandwich, or topped on a freshly grilled hamburger!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs cucumbers, peeled, halved, center row of seeds removed and diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 C. sea salt
- 3 C. white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dill seeds
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 Tbsp celery seeds
- 1/2 C. organic cane sugar, or less (to taste)
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced cucumbers, peppers, onion and garlic - combine with the salt, and then pour enough water to cover. Allow to sit overnight (or, 7-8 hours).
- In the morning, drain and rinse the mixture thoroughly, several times until the salt has been washed away.
- In a large pot on medium/high heat, combine the vinegar, dill seeds, yellow mustard seeds, cane sugar, bay leaves and turmeric. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat - simmer 5 minutes.
- Add the cucumber/onion/pepper mixture to the stockpot; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low/medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves, and carefully spoon into 4 pint size canning jars. Cover tightly with lids and bands.
- Place the jars into your water bath canner and process for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars, and allow to cool - you will hear the pop of the lids as they cool. Once done, move to a cool, dark pantry to store for up to a year.
- Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within 2 weeks.

Have you ever made dill pickle relish? If not, what’s your favorite way to use an abundance of cucumbers?
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