CANNING WEEK! TOMATO RELISH~SWEET ONION RELISH~SWEET'N HOT CORN RELISH

TOMATO RELISH

What a great way to use your garden harvest—and have a tasty relish on hand for hotdogs, hamburgers and other dishes.

INGREDIENTS:

10 pounds tomatoes
3 large sweet onions, finely chopped
2 medium sweet red peppers, finely chopped
2 medium green peppers, finely chopped
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
4-1/2 cups white vinegar
2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons canning salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add tomatoes, a few at a time; boil for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately place tomatoes in ice water. Drain and pat dry; peel and finely chop. Place in a stockpot. Add onions and peppers.
Place mustard and celery seed on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add spice bag and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 60-70 minutes or until slightly thickened. Discard spice bag.
Carefully ladle relish into hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in boiling-water canner for 20 minutes. Yield: 10 pints
Recipe from Kelly Martel

SWEET ONION RELISH

Use Vidalia onions or other sweet onions in this flavorful relish. This relish is delicious with beef or pork, or use it to add flavor to appetizers

INGREDIENTS:

5 pounds sweet onions, peeled, ground or finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, washed, seeds and stems removed, ground or finely chopped
1/4 cup kosher salt or canning salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spices

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the ground onions and bell peppers with the salt; stir and let stand for 30 minutes.
Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer, reduce heat to low and add the jar lids. Keep them in the hot water, but do not boil.
Half fill a canning kettle with water; add the jars and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and keep jars hot while the onion mixture is simmering.
Drain the vegetables in a find mesh strainer, squeezing gently.
In a large no reactive pot, combine the sugars, turmeric, and vinegar. Put pickling spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the vinegar and sugar mixture. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Add the well drained vegetable mixture, increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Fill the hot jars and wipe rims with damp paper towels. Fit the jars with the lids and screw jar rings on firmly.
Put the jars on a rack in the canner and fill with more very hot or boiling water so it comes at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring to a boil. Cover and boil gently for 10 minutes. Remove the jars to a rack to cool. Do not invert.
Makes about 4 pints

SWEET’N HOT CORN RELISH

Very tasty recipe. This is a flavorful corn relish with a little heat from jalapeno peppers or other hot peppers.

INGREDIENTS:

9 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen thawed
2 pounds sweet onions, chopped
2 cups chopped red and green bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped hot peppers, such as Hungarian red wax, jalapenos, etc.
3 cups cider vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon canning salt or kosher salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon turmeric

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the jars and lids. Fill a boiling water canner about halfway with water. Add the jars and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and keep jars hot. Scald the lids and keep in the very hot -- not boiling -- water.
In a large kettle combine corn, onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, celery seed, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Spoon the relish into the hot jars and wipe rims and jar threads with a damp paper towel. Using a jar lid magnet or tongs, fit the jars with lids and screw on rings tightly.
Place on a rack in the canner and lower into the water. Bring back to the boil, cover, and boil gently for 15 minutes.
Makes 6 to 7 1-pint jars.
Recipe by Diana Rattray