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What is Zucchini Relish?

Mary McMahon
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,014
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Zucchini relish is a vegetable relish made with zucchini squash. It can be used as a condiment on a wide variety of foods, including sandwiches, roasts, Indian food, and so forth. Some shops sell zucchini relish, and it can also be made at home, for people who are comfortable with the home canning process. Zucchini relish also makes an excellent homemade gift, for people who are trying to think of low-cost presents for the holidays.

This relish is an excellent way to use up zucchinis from the garden. Zucchini plants are notorious for producing vegetables in large volume, and it can be difficult to use them all without getting heartily sick of zucchini. By making zucchini relish, cooks can set some zucchini aside for the winter, when the vegetable may be greatly appreciated. Zucchini relish also softens large zucchini, rendering them palatable.

For every six pounds (roughly three kilograms) of vegetables, three cups (700 milliliters) of vinegar should be used, along with 1/3 cup (around 100 grams) of pickling salt, and three cups (600 grams) sugar. Some cooks use as much as six cups (1,200 grams) of sugar for a much sweeter form of zucchini relish. The vegetables should be cooked for 15 to 30 minutes, until they start to soften and the mixture thickens. Some cooks add cornstarch to ensure that the relish thickens.

In addition to the star ingredient, zucchini relish usually includes onions, sweet peppers, and sometimes hot peppers as well. The vegetables are grated, chopped, or minced before being sprinkled with the pickling or canning salt, allowed to sit overnight, and then drained. While the vegetables drain, the mixture of vinegar, sugar, and spices can be brought to the boil to cook the zucchini. Some spicing ideas include celery seed, turmeric, nutmeg, cracked black pepper, and paprika. Cooks can also use generic pickling spices from the store.

After the zucchini relish has been cooked, it can be ladled into jars and processed in a canning bath. On the following day, the jars should have tightly inverted lids, indicating that the seal has taken, and they will be safe for up to one year. If the lids are loose or they have popped out, the jars need to be reprocessed. Once opened, a jar of zucchini relish will last for up to one month in the fridge.

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Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

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Discussion Comments
By ddljohn — On Oct 28, 2014

Has anyone tried zucchini and green tomato relish? It's very good. It's apparently a Southern cuisine specialty. I had it recently at a restaurant and enjoyed it immensely. I might go back there and ask them where they get theirs or a recipe if they make it.

By candyquilt — On Oct 27, 2014

@literally45-- Oh yes. You can use zucchini relish like any of your favorite relishes. On hot dogs, on a cheese appetizer platter and even plain with some bread or crackers.

I've recently become vegetarian and relishes have become a favorite condiment of mine. I often have cheese and relish with some bread as a snack. I've even made sandwiches with zucchini relish.

I'm not too fond of plain zucchini myself. But with the right ingredients, zucchini relish is something else. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and wish you had made an even bigger batch. I'm just the opposite of you when it comes to sweetness though. I don't like sweet relish. I make my zucchini relish a little spicy.

By literally45 — On Oct 26, 2014

I'm a fan of relish and have tried quite a few varieties. I've never had zucchini relish though. I might give it a try soon because my mother gave me a ton of them. She had a good harvest this year and she could not use them all up herself. I'm not much of a fan of zucchini dishes. It's a bland vegetable, doesn't have much flavor. But I think that turning them into relish with vinegar and spices could make them flavorful. We'll see. I plan on using lots of red peppers, celery and onions. And I think I'll make it a bit on the sweeter side. I like my relishes sweet.

What's the best way to consume this relish? Will it go well on meat like hamburgers and hot dogs like cucumber relish does?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

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