“Would you like a little bit of a hot dog with all of that ketchup?”
A reasonable question posed to a hungry youngster, all set to take the first bite of the all-time favourite that is smothered and dripping with ketchup.
Wisdom of a child
A dog or a burger is ONLY as good as the condiment …
Let’s be honest … If you have the luxury of having a great condiment sitting in your fridge … and perhaps, if that condiment is an amazing relish…, I venture a guess that as many times as a child has mainlined on ketchup, you have gone into the fridge and snuck some spoonfuls (even if there is no burger or dog in sight!).
“This is GOLD!”
This was husband Art’s first critique on taking his first bite of Mom Helena’s Cucumber Relish many years ago. The relish taste was a flashback to what had made the hot dogs of his childhood so memorable …and I learned that both Mom Robertina and his Aunt Mat made a similar relish.
And from then on, the reasonable question to be asked of him would be,
“Would you like a little bit of meatloaf with all of that relish?”
“Gold” – the new name coined for this harvest treat. When my mother was no longer able to make (and share with us) her usual batch of Cucumber Relish each year, there were some subtle (and some not so subtle) hints about how great it would be if I would take on this task in order to keep a constant supply of Gold in the fridge.
And so the tradition continues….
Once you have tasted this relish, you will not be satisfied with any other.
This is a small-batch version of both our mothers’ original recipes, making only a few jars – which is perfect for our needs, as well as some extras to give away. And because it is a small-batch, it isn’t necessary to go through the usual canning process …just keep the jars stored in the fridge.
(But watch out! Spoonfuls may mysteriously disappear!)
Cucumber Relish (Gold)
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Yield: Makes about 10 cups – enough for 5 2-cup jars
Ingredients:
3 large (or 8-10 mini cukes) English cucumbers, halved horizontally, seeds scooped out and cut into chunks (5-6 cups of cucumber chunks)
2 green peppers
3 red, yellow, or orange peppers
2 cups of thinly sliced celery (about 5-6 stalks)
2 cups of chopped sweet onions (about 2 medium onions)
1 ½ tablespoons (25 mL) coarse Kosher salt
2 ½ cups (625 mL) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons (10 mL) dry mustard
2 teaspoons (10 mL) turmeric
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground celery seed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 mL) all purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) white vinegar
Method:
- Prepare cucumbers: Slice in half horizontally, scoop out seeds. Cut into chunks. Place in food processor or food chopper. You will need 4 cups of finely chopped cucumber.
- Prepare peppers, celery and onions.
- Place vegetable mixture into a food chopper or the bowl of a food processor. You may need to do this in a few batches. Pulse/chop until mixture is of the desired texture.
- Place all of the finely chopped vegetables in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt; let stand overnight – or for at least 6 hours.
- Drain vegetable mixture in a large colander. Gently press down on mixture to extract as much liquid as possible.
- In a large soup pot, or Dutch oven, combine sugar, mustard, turmeric, celery seed, black pepper, and flour. Add vinegar and stir to combine. Heat over low-medium heat, and cook until gently simmering and until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add the drained vegetables; heat through. Gently simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Place in sterilized canning jars (and proceed with a hot-water bath process, if desired). Or, place in small sterilized jars or containers and leave in the refrigerator. A layer of paraffin wax over top is another way of ensuring that the relish will remain fresh.
- Serve with your next burger …
Questions or comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
