I love pickles, but I must admit that I sometimes have trouble making homemade pickles. However I do have great luck with sweet pickle relish. It’s a more generous item to make; you don’t need to have exactly the perfect cucumber, instead it’s a great use of the slightly over-sized cucumbers that start to clog your garden right about now. Traditionally this is made with red peppers instead of green or half and half for a splash of color, but I use whatever is handy, which turned out to be all green this time.
Sweet Pickle Relish
2 2/3 cups cucumbers, deseeded and finely chopped (I do all chopping in small batches in my food processor)
1 1/3 cups onion, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups bell peppers, finely chopped
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 1/3 tbsp. pickling spice
2 pint or 4 half pint canning jars, with lids and rings
Mix vegetables and salt in a large bowl, cover with cold water and set aside for 2 hours. When that time is up, pour mixture into a colander over a sink or bowl and press out as much of the water as possible. Bring sugar, vinegar, and spices to a boil in a small pot. Add the vegetables, return to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Transfer to sterile jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
thanks: http://budgetgradstudent.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/sweet-pickle-relish/
