Sweet Pickle Relish
In the spirit of Joseph Shuldiner’s book, The New Homemade Kitchen (Chronicle Books, 2020), this recipe has been slightly adapted from his original published recipe. See the main post for cucumber suggestions. Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cucumbers, finely diced (keep unpeeled and unseeded unless using a thick skinned American slicing cucumber)
- ½ cup finely chopped onion (yellow or red)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ plus ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup white wine or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds or coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon dill seeds or 3 dill sprigs
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 Thai chiles, split lengthwise (optional)
- One-inch piece cinnamon stick, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss the cucumber and onion with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt) and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Transfer the cucumber and onion to a clean kitchen towel set over a bowl and twist the towel to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Discard the liquid.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the drain cucumber and onion with the remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt), vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, dill, turmeric, chile, and cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to reduce slightly, then remove from the heat.
- Allow the relish to cool to room temperature in the pan, uncovered, then transfer to an airtight container and chill it overnight in the refrigerator before using. Store the sweet pickle relish in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Notes
Adapted from Joseph Shuldiner’s The New Homemade Kitchen (Chronicle Books, 2020).
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