Home Canning Zucchini Relish with Recipe

My family enjoys eating zucchini relish. They like mixing it in with their breakfast omelets and scrambled eggs, using it on hot dogs and sausages, tossing it into a wrap or spread on a sandwich. Matter of fact, we prefer zucchini relish over relish made from cucumbers. If you’ve never given it a try…you should! It’s delicious!

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For this recipe I like to use pint-sized jars but you could certainly use half-pints or jelly jars if you prefer. Every time I make the recipe I get 3-4 pint-sized jars…it varies a little bit because if I have a little bit of chopped onion, bell pepper or zucchini leftover I just toss it in…instead of wasting it. You’ll need a water bath canner, glass mason jars and basic home canning accessories to make this recipe.

Love pickles? You can find my Zucchini Pickles recipe for home canning HERE on the blog. They’re easy-to-make too! Plus, we have over 75+ Home Canning Recipes on the blog that you can use!

Home Canning Zesty Zucchini Relish Recipe

2 cups chopped zucchini (3 medium)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tbsp. Ball Salt for Pickling & Preserving
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 cup white vinegar, 5% acidity

Prep: Wash zucchini and green & red bell peppers under cool running water. Remove stems & blossom ends from zucchini and chop zucchini (skin on) until you have 2 packed cups. Peel onion & dice into small pieces. Measure 1 cup and set aside. Chop the red & green bell peppers until you have a 1/2 cup of each one. In a large mixing bowl combine together the chopped zucchini, green bell pepper, red bell pepper and onion. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of Ball Salt for Pickling & Preserving over the top. Cover bowl and let stand for 2 hours. Drain vegetables, rinse vegetables under running water and drain again. I like to let my colander sit in a clean sink for 5 minutes with the cold water running over it.

Cook: Combine granulated sugar, spices and white vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add vegetables; simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Fill: Pack hot relish into a hot jar, leaving a ½” headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to finger-tip tight. Place jar on rack elevated over simmering water in a boiling water-bath canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process: Lower the rack into the simmering water. Water must cover the jars by 1″. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner. Do not re-tighten bands if loose. Let jars cool for 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.

Storage: When properly processed and sealed your new zucchini relish will keep for up to 1 year. I store my jars in my pantry. Store in a dry, dark, room temperature place. Once you open up a jar you’ll want to store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Zucchini Relish makes a great little foodie gift to give to loves ones too!!!

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