Piccalilli Relish
This piccalilli relish recipe made from chopped, pickled vegetables, is as tasty on burgers as it is on baked beans.
By Yankee Magazine|Jul 01 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanThis piccalilli relish recipe made from chopped, pickled vegetables, is as tasty on burgers as it is on baked beans. Try it on one of these classic New England sandwiches, or on one of Maine’s famous red snapper hot dogs.
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Yield:
8 + pintsIngredients
24 green tomatoes
12 large sweet onions
12 large sweet peppers
1 heaping cup of salt
apple cider vinegar
2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 cup pickling spices
Instructions
Slice all vegetables into 1/4-inch thin slices. Alternate tomatoes, onions, and peppers in cheesecloth, sprinkling salt between each layer. Suspend over a bowl and let stand overnight. Do not let vegetables come in contact with the drained liquid. A banana holder can be helpful here, if you have one. The next day, place all vegetables into a large pot with enough apple cider vinegar to cover. Tie the pickling spices into cheesecloth and add it to the pot. Simmer for 2 hours, or until onions are tender. Seal in clean jars using the hot pack method.
I am not a very experienced canner, although I’ve had very good luck this summer putting up all sorts of vegetables, pickles, jams and jellies, and was really looking forward to making this piccalilli. I followed your recipe religiously, but I believe that one very important step is missing. The vegetables should be rinsed and drained several times prior to cooking. My batch was extremely salty and had to be discarded. I fault myself for not reasoning this out on my own, but you should add this step back into your recipe. Unless, of course, you LOVE salt!
IF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SWEET RELESH SHOULD THERE NOT BE SOME SUGAR IN THE RECIEPE?
I agree, this is a very salty recipe. My few cookbooks have several versions, and only one says to rinse. They all seem to call for different amounts of sugar, one of them 3 to 2 vinegar to sugar, another 2 to 1. Is this supposed to be a sweet relish?
This is definitely supposed to be a sweet relish. I always use 2 and half cups sugar mix Brown and white to taste. I slice my veggies and layer them with salt overnight in the juices and then drain and rinse the next day. Cook until tender and then hot pack the relish into jars.
Yes you must drain the salt water off. you can rinse if you won’t to.
I have never tried Piccalilli but I do have fond memories of my Mom making it. My Godfather ran a farm and at the end of the season would give her bags of green tomatoes.
to reduce the saltiness, rinse the vegetables after they have drained, there will still be enough salt to get the right flavor
I’ve been making piccalilli for years and I’ve never seen a recipe call for mustard. This seems more like mustard pickled veggies.
I agree! All the piccalilli I have ever had (home-made or store bought) was very similar to a sweet relish, except with a slightly spicier flavor. This recipe sounds just like something we called “mustard relish”, which was served on hot dogs.
I agree, this is a mustard relish. After helping the wife for many years making piccalilli, even I know the differance.
My dad loved Piccadilly relish. My grandmother used to make it. I don’t remember it being yellow though it did have mustard seeds not mustard powder. It was sweet, but had a kick to it, which was why as a kid I didn’t like it.
I agree.No mustard!
Always remember my Mom making this in the late summer. She added cauliflower to it for an extra crunch.
This is the summer issue on Food I remember so dearly. When my family moved from Massachusetts to Los Angles in 1976, my girls asked for several, especially Eclipse Coffee Syrup. They enjoyed Eclipse Strawberry Syrup also. Are they still in business?thanks for all the food memories. My mouth is watering!
Piccalilli relish sounds similar to what we have down here in PA Dutch country. Down here it’s called chow chow. I hated it when I was a kid. I don’t think I’d like it fifty years later either.