Pickled Pepper Relish

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I must admit to a deception. A small one to be sure, but a deception nonetheless. This condiment should actually be called calico relish, but I can't get the yellow or green peppers to show in the photographs I've taken. Rather than fuss, I've decided to rename the dish and what was once called calico has become pickled pepper relish. This is a wonderful way to use end of season sweet peppers. The relish is great with sandwiches and lovely with cream cheese. The recipe makes enough to guarantee you always have some around when you want or need it. The downside to this process is that you'll need a water bath canner to put this one by. If you need additional information about canning you can find it here. I don't freeze relish because I find it loses all trace of crispness when it thaws. Over the years, this has become really simple to make. I no longer do the chopping of vegetables by hand. The food processor is perfect for this task. I pulse the peppers until they have the same consistency as the cranberries that are used in Thanksgiving relish. I let them drain for a few minutes and then proceed with the recipe. If you like relish or chutney, I suspect you love this condiment. Here's the recipe.

Pickled Pepper Relish...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 sweet red peppers, chopped
2 sweet yellow peppers, chopped
2 sweet orange peppers, chopped
2 sweet green peppers, chopped
4 medium onions, finely chopped
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pickling salt

Directions:
1) Combine peppers, onions and 1/4 cup water in a large non-reactive saucepan. Bring contents of pan to a boil. Remove from heat, cover pan, and let sit for 5 minutes.
2) Drain vegetables and return to saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup each vinegar and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.
3) Drain vegetables and return to saucepan. Heat remaining 2/3 cup vinegar, sugar and salt in a separate saucepan, until sugar is dissolved. Add to vegetables and return mixture to a boil. Boil gently, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until liquid is reduced and vegetables are tender-crisp.
4) While vegetables cook, sterilize 4 half-pint jars and lids. Bring water in a water bath kettle to a boil.
5) Ladle hot relish into jars to within 1/2-inch of jar rims. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from kettle and let cool on a towel until jars are room temperature. Tighten lids and store in a cool dark place. Yield: 3-1/2 cups relish.

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Red Pepper Relish - One Perfect Bite