Turn those big boats of overripe cucumbers into a zippy cucumber relish to enjoy in hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, and as a condiment to any grilled or roasted meat. This easy relish combines the cucumbers with onions and apples to make a delightfully sweet 'n tangy relish - mustardy and tangy and just right.
It's that time of year again - the garden is a glorious riot of overgrown lushness. We just can't keep up with it all. We've had such a hot summer we actually had to water our garden for the first time in years just to keep everything alive. Well, the garden not only survived, it thrived!
We even had a cucumber year, and I was able to make my easy oven dill pickles again. Carrots, potatoes, and beets are as big as my fists, zucchinis produced an army of green soldiers hiding under the leaves, pumpkins are actually ripening to a rich orange right on the vines, several hundred pounds of tomatoes have been picked that keep ripening daily, and everything is lush and green.
We put up a deer fence this year, and those rude and unwelcome visitors had the audacity to keep on returning until we added an extension on top of the fence to raise it another foot higher (over 6 feet high), and then finally, plugged a hole in the fence where they were sneaking in under the apple tree branches. We could finally say 'Gotcha!' and enjoy the fruits of our garden labours. I admit, we are not friendly hosts who like to share with those pesky deer (in fact, we do even enjoy a spot of venison occasionally 😉 )
The cucumbers showed how they were related to zucchinis this year - they did that blimp thing when I wasn't looking! I left them a few too many days without checking under the vines, and there they were - big, yellowing, bloated balloons of cucumber boats, hiding cheekily under the vines.
Don't Throw out those Overripe Cucumbers!
The best thing to do when you have a box full of big ole overripe cucumbers, is to do a Rumpelstiltskin and turn them into gold! Tangy golden pickle relish that is.
What you need to do is scrape out the seeds (they make the relish too watery), grind up the crunchy flesh (the food processor makes easy work of it), along with some onions and apples.
Soak 'em with salt to draw out the excess juices, then add vinegar and sugar and a few good seeds and spices - you've got the zestiest condiment. It'll turn an ordinary hot dog or hamburger into something special. Spread it onto a sandwich to make it come alive, or add a big spoonful of it next to cold cuts, or grilled or roasted meats to perk them right up.
I love it when we have a good cucumber year! Now I've got rows of dill pickles lining the basement shelves, and a good stash of this tangy cucumber relish to enjoy all winter long.
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Pickle Relish Made with Overripe Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 8 large overripe cucumbers about 7 lbs/3.2 kg total weight (16 cups when peeled, seeded, and cut into slices)
- ¼ cup (70gms) pickling salt
- 2 large onions 400gms total weight, peeled
- 2 large apples 400gms total weight, unpeeled
- 1½ cups (300gms) sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon celery seeds
- 3 cups (720ml) distilled white vinegar
- 1½ cups (360ml) unsweetened apple juice, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Peel all but one of the cucumbers (the peels can be tough, so you only want a bit of peel in there to provide flecks of green colour). Cut all of the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut the resulting cucumber boats in half again lengthwise, then crosswise into ½-inch (1 cm) slices. You will need 16 cups of slices.
- Pulse the cucumber slices in a food processor until they are chopped to fine chunks (but not too fine, or they will become mush); however you prefer them for relish. You will need to do it in batches. Dump the ground cucumbers into a large plastic, enamel, or glass bowl (salt can corrode some stainless steel if left in it overnight). Add the pickling salt, stirring it in to the cucumbers.
- Cut the onions into chunks and process them to similar sized small chunks. Stir them into the cucumbers.
- Quarter and core the apples (leave the peel on) and process them to similar sized chunks. Stir them into the cucumbers right away, making sure they are well combined and stirred into the salty juices so they don't get brown.
- Let the salted mixture sit out on the counter for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- In the morning, pour the mixture into a large colander and let it strain for 30 minutes. Don't press on it. Dump the strained mixture into a large heavy-bottomed stock pot (discard the liquid strained out).
- Add the sugar, turmeric, ginger, white pepper, mustard seeds, celery seeds, vinegar, and 1 cup (240ml) of the apple juice.
- Stir together the remaining ½ cup (120ml) of apple juice and the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
- Bring the relish mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook it for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Stir up the cornstarch slurry (which will have settled) and pour it into the relish, stirring to disperse it evenly. Bring the relish back to a boil.
- Ladle the hot relish into hot sterilized pint (500ml) or half-pint (250ml) canning jars, filling them to within ½ inch (1cm) of the top. Run a butter knife down the sides to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth, top with the hot, sterilized snap lids, screw on the lid rings so they are finger tight (only as tight as you can get them using just your thumb and index finger).
- Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool, and store in a cool dark place. Leave the relish to age for at least one week before using it, to allow the flavours to mature.
- Makes 6 pints plus a little left over to keep in the fridge for eating now.
Notes
Guten Appetit!
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Vicki
This relish is delicious. I don’t like store-bought relish but didn’t want to waste my big cucs. It is so good and easy to make. I did add a clove of garlic
Margaret
Thanks so much for the feedback. Garlic would add a nice little note to the relish.
Haley
Is there a type of apple you recommend using? Green vs. red?
Margaret
I have used green Granny Smith apples and tart, firm apples (like Honeycrisp) and found both worked well. I have never used a full red apple, but they might be good, too.
Chris
Are you using frozen condensed apple juice?
Margaret
I just use regular, unsweetened apple juice, not from concentrate, but the kind made from frozen condensed would also work fine. Or even fresh apple cider.
Audrey
This is a great recipe, thanks so much!
My cucumbers were very overripe and bitter, but I peeled deeply and chopped generous ends off. I salted overnight without the apple and onion just b/c if it was still quite bitter this morning I was going to compost the lot. It had some bitterness, but not as bad as yesterday, so I took the plunge and finished the recipe. It's beautiful, and delicious. It's clear you're an experienced pro. Much gratitude!
Margaret
That is great to hear! Your instincts with the cucumbers were right on, and you salvaged them despite their bitterness! So glad it turned out well. Thanks so much for your feedback. Happy canning😍
Lesley Janke
Thank you Margaret for inspiring me to use up those old cucumbers I'd been accumulating in my fridge! I didn't have quite enough, so supplemented the recipe with a zucchini and a couple of peppers. Used Harcourt apples from my tree, and apple cider vinegar instead of apple juice. The relish is delish!!
Margaret
Those tweaks sound so delicious, Lesley! Thank you for the feedback. It always feels good to make something yummy out of garden produce that might otherwise not get used, doesn't it? Happy autumn!🍂