Easy recipe for homemade dill relish. Small batch canning recipe.
One of my favorite summer ‘secret ingredients’ is dill relish. It’s great for imparting a vinegary dill pickle flavor without having to do any chopping.
Potato salad, pasta salad, and tuna salad all taste better with a good dollop of dill relish. And I wouldn’t dream of making tartar sauce without it. So one year, when we had a bumper crop of cucumbers, I decided to make my own.
And I’ve never looked back.
Homemade Dill Relish is
- Flavorful with a nice dill and onion flavor
- Crunchy
- Easy to Make
This recipe makes shelf-stable dill relish. You’ll need some familiarity with water bath canning to safely make the recipe. If you’ve never waterbath canned before, check out this tutorial on water bath canning.
What Does Homemade Dill Relish Taste Like?
This recipe tastes like the best dill pickle you’ve ever had with a little onion and just a touch of sweetness—not too much sweetness. This relish is a vinegary, dill relish and not a sweet relish.
Ingredients for Homemade Dill Relish
Cucumbers: You don’t need to using pickling cucumbers for relish. If you’ve got them, use them. But any firm, unbruised cucumber works. Discard any cucumbers that show signs of mold. Clean the cucumbers thoroughly to remove dirt before using them.
Canning Salt: To prevent the relish from having a cloudy appearance, use canning salt. If you can’t find canning salt, replace it with an equal amount of Kosher salt.
Turmeric Powder: A little turmeric powder brightens the color of dill relish. It doesn’t really add much flavor.
Yellow Onion: Adds flavor. Use a firm yellow onion.
Granulated Sugar: This is not a sweet relish. The small amount of sugar adds a mild sweetness.
Vinegar: Gives the relish a tart flavor and acts as a preservative. Use white or cider vinegar with 5% acidity. Never adjust the amount of vinegar in a canning recipe.
The Eight Basic Steps for Canning Dill Relish
Making dill relish is easy but it does take some time. Here are the basic steps.
- Process the cucumbers. A food processor or food mill is required to finely chop the cucumbers.
- Salt and soak for two hours. Mix the chopped cucumbers with canning salt, turmeric, and cold water and soak for about two hours. This step flavors the cucumbers and draws out excess water.
- Rinse the cucumbers. After soaking, rinse the cucumbers to remove excess salt. Don’t skip this step or the relish will end up too salty. If you don’t own a fine mesh strainer, line a colander with cheesecloth or several coffee filters.
- Cook the Relish. Once the excess salt is removed, mix the cucumbers with chopped onion, sugar, dill seed and vinegar. Bring the relish to a boil and then simmer for ten minutes.
- Heat and Fill the Jars. Ladle the hot relish into clean, hot canning jars. If the jars are cold, they can crack.
- Prep the Jars. As with all canning recipes, you must remove air bubbles, wipe the lid, and apply canning lids and bands to each jar.
- Process. This recipe requires 15 minutes of waterbath canning. After placing the jars into the simmering water, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Star the timer only when the water reaches a boil.
- Check the Seals. Remove the jars from the water and allow to sit for 24 hours. After twenty-four hours, check the lids. If all the jars have sealed, wipe the jars and store them in a cool spot on the shelf. If any of the jars didn’t seal, store the jar(s) in the refrigerator and enjoy it immediately.
Homemade Dill Relish: The Steps Explained
Preparing the Cucumbers
Wash the Cucumbers. Wash cucumbers to remove any dirt. Then inspect them, discarding any cucumbers that have mold or questionable spots.
Trim Ends. Place the cucumber on a cutting board and trim off the ends. The blossom end is packed with enzymes that can make the relish soft. While you only need to remove the blossom end, it’s best to remove both ends for two reasons. First, it ensures you cut off the right end. And, second, you remove any hard pieces of stem.
Seed, if needed. If the cucumbers are small (or the seeds look small when you cut them in half) you don’t need to remove the seeds.
If you’re using very large cucumbers, cut them in half and remove seeds. To quickly remove seeds, run a small spoon down the center of the cucumber.
Don’t Peel the Cucumbers. To give the relish its characteristic color, don’t peel the cucumber before processing.
Chop Until Fine. Relish is chopped into small pieces before processing. Use a food processor or food and chop the cucumbers for this step.
Salting and Soaking
After chopping the cucumbers, it’s time to salt and soak them. A two-hour soak in cold water with a generous amount of salt and turmeric makes the relish flavorful, crunchy, and adds a great color.
Rinse the Relish
Since a generous amount of salt is used during the soaking step, the relish must be rinsed before cooking.
After soaking, drain the cucumbers in a fine mesh colander. (If you’re worried that your cucumbers are too fine for your stainer, line it with coffee filters.) Place the relish in the colander and rinse it with cold water.
Taste the mixture. If it tastes too salty, rinse for a few seconds longer.
Cook the Dill Relish
Place the rinsed cucumbers in a large pot. Add chopped onions, sugar, and dill seeds. Stir to combine. During this step, the kitchen smells like a pickle factory. I don’t mind this but, if you do, you might want to run a fan.
Fill the Jars
I think half-pint jars are the perfect size for dill relish. If you don’t have them on hand, use pint jars. The processing time remains the same.
Ladle the hot relish into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Use a ruler or headspace measuring tool to ensure you’ve filled the jars correctly.
Once you’ve filled the jars, remove air bubbles by running a bubbling tool around the sides of the jar. Wipe the lids with a clean damp cloth and apply the lids and bands until fingertip-tight.
Process Dill Relish
Using a jar lifter, carefully place the filled jars onto a rack in the pot of simmering water. The water should be about 180 degrees F.. The water should cover your jars by one to two inches.
Cover the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil. When the water reaches the boil, start your timer. Pints and half-pints of dill relish should be processed for 15 minutes.
When the processing time completes, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pot. Allow the jars to cool in the pot for five minutes. Allowing them to cool in the pot for five minutes helps to prevent thermal shock.
Lift the jars out of the canner and place on a dry towel. Allow the jars to cool for 24 hours. Do not touch the lids and bands during this time.
How to Store Homemade Dill Relish
After 24 hours, remove the bands. Test the jars to make sure they are vacuum-sealed. To do this, press down on the center of the lid. It should not move up and down. Wipe down the jars in case any leaked during processing.
Label and date the jars before storing them in your pantry. You can write directly on the lid or use an adhesive label.
Dill Pickle Relish
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pickling cucumbers
- ¼ cup canning salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 cups cold water
- 8 ounces yellow onions, peeled and stem end removed
- 2 ½ tablespoons (1 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dill seed
- 2 cups white or cider vinegar, 5% acidity
Instructions
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Prepare Cucumbers. Wash cucumbers. Cut off ends. If cucumbers are large, cut in half and seed. Do not peel.
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Chop Cucumbers. Finely chop cucumbers in a food processor or food mill.
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Soak Cucumbers. Place chopped cucumbers in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt and turmeric over chopped cucumbers. Stir to combine. Pour water over cucumbers. Stir. Cover and chill the mixture for two hours.
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Rinse Cucumbers. Place cucumbers in a fine mesh strainer. Drain. Rinse cucumbers with cold water. This removes the excess salt. Taste the mixture. If it tastes too salty, rinse again.
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Mix and Cook Relish. Peel and finely chop onion. Place chopped cucumbers in a medium pot. Add onions, sugar, dill seeds, and vinegar. Stir.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Fill Jars. Ladle relish into hot jars. Leave ½-inch headspace. Using a chopstick or canning tool, remove air bubbles, Wipe rim of jars and place canning lid on jar. Screw on the canning ring; fingertip tight. Place jars into boiling water. When water returns to a boil, process jars for 15 minutes.
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Cool Jars. Remove jars from the canner. Allow to sit for 24 hours. Wipe jars. Check lids for seal. Label and store for up to one year.
Basic Waterbath Canning Steps, Explained
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Prepare Jars. Wash jars and inspect for any cracks. Place a rack or silicone liner in the bottom of a large pot. Place empty jars in the pot. Fill with water. (Water should cover the empty jars by 1-inch.)
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Heat Water. Bring the water to a simmer. Heat jars for 10 minutes. This prevents the jars from cracking when you ladle hot relish into them.
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Fill Jars. When relish is ready, lift hot jars from the canning pot. Fill as directed.
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Heat Jars. Return jars to pot. Check that there is one to two inches of water covering the jars.
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Process Jars. Cover pot. Increase heat and bring water to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, start your timer. Process (boil) the jars for 15 minutes. Maintain a rolling boil for the entire 15 minutes.
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Cool Jars. After 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove lid from pot. Allow the jars to sit in the pot for 5 minutes. Then lift jars out of the canner and place on a dry towel. Do not remove band (ring) from jar.
As the jars cool, the lids might make a pinging sound.
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Check Jars. After 24 hours, remove the band, wipe the jars, and check the seal. If a jar has not sealed, place it into the refrigerator and enjoy within a few days. Sealed jars may be placed on a shelf. (The best storage is between 50 and 70 degrees F.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Notes
Cucumber: If you can't find small pickling (Kirby) cucumbers, use traditional cucumbers. If the seeds are large, remove before chopping.
Lisa D MANVILLE says
If I just have a few cucumbers left from making pickles and don’t really care about putting them in the pantry, how long would they last if I refrigerated the relush when the jars cool? I plan to cut the recipe in half.
Elizabeth says
This is a great question! If you don’t plan on processing the relish, it should keep in the refrigerator for about one month.
Elaine says
just made these ! they are tangy!
Charlain McDermott says
I made the relish 3 days ago. I chopped the pickles with old fashion crank meat grinder using the finest wheel which was a perfect size. Tastes great! There was about 1Tbs.remaing after filling 8 jars which I
tasted. It was an alternate way to use up our prolific cucumbers.This recipe is a keeper.
Kari Rude says
How long is the waiting time. Before opening a jar. Looks so good.
Elizabeth says
The relish can be eaten as soon as you’ve made it.
Tina Louise Cousino says
Not as good as I was expecting, given all the rave reviews.
Tami Kaiser says
I tried this recipe for the first time. It is delicious. My husband dosen’t usually like relish after tasting this one he has plans for me to add jalapeño to give it a bit of a kick. Thanks for for sharing.
Karen says
I wanted more of a chopped dill pickles. Will it be ok not to use food processor and just chop them?
Elizabeth says
Yes.
Karrie says
The flavor is incredible! I did use homegrown cukes and dill seed.
Marilyn says
Can minced garlic be added to relish? If so how much?
Elizabeth says
Since this is a canning recipe, don’t add garlic. It’s low acid and can make the relish unsafe since it’s not tested.
Pam says
This is the only answer I would add to. While I may not ADD gartlic to a specific recipe, I LOVE garlic and just for informational purposes, if you like garlic like I do, look around. There are many recipes, especially those using vinegar that include garlic and if processed properly, are perfectly safe.
Kari Rude says
I made these today and am wondering how long to wait to open and enjoy.
Elizabeth says
It’s ready to enjoy right away!
Sarah says
Is there no water added with the vinegar for cooking?
Elizabeth says
Correct. The relish is soaked with water and then rinsed. There’s no water added when cooking it.
Jodi says
Can I mix pickling cucumbers and regular cucumbers to make this?
Elizabeth says
Absolutely! The texture might not be as crunchy but it’ll still taste great.
Glenda says
I was given a nice size zucchini and was wondering if I could use it instead of cucumbers? I want it for hotdogs relish.
Elizabeth says
For safety, follow a recipe specifically made for zucchini. There are several available online if you search “zucchini relish.” Have fun!
Linda says
Will this work for making Dell pickels?
Elizabeth says
No. This is a relish recipe.
Donna says
Can you cut down on the sugar or can it be omitted ?
Elizabeth says
You can omit the sugar.
RedBlueSpice says
Eight ounces of onion. By weight? Or by volume?
I’m assuming by weight?
Elizabeth says
Eight ounces of onions by weight.
Brenda says
Just made this – oh my word – it’s a keeper – such simple ingredients with a taste that packs a punch! This will now go into recipes where I would normally add chopped dill pickles – potato salad, soup, etc.
Cheryl says
Is it possible to use a fruit steam center instead of a water bath canner?
Cheryl says
CANNER, not center!
Rain says
Just made this, but I added garlic and left it most of the sugar. This is the most amazing relish EVER! I will never buy relish again.
Thank you for the recipe that I will be paying on to all my kids and grandkids
Ava Johnson says
How did your relish last using garlic? I just made this last night and added garlic as well. Then read the comments about how garlic can make it unsafe? Just want to check and see about this. Thanks In Advance
Lynda Helland says
Can I use Armenia cucumbers. I have lots and lots. They went overboard.
Elizabeth says
Yes, I believe you can!
Sandy says
I do a lot of canning, but, I had never made dill relish before. I made it last week. I followed this recipe except for adding the onions and cucumbers together in the food processor and put both into the salt brine.
I opened a jar last night. WOW…it was good! Tangy dill. I’m a new fan of dill relish. I’m thinking on my next batch, I’ll eliminate a couple cucumbers and replace with a couple of jalapeno peppers to make it hot dill relish.
I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Linda says
Can you add red peppers to this also? If I have a canner and not water bath can I use that?
Elizabeth says
No. Peppers can’t be safely added to the recipe.
I’m not sure what you mean by a “canner.” Let me know and we’ll go from there!
Dan Stankiewicz says
Is the 4 lbs before or after seeding out? Trying to get rid of a few that were hiding. Sounds good!
Elizabeth says
Before!
Christine says
Hello, can this be frozen rather than water bathed?
Elizabeth says
No. I don’t recommend freezing this. It will be very watery.
Joni says
Can you leave overnight in fridge and then process it the next day?
patricia simkin says
Could you substitute fresh dill for the dill seed and if so, how would you use it.
Elizabeth says
Hi Patricia,
Good question! You can use fresh dill. If you’re using dill flower, use about 1 head divided between the two jars. For the fronds, you want about two per jar. I hope this helps!
Sarah says
Im finishing my second batch now. This is easy and delicious! I wont be running out of relish any time soon!
Bex says
Can this be pressure canned?
Elizabeth says
It’s not recommended. The relish would be very soft and mushy.