If you’ve ever made pickles before, homemade pickle relish will be a cinch. If not, it’s a great way to get started with preserving cucumbers.


Homemade Pickle Relish: How to Make Simple Sweet Relish

The word “relish” can refer to a wide variety of condiments including [chow-chow](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-chow-chow-recipe), hot relish, and chutney, but in the United States, it almost always refers to pickle relish. Pickle relish is a jam-like condiment made from either pickled cucumbers or fresh cucumbers seasoned with vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. Like [chutney](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-chutney-and-6-easy-chutney-recipes) and chow-chow, it’s fruity, acidic, and adds flavor to bland foods.

Pickle relish is made in much the same manner (and with the same ingredients) as pickles. The main difference? The cucumber pieces are much, much smaller.

1. __Cucumbers__: For the best homemade pickle relish, start with fresh garden cucumbers. If your cucumbers are on the older side, revive them by soaking in cold water.
2. __Spices__: Common relish spices include mustard seed, celery seed, and dill seed.
3. __Peppers__: Red or green bell peppers are typical for dill relish.
4. __Vinegar__: Use apple cider vinegar for a fruitier flavor, or use distilled white vinegar for a cleaner flavor. 
5. __Sweetener__: Some sort of sweetener is a must for sweet pickle relish. Make your homemade relish with sugar or honey.
6. __Salt__: Pickling or canning salt is superfine and dissolves quickly in liquid.
7. __Onion__: The other key difference between relish and chopped-up cucumbers is the addition of onion—almost all pickle relish recipes include onion for a sharp sweetness.

You can serve your homemade pickle relish as a condiment alongside hot dogs and hamburgers, but you can also use it as an ingredient in:

1. __Potato salad__: Relish is one of the key ingredients in classic potato salad, along with mayonnaise, mustard, celery, and bell peppers.
2. __Deviled eggs__: Relish absolutely belongs in deviled eggs and egg salads, where it adds tang to an otherwise bland dish.
3. __Russian dressing__: Russian dressing is similar to Thousand Island sauce, and at its most basic, it’s a combination of ketchup, [mayonnaise](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-mayonnaise-learn-how-to-make-foolproof-homemade-mayonnaise), and relish. If you’re feeling ambitious, try making all three components from scratch.

If you’ve ever made pickles before, homemade pickle relish will be a cinch. If not, it’s a great way to get started with preserving cucumbers.


The word “relish” can refer to a wide variety of condiments including <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-chow-chow-recipe' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-chow-chow-recipe","linkCopy":"chow-chow","category":null}'>chow-chow</a>, hot relish, and chutney, but in the United States, it almost always refers to pickle relish. Pickle relish is a jam-like condiment made from either pickled cucumbers or fresh cucumbers seasoned with vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. Like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-chutney-and-6-easy-chutney-recipes' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-chutney-and-6-easy-chutney-recipes","linkCopy":"chutney","category":null}'>chutney</a> and chow-chow, it’s fruity, acidic, and adds flavor to bland foods.

What Is Relish?

Pickle relish is made in much the same manner (and with the same ingredients) as pickles. The main difference? The cucumber pieces are much, much smaller.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Cucumbers: For the best homemade pickle relish, start with fresh garden cucumbers. If your cucumbers are on the older side, revive them by soaking in cold water. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Spices: Common relish spices include mustard seed, celery seed, and dill seed. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Peppers: Red or green bell peppers are typical for dill relish. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Vinegar: Use apple cider vinegar for a fruitier flavor, or use distilled white vinegar for a cleaner flavor. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Sweetener: Some sort of sweetener is a must for sweet pickle relish. Make your homemade relish with sugar or honey. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 6. Salt: Pickling or canning salt is superfine and dissolves quickly in liquid. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 7. Onion: The other key difference between relish and chopped-up cucumbers is the addition of onion—almost all pickle relish recipes include onion for a sharp sweetness. </li></ol>

What Is Pickle Relish Made Of?

You can serve your homemade pickle relish as a condiment alongside hot dogs and hamburgers, but you can also use it as an ingredient in:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Potato salad: Relish is one of the key ingredients in classic potato salad, along with mayonnaise, mustard, celery, and bell peppers. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Deviled eggs: Relish absolutely belongs in deviled eggs and egg salads, where it adds tang to an otherwise bland dish. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Russian dressing: Russian dressing is similar to Thousand Island sauce, and at its most basic, it’s a combination of ketchup, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-mayonnaise-learn-how-to-make-foolproof-homemade-mayonnaise' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-mayonnaise-learn-how-to-make-foolproof-homemade-mayonnaise","linkCopy":"mayonnaise","category":null}'>mayonnaise</a>, and relish. If you’re feeling ambitious, try making all three components from scratch. </li></ol>

4 Ways to Use Pickle Relish

Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish Recipe

If you’ve ever made pickles before, homemade pickle relish will be a cinch. If not, it’s a great way to get started with preserving cucumbers.