Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: Half-pints or pints
- Headspace: 1/2 inch
- Processing: 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; use the source/card’s altitude adjustments above 1,000 ft.
Tested/documented source
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Pickle Relish — NCHFP. The source and recipe card remain authoritative for quantities and processing.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare jars, canner, produce, and measured ingredients.
- Chop the vegetables, salt and ice them as directed, drain thoroughly, then cook with the tested vinegar-and-spice mixture before hot-packing.
- Fill jars, adjust headspace, process for elevation, and cool undisturbed 12–24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- Half-pints or pints with compatible lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter,
canning funnel, and bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients uniformly.
- Cook the full tested mixture as directed.
- Hot-pack evenly and maintain 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process using the documented altitude schedule.
Safety essentials
Use commercial white vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Preserve the tested vegetable, salt, sugar, vinegar, and spice proportions.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
A tested hot-pack pickle relish for half-pint or pint jars.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient before cooking, confirm your elevation, and prepare only one tested batch at a time.
Altitude-adjusted processing
10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; use the source/card’s altitude adjustments above 1,000 ft.
Maintain a full rolling boil throughout processing; restart timing if boiling stops.
Pickle relish — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 3 qts chopped cucumbers
- 3 cups each of chopped sweet green and red peppers
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 3/4 cup canning or pickling salt
- 4 cups ice
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 tsp each of mustard seed, turmeric, whole allspice, and whole cloves
- 6 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Add cucumbers, peppers, onions, salt, and ice to water and let stand 4 hours. Drain and re-cover vegetables with fresh ice water for another hour. Drain again. Combine spices in a spice or cheesecloth bag. Add spices to sugar and vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour mixture over vegetables.
- Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Heat mixture to boiling and fill hot into clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in
- Processing: Process Hot, Half-pints or Pints, boiling-water canner, 0 - 1,000 ft - 10 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: Table 1. Recommended process time for Pickle Relish in a boiling-water canner. / Process Time at Elevations of / Style of Pack - Jar Size - 0 - 1,000 ft - 1,001 - 6,000 ft - Above 6,000 ft / Hot - Half-pints or Pints - 10 min - 15 - 20
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Use as a condiment with sandwiches, burgers, beans, salads, or cooked dishes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the jar size?
No. Use only the jar sizes documented by the tested source.
Can I change the vinegar, fruit, vegetables, or sugar?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable
Recipe context
This is a tested shelf-stable relish, not an interchangeable refrigerator relish or fermented pickle.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar; do not store it at room temperature.
Liquid loss: Allow jars to cool undisturbed, then inspect the seal and food before storage. Discard spoiled product without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: National Center for Home Food Preservation. Editorial organization changes only; the tested formula and safety requirements remain in the recipe card.