Mustard Pickles & Spicy Red Pepper Relish

I really enjoy canning and putting twists on traditional family recipes. One of my favorites as a child was Mustard Pickles. The pickled cauliflower, red peppers, onions and cucumbers in the tangy mustard sauce was always a nice accompaniment at Sunday dinners of pot roast, mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables and home made rolls. This family recipe always immediately transports me back to my childhood. The recipe started out with my Great Grandma on the Craven side, and has been passed down through my Grandma Craven, my Mom who made these for my Dad, and now my generation. Just slight recipe adjustments. Gone are the measurements of "a half bushel of this, a handful of that" to more precise measurements of cups or quarts. But the end product still has the century old flavor that four generations have come to enjoy.



Prepping the vegetables for an overnight salt soak.



Starting the slow simmer of the vinegar mustard sauce.



Adding the spices and the flour to thickener for the right consistency.



A quick cook of the vegetables in the prepared sauce, prior to water bath processing.









I love the bright golden yellow color of the finished product. And I really love how home preserved food looks in glass jars.



I also was in the mood for a spicy relish of some sort for a condiment when we grill chicken sausages or brats. I like sweet pickle relish in small quantities, and prefer more the spicy version or savory version of relishes. I looked at some family recipes, and a few of my canning cookbooks, and came up with my own newer version. Swapping out the pickles for all red bell peppers. Omitting sugar, and adding more spice like hot sauce, poblano, ancho powder and lots of onions and garlic. The vinegar had to be adjusted so it could be preserved. And I put in a small amount of honey to give it a sweet bite. This turned out great. Just the right amount of heat during the initial taste.



The mound of vegetables, prior to prepping.



The easiest prep for vegetables is in a food processor. I love mine.






Cooking the vegetables down for a few minutes and adding the vinegar and spices to get ready to water bath process.









The finished product ready for my food storage shelves in the basement. And probably a few holiday gifts as well.



Loved how the multi-color red peppers looked in the jars post water bath. The bits of ancho chills suspended in the other pepper and onion mixture looks fantastic.



In my uptight urbanite nature, Holly is always so good to make me custom labels for all my canning projects so they can truly be 100% professional looking. Her graphic design talent, with my culinary talents always makes a superb combination. We are a fantastic team.



Another view of the custom labels.