Hot Pepper Relish

 My 2020 garden is a wonderful success!  All the vegetables I needed for this relish were grown in my backyard and there is more to come... My version of this recipe is more 60% sweet peppers and 40% hot peppers (jalapeños, poblanos, habaneros, etc,)  I used the Kitchenaid dicer attachment to quickly prep the peppers and wore my Covid mask over my nose and mouth to protect me from the hot pepper fumes (finally a great use for the mask :-) )

My best taste taster (my son Alex) confirms that its pretty hot.  I will let the jars sit for a few weeks before testing them again.

To make approximately six 500ml jars.

Ingredients

5 cups         green or red bell peppers (About 7 to 8 peppers, or 3 to 4 pounds before grinding or dicing)

5 cups         mixed hot peppers (About 3 to 4 pounds before grinding or dicing)

1-½ cups    onion (3 medium yellow onions, 2.5 to 3 inches diameter, before grinding or dicing)

2-½ cups    cider vinegar (5%)

2 cups        sugar

4 tsp           pickling salt

4 tsp          mustard seed

Directions:

CAUTION:  Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers.  If you do not wear gloves, hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes. 

Wash and rinse pint or half-pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to fill.  Prepare lids and ring bands according to manufacturer’s directions.

Wash bell peppers well; trim to remove stems and seeds.  Slice stem end from hot peppers; grind or dice the peppers with seeds. Peel, core and wash onions.  Cut peppers and onions into large pieces. Coarsely grind peppers and onions or dice (I use the Kitchenaid dicing attachment to prep all the vegetables)

Measure 5 cups of the ground/diced bell peppers with their juice, 4 cups of the ground/diced hot peppers with their juice, and 1-1/2 cups of the ground/diced onion, including juice. Combine the measured peppers and onions with the remaining ingredients into a large stockpot.  Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching. 

Fill the hot relish into prepared hot pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. If needed, remove air bubbles and re-adjust headspace to ½-inch. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel.  Adjust lids and bands. 

Process in a boiling water canner or steam canner for ten minutes.