The pickle relish I like is more on the sweet side. Some serve a dog with a wedge of dill pickle. Prefer dill on a burger.

I did find 1 recipe on Bernadin website that said to peel, but their Chow Chow recipe specifically says not to peel. Maybe most recipes you don't peel, but is it personal preference?

I'm going to have to grind these since they've been in the fridge a while, also have a few slicers to throw in. The slicers have not done well all summer, have some big in the middle and skinny/shriveled on the end, incomplete pollination? Though we have plenty of bees and wasps. I might need to seed those.

Depends - a thin skinned, mild tasting cucumber like Diva I don't peel. Picklers or Marketmores I do, but I usually just take off strips of peel, rather than trying to get it all off. I eat cucumbers that way, too. I kind of like the stripes :-)

All my cucumbers are shriveled on the blossom end. But we less than an inch of rain from July 4 until the day before yesterday. We couldn't water them enough to plump them out evenly.

Most of mine are Little Leaf, those are filling out fine. Lack of rain hasn't been a problem here (except the past week - hoping for some tonight, and expecting some over the holiday weekend).

I just don't know if they get bitter as they sit, I don't mind it when they're fresh.

The others are a mix of Bush Champion and Straight 8 - I forget which are which. 1 plant is totally dead, I have to pull it b/c tomorrow is trash day (also 1 zuke looks like SVB did it in, others are looking OK even with some PM they've perked up in the dry weather - though it started last week with some heavy dews).

It's already getting sticky out there even though it's only 77 - I have to finish pruning tomatoes to get the foliage in the trash.

At least tomorrow should be cooler (today will hit 88 with "feels like" temp of 93). I'll get to the relish then (spent last night blanching and freezing green beans and will have more to do tonight - have been sitting in the fridge since Monday).

I have no idea what the relish in the big containers (Heinz I believe) at the stadium is like but probably dill?

It is sweet pickle relish. That is the most common kind seen at public locations and the one used most frequently on hot dogs and such. But it isn't as sweet as sweet pickles.

It is easy to make, NCHFP and BB has a good recipe for it that is almost identical to the Heinz recipe. And no you don't normally peel the cukes just scrub them well. Or you peel in strips as Malna mentioned as you need at least some of the peel for proper texture. It is an ideal way to use up older cukes as any bitterness isn't apparent with all the other seasonings.

The others you mention, especially dill relishes, are very different flavors from the Heinz relish put out for use on hot dogs.

Using relishes and chutneys open a whole new world of wonderful flavors for meats and sandwiches and salads. Hard for us to get along without them in out house.

Dave

I was surprised to see DH eating a sweet relish! The NCHFP recipe does for Dill Relish that says it's like commercial hot dog relish doesn't have any sugar in it, so maybe it's not that sweet. I just have to buy some red bell peppers because we're a long ways from having ripe peppers here (I did get 1 tiny ripe Hinkelhatz the other day). I could use the chile peppers b/c he likes spicy stuff, but we don't often eat hot dogs.

I'd rather make something you can eat as a side dish like piccalilli or chow chow. I cook rather plain b/c DD is a picky eater, we put sauces and stuff on the plate (though DH does BBQ and leaves sauce off her meat). The 3 of us liked the BlueberryChipotle Chutney I made from malna's recipe.

I'll make a few half pints of hot dog relish for DH, but I think I'm going to use most of these along with squash, peppers, and green beans picked this weekend for Linda Z's Piccalilli. I've also got some huge green catfaced tomatoes I just picked (low-hanging fruit, figured why bother letting them ripen or get chewed on by some critter).

Oh, can I get another set of eyes on this, I want to write down the measurements for about 6 half pints of the NCHFP Dill Relish, so divided original amounts by 7 then multiplied by 3 and rounded up/down depending on whether it was acid or low-acid (salt can be slightly less, we don't like things salty). Thanks

Original (makes 7 pints):

⢠14 cups chopped pickling cucumbers (about 5 pounds pickling cucumbers as purchased)
⢠2 cups chopped red bell pepper
⢠5ý cups cider vinegar (5%)
⢠3 teaspoons dill seed
⢠6 cloves garlic, minced
⢠5 tablespoons pickling or canning salt

To make just about 6 half pints divide by 7 and multiply by 3:
⢠6 cups chopped pickling cucumbers (about 2 pounds pickling cucumbers as purchased)
⢠3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (or jalapeno? All I have is green which won't be as pretty)
⢠2 1/3 cups cider vinegar (5%) (or increase to 2.5?)
⢠1 - 1.25 teaspoon dill seed
⢠2.5 cloves garlic, minced (about 1.25 tsp, I'd probably just use 1tsp)
⢠6.5 tsp pickling or canning salt

Can I throw in some mustard seed, maybe cut dill and garlic to 1 tsp each and add 1 tsp mustard seed?

I wasn't talking about the Dill Relish. The NCHFP recipe for hot dog relish - the one like Heinz - is the sweet one. So if you want to match what was at the Ball Park that is the one to use. None of the dill relish recipes on hot dogs or brats are at all good IMO.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Pickle relish

Oh, thanks Dave! I read "Not exactly the same, but close to purchased dill pickle relishes!" and figured the other recipe was the "heinz" one.

Hmm, since DH doesn't like sweet pickles do you really think the Pickle Relish will be good for him? The rest of us don't eat relish on our dogs at all. Though 2C of sugar for 9 pints isn't bad...esp. with 6C of white vinegar (I'd probably use ACV). Again, I'd divide everything by 3 since that makes 9 pints and I think I should make 6 half pints at most in case he doesn't like it (and maybe I should only make 3 half pints the first time?).

All I'm saying is if you want to duplicate the Heinz pickle relish used at the ball parks then that is the recipe to use. Can't say if he will like it or not but if he liked the one at the ballpark then he will like this one.

Have you ever tried pickle relish on a hot dog? If not then you are missing out. :)

Dave

I will have to ask him. I've been running kids around since 3. Good thing about that recipe is that it requires sitting overnight so I may start it. I like just mustard on my dogs I prefer dill pickles on the side. Bit maybe I'll try it.

Finally home and I just want to go to bed (got up at 4:15). I'll do relish tomorrow. 1 more question (it may be answered already but I'm too tired to search). I don't have an old fashioned meat grinder, would coarse shred disk on Cuisinart work or maybe pumpkin screen on Victorio? Thanks and good night.

Oh, just looked at the procedure and ingredients again and have another dumb question. The recipe calls for 3/4C salt, 8C of water and 4C of ice. The procedure says

"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. "

So put the whole 3/4C salt into 4C of water with the 4qt (or so) of veggies and 2C of ice, or 8C of water and 4C of ice (and then don't measure the ice water the 2nd time, just cover, or at that point I won't have 4C of ice left in freezer so just use whatever I have)?

I don't want this to turn out too salty by putting all that salt in half the water called for if I'm reading this incorrectly!

I would use the 8 cups of water, the 4 cups of ice and the salt the first time, then drain and use whatever amount of water and ice you need to cover the vegetables for the second soak. That second soak should leach out the excess salt. But I'd taste it after the second draining, and rinse it under cold running water if it still tasted too salty.

Thanks - since I'm cutting this in 3rd, it didn't take too long to chop 1 quart of cukes and 1/3C of onion. I had some serranos so minced 1/3C of those, added 1/4C salt and 4C water to my 8C Pyrex and an off now to pick a few sweet peppers (alas no red ones and I forgot to stop at the store last night when I was in town). Once I get those chopped up and in there I'll add the ice. I forgot to cut the water in 3rds b/c I didn't write it down so put in 4C instead of 2 2/3C so I hope that extra 1 1/3C for the soak doesn't cause a problem. Should I use less ice (4/3C = 1 1/3C, use just 1 C or enough to cover the top so the salt isn't TOO diluted) and stick it in the fridge? Add more salt (3/4C to 8C water, divided in half is 3/8C to 4C water minus the 1/4C I put in so add 1/8C more salt)?

Yeah, I'd probably add the extra salt. I don't think it matters about the ice - that firms the vegetables. Good idea about putting it in the fridge. The ice won't melt quite as fast and add too much water.

OK, just picked some peppers and added, I'll add the extra 1/8C salt too. Now to find room in the fridge...