In most recipes that call for it that I'm familiar with it is primarily used for color - maybe a bit of pucker factor but not much - so you can safely leave it out if you wish. When we make sweet pickle relish we always leave the turmeric out.

Dave

I agree, it's mostly for color, but when I make sweet relish I nearly always put it in, LOL, because it doesn't look "right" without it.

Annie

Annie, You are right about not being the same without turmeric. I made pickled cauliflower today, using Ball Blue recipe. The color is beautiful. I got 5 pints from 3 med. heads. Today I bought 8 oz of turmeric, 11 oz mustard seed, 7 oz dill seed and 7 oz mixed pickling spices. I should be set for all my pickles and relishes in 2009.
You can substitute dry mustard if you don't like turmeric.

Thanks for the suggestions. I always thought it was for color too, but I have never liked recipes that have it in there.

Yeah Annie we know it doesn't look quite right but man does it taste good!! A drop of green food color also does wonders for sweet relish. There is just something about eating something yellowish-orange on my hot dogs that doesn't appeal. :^)

Dave

Dave, if you add green food coloring, does it come out that neon green color that pickle relish has in Chicago, the kind they put on a Chicago Dog?

Now THAT'S an unnatural color to be putting on my food but the girls always loved it and it HAD to be that color. The stuff on Chicago Dogs always reminded me of aliens. (grin)

My sweet relish isn't yellowish/orange, it's mostly green with some red peppers in it, the more red peppers I use the less green it is. That turmeric just adds a tint to the relish that Grandma's always had, so I use it because....well.....because that's what I've always done. Grandma was always right, you know. LOL

Annie

Turmeric is one of the "super foods" and should be incorporated as often as possible, not eliminated. I put it into every pot of soup, stew, or pasta sauce.
Jim in So. Calif.