Homemade Relishes

In today's blog post, we're going to take a look at some recipes for delicious homemade relishes, and in order to do that, we first need to tackle the question of what a relish actually is and how it differs from a chutney. These two words are often used to describe the same thing, but there is a distinction to be made, which is worth exploring.

A relish can best be described as a tart or slightly sour preserve made from chopped or shredded vegetables or fruit, with vinegar, sugar, salt and spices.  A chutney, on the other hand tends to be a lot sweeter and is generally made from fruit, with vinegar, sugar and spices.  The origins of chutneys were as accompaniments to curry dishes, but these days , a good chutney might be served alongside a ploughman's lunch or a salad.  A relish, on the other hand , might be added to a burger or hot dog, or spread in a cold meat sandwich.  Chutneys can contain several different types of fruit, but relishes often stick to one main vegetable, or sometimes fruit.

Of course, it is really only semantics and it's not important whether you consider your homemade preserve to be a relish or a chutney, provided it tastes brilliant.  So, it's time to gather up some glass jars - clip-top jars are perfect if you have some to hand - and head to the kitchen for some relish recipes ....

Rhubarb Relish

Spring might seem a long way away, but before we know it, the rhubarb will be forcing its way to the surface and everyone will have a glut of it.  Here's the perfect recipe to make use of some of that rhubarb loveliness.

Ingredients:

• 260g of rhubarb
• 130g sugar
• Zest and juice of a large orange
• 2 small onions, chopped finely
• 100ml cider vinegar
• pinch of chilli flakes

Method:

Chop the rhubarb into chunks.

Combine all of the ingredients into a large maslin pan and bring to the boil.  Simmer for around 2 hours, until the mixture has thickened slightly, stirring from time to time to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan.

Pour into clean , sterilised glass jars and seal. 

This relish can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 weeks.  It's perfect for serving with fresh mackerel or with a good quality cheese board.

Red Pepper Relish

If you spot some sweet peppers on offer at the greengrocers, this is the perfect recipe and it's great to have to hand for burgers and roast beef sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 4 large sweet peppers ( red, orange, yellow)
• 1 litre of water
• 250ml white wine vinegar
• 125g sugar
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

Core and de-seed the peppers and chop them into ½ cm squares.

Pour the water into a large maslin pan and bring to the boil.

Turn off the heat and add the peppers, leaving them for 5 minutes. Strain the peppers through a fine sieve and set aside.

Add the vinegar, sugar, celery and mustard seeds and the salt to the empty maslin pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time to help the sugar dissolve.

Add the strained peppers and continue to simmer until the mixture has very little liquid left in it, this could take up to 20 minutes or so.  Spoon the relish into clean, sterilised clip-top jars and seal.  Chill in the fridge before serving.  This relish should again be kept in the fridge and will keep for around 3 weeks. It's great served on burgers and hot dogs and makes a fabulous barbecue accompaniment.

Courgette Relish

The memories of last year's glut of courgettes may still be fresh in your mind, but here's a great recipe that will help solve the annual courgette overload problem next season.

Ingredients:

• 800g diced courgettes
• 3 apples, chopped
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 500ml white vinegar
• 200g raisins
• 150g sugar
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp coriander

Method:

Add all of the ingredients into a large maslin pan and heat until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to the boil and then simmer until the mixture is thick, which will normally take around 20 minutes.  Pour into clean, sterilised glass jars and allow to cool before sealing.  Try it with sausages or in sandwiches.

As you can see, you can make a good relish from pretty much anything and it really is worthwhile exploring recipes to find something that suits whatever fruit or vegetable you have plenty of, or whatever your favourite thing is.  If you love beetroot and cauliflower, why not make a relish using those two vegetables combined?  If you prefer a fruitier accompaniment to cold meats and cheeses, have a go at a cranberry relish instead.

If you've made some spectacular relishes and you'd like to share the recipe with us, please do get in touch either via email, Facebook or Twitter,  as we'd love to hear from you.