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Four half-pint jars and a serving bowl of golden zucchini relish in a warm vintage kitchen.

Zucchini Relish

When late-summer zucchini piles up, this relish turns it into a glossy, sweet-tangy spoonful. Keep the green peel on for little flecks of color against the warm, spiced syrup.

By Betty Lou GardnerAbout 14½–18½ hours including salting and chillingUpdated 2026-08-22

This Zucchini Relish is sweet, tangy, and warmly spiced, with finely ground zucchini, onions, and red bell pepper simmered in a vinegar-sugar syrup until glossy. It works especially well on burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and summer barbecue plates.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

This is the recipe I make when the garden zucchini starts getting out of hand late in the summer. I leave the green peel on because the little green specks make the jars look prettier.

How to Make Zucchini Relish

◆
Chopped zucchini, onion, and peppers combined with salt in a large bowl.
01

Salt the Vegetables Overnight

Mix the finely ground zucchini and onions with pickling salt, then cover and refrigerate overnight to draw out extra moisture.

Salted vegetables squeezed dry in a colander over the sink.
02

Rinse and Squeeze Dry

Rinse the vegetables thoroughly, then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seed, turmeric, and seasonings simmering into the relish syrup.
03

Cook the Sweet-Tangy Syrup

Bring the vinegar, sugar, red pepper, celery seed, mustard, turmeric, nutmeg, and black pepper to a boil in a nonreactive pot.

Drained vegetables stirred into the hot syrup until glossy and tender.
04

Simmer Until Glossy

Add the drained vegetables and cook until tender and glossy, then stir in the cornstarch slurry for the final 5 minutes.

Hot zucchini relish ladled into clean glass jars.
05

Fill the Containers and Chill

Divide the hot relish among clean heatproof containers, cool promptly, and refrigerate or freeze. Do not store at room temperature.

Four half-pint jars and a serving bowl of golden zucchini relish in a warm vintage kitchen.

Zucchini Relish

When late-summer zucchini piles up, this relish turns it into a glossy, sweet-tangy spoonful. Keep the green peel on for little flecks of color against the warm, spiced syrup.

By Betty Lou Gardner

Prep45 minCook45 minTotalAbout 14½–18½ hours including salting and chillingDifficultyMedium
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Ingredients

Scale

Scaling note: Scaling is withheld until recipe-specific quantities, method safety, and instruction synchronization are verified.

Vegetables

Syrup & Seasonings

Instructions

  1. 10 cups zucchini, 4 cups onions, 5 tbsp canning or pickling salt
  3. 2 cups vinegar, 6 cups sugar, 2 tsp celery seed, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 red pepper
  4. Zucchini-onion mixture, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 tbsp cornstarch

Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)

Yield

About 6–7 pint jars or containers — Serving size: About 2 tablespoons

Calories
50
Carbohydrates
12.5 g
Protein
0.3 g
Fat
0.1 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
40 mg
Fiber
0.3 g
Total Sugars
12 g

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Betty Lou Gardner

Betty Lou Gardner

Betty Lou Gardner’s family recipes are preserved in Granny’s Recipe Box.

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