Vidalia Onion Relish Recipe
🕒 Cook Time: 40 minutes
🕒 Prep Time: 1 hour
🕒 Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
🥘 Recipe Category: Vegetable
🔍 Keywords: Weeknight, Canning, < 4 Hours
👨🍳 Yield: 8 pints
Description:
Indulge in the delicious flavors of Vidalia Onion Relish with this delightful recipe. Perfect for those busy weeknights or for preserving in jars for later enjoyment, this relish is bursting with sweet and tangy goodness. Whether you’re using it as a condiment, topping, or ingredient in your favorite dishes, this relish is sure to elevate any meal!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Vidalia onions, finely ground
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 spice bag (containing spices of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 can (4 ounces) pimientos, drained and chopped
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
Instructions:
-
Prepare Onions: In a large glass bowl, combine the finely ground Vidalia onions with salt. Allow the mixture to stand for 30 minutes, allowing the salt to draw out excess liquid from the onions.
-
Drain Liquid: After 30 minutes, squeeze out the liquid from the onions using a cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Discard the liquid and set aside the drained onions.
-
Cook Onion Mixture: In a large stainless steel or enamel pot, add the drained onions along with vinegar, sugar, spice bag, turmeric, and chopped pimientos. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
-
Boil and Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture frequently to prevent sticking or burning.
-
Sterilize Jars: While the relish is simmering, prepare your jars for canning. Wash them thoroughly with hot, soapy water, then sterilize them by boiling in water for 10 minutes.
-
Fill Jars: Once the relish has cooked down and thickened, carefully ladle it into clean, hot sterile jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each jar to allow for expansion during processing.
-
Process Jars: Using a canning funnel, if available, fill the jars with the relish, ensuring there are no air bubbles trapped inside. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a damp cloth to remove any residue.
-
Water Bath Canning: Process the filled jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes if you’re at altitudes up to 1000 feet. Adjust the processing time if you’re at higher altitudes according to USDA guidelines.
-
Cool and Store: After processing, carefully remove the jars from the canner and place them on a clean towel to cool completely. As the jars cool, you may hear the lids “ping,” indicating a proper seal. Once cooled, store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
-
Enjoy: Serve your homemade Vidalia Onion Relish alongside your favorite dishes, such as burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, or as a flavorful addition to salads and appetizers. Share with friends and family or save for yourself to enjoy throughout the year!
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 659.7
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 7092mg
- Carbohydrates: 161.2g
- Fiber: 7g
- Sugar: 133.1g
- Protein: 4.5g
Tips:
- For added flavor, customize the spice blend in the spice bag according to your preferences. Some popular options include mustard seeds, celery seeds, peppercorns, and cloves.
- Ensure your jars are properly sterilized before filling them with the relish to prevent contamination and spoilage.
- When filling the jars, use a canning funnel to avoid spills and ensure clean jar rims for a proper seal.
- Label your jars with the date of canning for easy reference and rotation of your homemade relish stock.
- Experiment with different onion varieties for unique flavor profiles. While Vidalia onions are traditionally used for their sweetness, you can try other sweet onion varieties or even mix in some red onions for added color and depth of flavor.
