Recipes

[rondell]

Homemade Pickle Relish
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

* Active time:25 min
* Start to finish:4 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups finely chopped cucumber (about 3 Kirby cucumbers)
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon water

Directions:

* Toss cucumber and onion with 3/4 tsp salt in a sieve set over a bowl and drain 3 hours. Discard liquid from bowl. Wrap cucumber and onion in a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

* Bring vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cucumber-onion mixture and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir cornstarch mixture, then stir into relish. Simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer relish to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 1/2 hours.

Cooks’ note: Relish keeps, chilled, 1 month.