When my mother found out I was canning tomato relish she was so excited. Evidently, it was a favorite of her grandmother’s to preserve and it brought back many fond memories for her. Tomato relish is a great addition to so many of our meals. It is interesting that as a society we have gone away from so many of the lovely sauces and relishes we used to use and now we simply just use ketchup. While I am a fan of ketchup, I see no reason to limit myself. I would use tomato relish on anything I would use pickle relish or ketchup on, as well as, all different kinds of meat.
Tomato Relish
This recipe makes approximately 11 pints of Tomato Relish.
Ingredients:
13 pounds peeled, seeded, and chopped Tomatoes (See our video on blanching tomatoes if you have questions about that.)
1 c diced Celery
3 large chopped Onions
2 large chopped Sweet Peppers
2 c White Vinegar
1 1/2 c Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Mustard Seed
2 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Cinnamon
combine all ingredients
Cook the Vegetables:
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 2 hours until it is nice and thick.
fill jars
Canning Tomato Relish:
Fill the jars leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.
Place the lid on top of the jar and add the ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight and process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes if at sea level. Remember to adjust your processing time if you are above 1000 feet in elevation.
Tomato Relish
Once your tomato relish has completed processing, space the jars about an inch apart on a cloth on the counter for 24 hours to cool and completely seal.
If your jar did not seal, then place it in the fridge and use it immediately. Store the sealed jars in your pantry to enjoy for the next 1-3 years. After three years the nutritional value of canned food diminishes. The quality is best in the first year.
If you have any questions about canning with a pressure canner or how to adjust the pressure or processing time for altitude, take a look at our canning basics videos.
