Tangy Pepper Onion Relish

This pepper and onion relish jazzes up plain meals with a zingy mix of tangy kick and gentle sweetness. This go-to topping adds bright colors and lively flavors to your food, turning basic burgers and regular sandwiches into something special without much work but tons of taste.

I found this little gem when my garden peppers were about to get ruined by cold weather. What started as just trying to save my veggies turned into the condiment everyone asks for. These days friends swing by with empty containers, hoping to snag some of my fresh batch - that's when I knew it was a winner.

Vibrant Ingredients

• Bell peppers give you that sweet snap and gorgeous colors—try mixing different colored ones for a relish that looks as good as it tastes
• Onions bring deep flavor that perfectly balances the sweet notes—regular white ones work great but red onions add pretty purple streaks
• White vinegar delivers that classic pickle zing—its plain taste lets your veggies be the star
• Apple cider vinegar adds light fruit hints that soften the sharper tastes—plus it's got health perks that make you feel good
• Sugar cuts through the sour punch with needed sweetness—don't cut corners here, it brings everything together
• Mustard seeds create tiny bursts of texture and heat that brighten each bite—these little guys are must-haves
• Celery seeds offer a background taste that's tough to spot but totally needed—they're my hidden trick
• Turmeric gives warmth and that beautiful yellow color—with some health benefits thrown in
• Salt makes every other flavor better—I like kosher salt for its pure taste

Pin it

Easy Cooking Steps

Vegetable Prep

First, cut your bell peppers and onions super thin. I try to get onion slices you can almost see through and pepper strips skinnier than a pencil. Thin cuts let the liquid soak in fast and make sure every bite tastes fully pickled. Put them all in a big, heat-safe bowl while you fix the pickling mix.

Brine Creation

In a good pot, mix your vinegars, sugar, and all those tasty spices—mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if you want some heat. Get this mix bubbling, stirring until you can't see any sugar bits. The heat doesn't just melt sugar but also wakes up the spices, letting out all their best flavors.

Hot Pour Technique

When your brine is bubbling and all the sugar's gone, carefully dump this hot stuff over your cut-up veggies. The heat partly cooks the peppers and onions, making them soft enough but still nice and crunchy. Stir everything well so all slices get dunked in that golden juice.

Cooling Period

Let everything cool down on its own, giving it a gentle stir now and then. While it cools, the veggies start changing, soaking up all the yummy flavors from your spiced liquid. Don't rush it—good things are happening even if you can't tell yet.

Flavor Development

Put your cooled relish in clean jars and stick them in the fridge for at least a day before tasting. This waiting is super important—the flavors calm down, mix together, and get better during this time. What might taste too sour at first turns into a perfectly balanced topping after it sits awhile.

My father-in-law, who swears he hates pickled stuff, put this on his hot dog by accident last summer and now sneaks it onto everything he eats. When I caught him eating it straight from the jar with a fork, I knew I had a keeper. Now I make twice as much, knowing half will end up at his place in old jam jars that somehow go missing from my kitchen.

Tasty Ways to Use It

This colorful relish turns a basic grilled cheese into something amazing—just spoon some in before you close the sandwich. At BBQs, put it next to your regular toppings for hot dogs and burgers—you'll be shocked how many folks pick it over ketchup. I love putting a big scoop on top of a bagel with cream cheese for a quick lunch that feels fancy without any real work.

Fun Twists to Try

Play around with different peppers—maybe throw in a jalapeño or two for some mild heat, or swap half the bell peppers for fennel bulb to get a surprise licorice taste. For Christmas time, add some cranberries and orange peel to the basic mix for something that goes great with turkey or ham. In summer, I sometimes mix in fresh corn cut right off the cob during the last five minutes it sits for sweet little pops of texture.

Storage Tips

Keep your relish in clean glass containers with good lids in the fridge, where it stays fresh for up to two weeks—though at my house it never lasts that long. The taste gets even better while it sits, so it's totally fine to make it a few days before you need it. Don't store it in metal containers since the vinegar can mix badly with some metals and mess up the flavor.

Pin it

Smart Cooking Tricks

• Try a mandoline for super even, skinny slices that pickle perfectly all through
• If you're making it as gifts, boil the filled jars for 10 minutes so they can stay on a shelf
• When the veggies are gone, save that leftover liquid—it makes killer salad dressing

My grandma used to whip up something like this relish every summer, but her recipe was lost when she passed away. I tried for years to match those flavors from memory, and this version finally nailed that special taste from my childhood summers. When my mom tried it, she got real quiet for a second, looked at me with teary eyes and just said, "You found it." Now it's become my own family tradition, linking different generations through some simple peppers, onions, and spices.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ How long does it stay fresh in the fridge?

It keeps up to two weeks when stored in airtight jars in the fridge.

→ Can I mix different bell pepper colors?

Sure thing! Using multiple colors like red, yellow, or green makes it visually appealing and adds variety to the flavor.

→ Can I make this safe for canning?

This one’s mainly for the fridge! To can it properly, you’ll need to follow food safety procedures for canning.

→ What happens if I cut down on the sugar?

You can cut it, but sugar balances out the vinegar’s sharpness. Try reducing by half first and tweak to taste.

→ What should I pair this relish with?

Use it on everything from burgers and sandwiches to cheese platters, grilled meats, or in your salads. Super versatile!

→ How can I make this milder?

To cool things down, skip the chili flakes. It’ll still taste amazing without heat!