Vidalia Onion Relish

Vidalia Onion Relish

I taught a pickling class last night and brought along some of this relish for everyone to taste. It was, as always, a big hit. I used Vidalia onions, but any sweet onion will work. The relish itself has a nice balance of sour and sweet, with plenty of onion flavor. I use it on sandwiches, in potato and pasta salads and as an appetizer with cheese and crusty breads. It also makes a great gift. As you cook it down, the onions get quite tender, but actually crisp back up a little as the liquid cooks off.

Vidalia Onion Relish

6 qts.  ground Vidalia sweet onions (14 to 16 med. onions)

1/2 c. canning salt

1 qt.  cider vinegar

2 t. turmeric

1T. pickling spice

2 T. minced sweet pepper, any color

4 1/2 c. sugar

Grind enough Vidalia onions to yield 6 quarts.  Add 1/2 c. salt and let stand thirty minutes.  Squeeze juice from onion‑salt mixture and discard juice.  Sterilize canning jars.  To onions, add vinegar, sugar, spices, and pepper.  Bring to boil and cook for thirty minutes, stirring often.  Pack both onions and cooking liquid to cover in hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  Remove air bubbles.  Wipe jar rims.  Adjust lids.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  Yield:  About 8 pints or 16 half-pints.

Source: So Easy To Preserve