"Hellish" Hot Pepper Relish

Like many folks, I like spicy food. In fact, for me, the hotter the better. I'm talking the kind of "hot" that makes you cry, sweat, and think twice about what you just did to yourself. Why, I don't know, but as a kid I remember drinking a bottle of Texas Pete and thinking it was one of the best things ever (I'm pretty sure it was a dare, but that has to be where it started).

So, about 10 years ago when I was introduced to pickled habanero relish, it was somewhat of a life changing experience. I fell in love with the stuff and honestly would eat it on anything and in everything.

I loved it so much, it made me want to attempt to make my own (this is actually the main reason I started gardening). So, the following spring I started from seed, a mix of Jalapeno's, Serrano's, Biggie Chili's, Habanero's, Scotch Bonnet's, Tepin's, and Cayenne peppers.

For me, it was off to the races and after a few months of watching my little garden grow (25 plants), I made my first attempt at relish and it was a success!!! It was a painful mix of the hottest peppers I could get to grow and to me, not only was it "Hellish" (literally), it was fantastic.

Since then, I am never without a jar in the fridge and yes I still eat it on everything. So, when I was making my most recent batch, I thought why not share...(I generally love to share my relish and will give a jar to anyone who asks).

The recipe is fast, easy, and makes some seriously tasty hot pepper relish.

* You can also substitute all of the hot peppers for sweet peppers and make something the kids can enjoy.

A Basic Set of Canning Tools with:

• Wide-Mouth Canning Funnel
• Jar Lifter
• Magnetic Lid Lifter
• Bubble Remover/Headspace Tool.

* I say this is optional, because I canned for years prior to buying a basic set of canning tools. They are helpful, but not 100% required.

I have used the same brine pretty much since I started making relish. The base is very very versatile and can be flavored with a number of spices or herbs to your own personal taste. In fact, for several years, it was all I used for my pickles.

It's based on a 1 cup batch, so it's easy to adjust depending on how much you intend to make. For this, I made a 4 cup batch (which I split between relish and pickled tomatoes, 2 cups each).

Ingredients:

1 Cup of White Vinegar

1/2 Tablespoon of Granulated Sugar

1/2 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon of Pickling Salt

The last few years, I've also added the following Spices (based on a 1 cup batch):

1/8 Teaspoon Dill Seed

1/8 Teaspoon Mustard Seed

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper Corn

1/8 Teaspoon Celery Seed

1/4 Teaspoon Chopped Garlic

Once everything's measured out, combine all of the above ingredients in a medium sized pot. Bring to a rolling boil, and reduce the heat to medium. Strain the brine through a fine mesh strainer and return the liquid to heat. Now the brine is ready for pickling.

* You can wrap your spice mix in cheesecloth to avoid having to strain your brine or you can leave it loose. I do both, depending on the batch.

My relish recipe is really very simple and consist of only hot peppers that I have on hand, nothing else. This years batch has Jalapeno's, Serrano's, Thai Chili's, Red Habanero's, and Cayenne (I'm still waiting to see if the jolokias are going to fruit).

Take approximately 2-3 cups of your favorite peppers (seeds and all) and in a food processor, pulse until you have a nice evenly chunky, peppery mix.

* You can also finely chop the peppers if you don't have a food processor handy.

Hot Water Bath Canning vs Refrigerator Pickling is a tough decisions and should be based on your goals. Either of these methods will render you with a fantastic batch of "Hellish" relish. The biggest difference comes down to how much you are making and storage.

If you are planning on long term storage, you can follow the directions here, "Hot Water Bath" Canning - The Basics. It's a very straight forward method of canning and allows you to store the relish for 1-2 years. It's is a bit more time consuming and does require a large canning pot, but I find it to be well worth it, especially for large batches.

If you are going with the Refrigerator Pickle method, simply wash the lids and jars thoroughly with hot soapy water, dry, and set them aside until needed.

Now that the peppers are processed (or chopped) and the jars/lids are prepped, it's time to fill them.

Using a Wide-Mouth Canning Funnel, spoon the hot pepper mixture into each of the jars, leaving at least a 1/2" of room at the top.

Ladle in the pickling brine, being sure to leave at least a 1/2" of headspace.

Insert the Bubble Remover/Headspace Tool and gently move it around the inside of the jar, to release any bubbles.

Finally, wipe the rim of each jar, to make sure they are clean prior to sealing the jars.

Apply the top to the jar and lastly, apply the ring and tighten to seal.

If you are going to go with the Refrigerator Pickle Method, You're Done!!!!

Allow the jars to cool on the counter and then store in the refrigerator for 1-3 weeks.

If you've decided to go with the "Hot Water Bath" method to seal your "Hellish" Relish, using the "Jar Lifters" place the jars back into in the hot water bath and put the lid back on the canning pot. Process for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool on the counter over night (12-24 hours).

When you hear the lids start to pop, you'll know you have a solid seal!

Store in a cool, dry place until you're ready to taste test and devour!

I hope you've enjoyed this Instructable, on how I make "Hellish" hot pepper relish!!! Happy Pickling!