Friend and cookbook author Debbie Moose shared this recipe with me, with this comment: “Friends and I get together each summer to make dozens of jars of this relish, which we’ve dubbed ‘Crack Cocaine Relish’ for its addictive qualities. People go nuts over it and beg for more. I think it’s because it’s not too sweet, not too tart, and doesn’t have cabbage, which I don’t like in a relish or chowchow. It’s great on turkey sandwiches, burgers, or cooked beans or in deviled eggs.”
3 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 pounds zucchini, cut into strips
3 large red bell peppers, cut into strips
3 large green bell peppers, cut into strips
4 small cayenne peppers or 1 large hot banana pepper, seeded and quartered
2 large onions, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Use the food-grinder attachment of a stand mixer or a hand-crank meat grinder to grind together the tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, and garlic. Don’t use a food processor because it will purée the vegetables.
Place the vegetables in a nonmetallic container and sprinkle with the pickling salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, place the mixture in a large colander over the sink, rinse well, and drain thoroughly. Combine the vinegar, sugar, thyme, and pepper in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the vegetables and return to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Ladle the mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Follow the instructions for boiling-water canning on page 10. Process the jars for 10 minutes. You can enjoy this relish immediately, but it’s better after sitting a couple of weeks.