Spicy Texas Cucuzza Pepper Relish Recipes

Steps:

• Finely chop cucuzza, onion, bell peppers and jalapeños. (This can be a time consuming step, so I use my Pampered Chef food chopper).
• Place cucuzza, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños in a large mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle pickling salt over cucuzza mixture and stir well to combine.
• Let cucuzza mixture sit on the counter at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Thoroughly rinse cucuzza mixture in a strainer under cold running water.
• Use a wooden spoon to press the veggies against the side of the strainer to drain as much water as you can.
• Place drained cucuzza mixture in a clean bowl.
• Let sit on the counter for an additional 15 minutes, then drain again to remove excess water.
• In a large stockpot, combine vinegar, sugar, Thai peppers, celery seeds, cayenne pepper, turmeric and black pepper.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove Thai peppers from pot and discard.
• Add chopped cucuzza mixture to the stockpot.
• Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
• In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch; mix to dissolve.
• Pour cornstarch mixture into stockpot and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour into sterilized canning jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Wearing rubber or latex gloves, trim tops off chiles. Working in batches, pulse chiles, bell peppers, and onion in a food processor until chopped into fine bits, about 1 minute per batch. Transfer to a nonreactive 3-quart pot.
• Stir sugar, vinegar, and salt into chile mixture and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring more frequently toward end of cooking to prevent scorching, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Pour or ladle relish into clean, wide-mouth, half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Apply clean lids. Enjoy immediately, store in fridge 2 to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months.

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely chop zucchini, using an on/off motion.
• Put zucchini in a large bowl.
• Finely chop onions in food processor.
• Add to zucchini in the bowl.
• Remove seeds from, and finely chop peppers by hand.
• Add to bowl.
• Sprinkle everything with salt.
• Stir to blend.
• Let stand 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Drain off liquid.
• Rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
• Drain, pressing out liquid.
• In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, dry mustard, celery seed, pepper, and turmeric.
• Bring to a boil, stirring.
• Add the drained zucchini mixture.
• Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until thickened and zucchini mixture is tender.
• Combine water and cornstarch.
• Add to zucchini mixture.
• Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until clear and thickened.
• Seal in sterilized bottles and process in a water bath for 5 minutes.
• How I sterilize bottles: Wash bottles well in hot soapy water.
• Dry them.
• Put a cookie sheet in the oven, with the bottles on the cookie sheet, right side up.
• Heat oven to 225F.
• Leave bottles at this temperature for 10 minutes.
• Turn off oven.
• Leave bottles in there until you need them.

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind the garlic for 1 second. Coarsely chop the celery, hot peppers and red bell pepper and add them to the garlic. Pulse again. Add the chopped herbs and pulse to a medium coarseness. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the vinegar and salt. Cover and let stand overnight before packing into jars. Refrigerated the sauce will keep for 3 weeks. This relish tastes best when allowed to sit for 3 days before serving.

Steps:

• Grind or otherwise process peppers and onions into finely chopped, even mushy, consistency.
• Cover with boiling water and let stand 10 minutes.
• Drain well.
• Save juice to add to vinegar mixture if needed to cover vegetables.
• Add sugar, vinegar, celery seed and salt.
• Boil 15 minutes.
• Pour into sterilized canning jars and seal.