Zucchini Relish

I love to take advantage of seasonal vegetables and fruits.  This time of year zucchini is so plentiful, whether its in your own garden or in the grocery store.  This zucchini relish is a delicious stand in for your traditional pickle relish and is a great way to use up all that zucchini!

credit:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/diekatrin/4804570158/

• 12 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled
• 3 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
• 5 tbl kosher salt
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 6 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp dry mustard

1. Place shredded zucchini and chopped onion in a large non metallic bowl and sprinkle with 5 tablespoons of salt.  Gently mix, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, place zucchini and onion in a strainer and rinse with water.  Squeeze out excess water and set aside.  In a large pot and add the pepper, sugar, vinegar, nutmeg, turmeric, celery seed, pepper and dry mustard.  Stir well so its combined, add in the drained zucchini and onion.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, simmer 30 minutes.
3. While the mixture is simmering, sterilize 7 one pint jars and their lids.  Once mixture is done simmering, fill each jar with the relish, making sure there are no air pockets.  Screw on lid hand tight.
4. Place jars into a water bath canner and fill with water covering the jars by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil and process 30 minutes.  
5. Remove jars from pot and place on a cloth covered surface and allow to cool.  Once cool, ensure each lid is sealed tight (you should hear a "pop" from each lid).  Any jars that did not seal properly should be kept refrigerated.