Onion Relish

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Adapted from So Easy to Preserve, this simple onion relish is sweet, tangy, and a great way to preserve onions in a shelf-stable form. Enjoy it on burgers, sausages, or stirred into your favorite picnic salads.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Canning Time10

Total Time40

Course: Relish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: onion relish

Servings: servings, 5 half pint (8 oz) jars

Equipment

Water Bath Canner

Ingredients

8 cups onions thin sliced or diced (about 2½ lbs whole onions)
1½ cups white vinegar 5% acidity, or another vinegar such as apple cider at 5% acidity
1 cup sugar
1 tsp canning salt
½ tsp mustard seeds optional

Instructions

Peel onions and cut them in half. Slice thinly or dice into ¼-inch pieces, depending on your preference.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the onions and blanch for 4–5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Prepare a water bath canner, jars, lids, and rings.
In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds (if using). Bring to a boil.
Add the blanched onions and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Use a slotted spoon to fill jars with onions, leaving ½-inch headspace. Ladle hot brine over the onions, maintaining headspace.
Debubble jars, wipe rims, and apply two-part canning lids.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude).
Let jars rest in the canner 5 minutes before removing. Cool for 12–24 hours and check seals before storing.

Notes

This is a great small-batch relish recipe for using up a few extra onions, especially toward the end of the season when your storage onions need to be used. Blanching the onions ensures they don’t overpower the brine, and it also helps soften the texture for better eating right out of the jar.

Feel free to play with the spices. The mustard seed is traditional, but not essential. You can omit it, double it, or swap in celery seed or fennel for a twist. Just don’t adjust the vinegar, salt, or sugar—they’re there for both flavor and safe preservation.

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