Use rubber gloves when chopping spicy peppers.
Pepper relish is a condiment used in countless recipes. There are spicy spreads that perfect Italian-style submarine sandwiches; sweet pepper relishes that go well with hot dogs and hamburgers and many other applications. Most recipes call for a mixture of red, yellow and green bell peppers. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Variations
Purdue University's Consumer and Family Sciences Extension recommends using specific peppers for different styles of relish. The traditional pepper relish relies on bell peppers and pimentos. Banana peppers, Bells and Hungarian peppers can form the base of a sweet, pickled relish. Hot relish will contain jalapenos and chili peppers. Pickled pepper relish relies on red, yellow and green peppers.
Preparation
Many recipes require you to remove the skin of large peppers. To remove pepper skins, fill a bowl with cold water, and set an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slit the skin of the pepper in two or three locations. Remove the peppers from the oven when the skins blister. Immerse in cold water and slip the skin from the pepper. This is difficult and usually unnecessary with small peppers. Heat intensifies the spiciness of hot peppers.
Selection
Select peppers that are clean and free of obvious signs of disease -- no blemishes, dark spots or rot. If peppers develop blemishes, cut them away. According to the Agriculture Extension, you'll use about 1 lb. of peppers for each 1 pt. of relish. This is something of an advisory guideline, because many recipes call for a larger share of other ingredients, such as garlic or onions.
Recipes
The simplest pepper relish recipe comes by way of the "New England Cookbook," published in 1912. Take 12 red and 12 green peppers, and 14 medium-size onions. Chop them and put them in a dish. Pour boiling water on top and let stand for five minutes. Drain and repeat. Then, boil for 10 minutes and drain again. Add 3 tbsp. of salt and a teacup (between eight and 10 tbsp.) of sugar and 2 cups of vinegar. Let stand for one hour before serving.
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