Cherry Pepper Relish Recipe

A white bowl filled with vibrant Cherry Pepper Relish, with a spoon inside, sits on a beige napkin and a blue wooden surface.

This cherry pepper relish recipe is a quick chopped, sub shop style condiment, ready in 10 minutes with no cooking. Tangy, garlicky and spicy, perfect on hoagies, hot dogs and eggs.

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Chill Time1

Course: Condiment, sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cherry pepper relish recipe

Servings:

Calories: 19kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

16 ounces hot cherry peppers jarred and drained (reserve the brine - about 10-12 cherry peppers)
2 tablespoons reserved brine from the pepper jar
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar red wine vinegar is good, too
2-3 garlic cloves grated or finely minced
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil optional
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano optional

Instructions

Drain the hot cherry peppers and save 2 tablespoons of the brine. Pull off any stems. For medium heat, scrape out some of the seeds/innards. For a hotter batch, leave them in.
Pulse the peppers in a food processor 5 or 6 times until finely chopped but still chunky, or hand dice them small. You want a relish texture, not a paste.
In a bowl, combine the chopped peppers with the reserved brine from the pepper jar, white wine vinegar, garlic, grated or finely minced, sugar, and salt to taste. Stir in the olive oil and dried oregano, if using.
Taste and adjust. Add a pinch more sugar to round the heat, a splash more vinegar to brighten, or more salt to season.
Transfer to a clean jar, cover, and chill at least 1 hour, ideally overnight, so the flavors meld. Then pile it on subs, hoagies, hot dogs, burgers, eggs, and more.

Notes

Makes about 1.5 cups.

Heat ladder:

MILD - use mild or sweet cherry peppers, or seed the hot ones fully.
MEDIUM (default) - hot cherry peppers with some seeds left in.
WILD - leave all the seeds/innards and add a diced hot Italian long pepper or half a habanero, or stir in a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce.

Storage: keep it in the fridge in a sealed jar and use within 2 to 3 weeks. This is a refrigerator condiment, not a canning recipe as written.

Nutrition