HOT ZUCCHINI RELISH

Steps:

• 1. Wash zucchini by spraying with white vinegar and rinsing in clean water.quarter long ways or make small enough to fit in your food processor chute. Using your food processor shredding attachment blade shread all your zucchini. Depending on the size of your zucchini will be how much you will have. I measure mine by pushing down hard and packing it in a measuring cup. I also add just a cup or two more depending on how much I have ground up. Set aside in a large bowl, I use a large plastic Tupperware bowl. I sprinkle a Tablespoon of my canning salt on the zucchini at this time.
• 2. With same food processor shredding blade on(I don't even wash or rinse it here) shred your onions and then after washing and taking the seeds out of your bell peppers shred them just like the zucchini. Put the shredded onions and shredded bell peppers in the same bowl with the shredded zucchini and sprinkle the other 2 Tablespoons of canning salt over them. You can also mix it at this point if you want. Then cover and place bowl in the refrigerator over night or at least 3 hours.
• 3. When ready to process take your veggie mixture out and place it in a colander. Wash the mixture several times in cold water to remove the salt. Then squeeze out as much water as you can from the veggies and set aside.
• 4. In a large stainless steal stock pot or kettle put your apple cider vinegar and sugar and all your spices EXCEPT the Clear-Jel.You will use the Clear-Jel later in recipe Bring mixture to a boil stirring to dissolve sugar. I usually boil it for about five minutes and then put in the zucchini mixture, when the spice and zucchini mix gets hot I take out about a cup of the liquid and mix in the Clear- jel with a whisk.If you have a large amount of liquid I suggest you use the 6 Tablespoons of Clear-Jel. I don't like my relish "juicy" so I always use the 6 Tablespoons. When the clear-jel is mixed I return the mixture back to the veggie mixture stir and heat it all thru about 5 minutes or so. At this point I also have my Boiling water bath canner on the stove and heating the water to boiling. I also have my lids and rings in hot water in a pan on low and my clean sterilized jars in the oven heating at 200 degrees.
• 5. Ladle or spoon relish mix into jars and use a wooden spoon handle press down inside the jars to get out all the air bubbles from the jars. Leaving 1/4 inch head space, wipe jar rims with a vinegar/water paper towel or dish cloth to remove sticky residue, place caps on jars and rings finger tip tight. Which is after you feel resistant 1/4 more turn. If you tighten the rings too tight they will buckle while processing. After you have filled all your jars place them in your Boiling water bath canner make sure water is at least one inch above your jars and when water starts to bubble and boil set your timer to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes shut off heat and take lid off canner wait 5 minutes before removing jars. Take a large sauce pan to hold under the jar you are removing from the canner just in case when the jar hits the cold air it could break and spill the HOT liquid over your feet. We did have one jar break yesterday and I was glad we had the kettle under it. Remove jars with a jar lift and place jars on towel to cool on a counter leaving at least 2 inches between jars and DO NOT tighten bands after taking jars out of bath this will break your seal. You should hear the ping as the jars are cooling telling you the jar is sealed. If after 24 hours you can push down on the top of the lid and it pops back up the jar is NOT sealed just put that jar in the fridge to use. If the jars are sealed you should remove the bands/rings and wash jars in mild luke warm soapy water rinse in cool water, dry and place on your canning shelf.