I found the recipe below online whch sounds similar to what you call 'Miner's Relish.' It sounds good, but for my tastes, I would cut the sugar WAY down and maybe swap out carrots for celery (personal preference, and for the color). And the recipe doesn't include mustard, so you'd have to add that, too.

Good luck--Gina

Sweet Sour Kraut Relish
Submitted by elizabeth, ashland, mo

2 pounds sauerkraut, washed
1/2 red pepper, chopped about 3/8 '
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped about 3/8 '
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
2/3 cup vinegar ( I like cider vin. but I'm diff)
1/3 cup water

Wash sauerkraut, chop vegetables and put all in non-aluminum bowl.

In a non-aluminum saucepan combine sugar, salad oil, vinegar, and water.

Without RACING, bring ingredients in pan to a low boil. Remove immediately and pour over vegetables and kraut in bowl. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

Great sweet relish, even for the kraut-impaired.

Country Cookbook , 150th Goshen Church Anniversary, 1837-1987.Jane Lew, WV.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious

This recipe cannot be safely canned. It conatins oil, and in an amount that is well above the safe levels.

That sounds like a lot of oil and way to much sugar for me.

How about a good sauerkraut recipe??

I would like something that can be canned, what if you left out the oil altogether? I would add the carrots too instead of the celery.

Linda

There are several recent posts about the making of sauerkraut. Suggest you do a sech (at the bottom of the thread pages).

I've never tasted Miner's Relish, so can't help on that score, but if you do a search on Google of "Sauerkraut Relish" rather than the specific brand name, you'll find all kinds, many of which seem to come close to what you want. If you find something, let us know.

There are a lot of sauerkraut relishes that are safely can-able. They are without oil and include the general ingredients you list. You can safely reduce sugar. Many of the old recipes were heavy in sugar because the vinegar was much stronger.

If you see a recipe that comes close, but you do have some changes in mind beyond the amount of sugar, post here. There are significant limits on what you can safely do.

Carol

Ok, I may be going a little relish-crazy over here (having just made nine pints of Vidalia relish), but I decided to try my hand at a version of the "Miner's Relish" that Linda inquired about. I started with a half batch of the recipe that I posted above, but made some adaptations to suit my tastes. Now of course I KNOW that it cannot be canned with the oil in it, and I have also taken the sugar way down, so maybe Carol or other safety experts on this board can offer canning advice. But as I suspect that this will last a long, long time in the fridge, and as I plan to put it on a lot of grilled burgers and dogs in the near future, I had no intentions of canning it anyway.

Gina's Sauerkraut Relish

2 pounds sauerkraut, washed (and chopped if the pieces are very long)
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped (you can use all red pepper if you prefer, but the different colors are pretty)
1 medium onion, chopped (I used a Vidalia)
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
2/3 cup vinegar (I used white but cider would be good, too)
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground celery (or celery salt)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
good pinch of salt (omit if you used celery salt)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Wash sauerkraut, chop vegetables and put all in non-aluminum bowl.

In a non-aluminum saucepan combine sugar, salad oil, vinegar, and water.

Bring ingredients in pan to a low boil. Remove immediately and pour over vegetables and kraut in bowl. Add seasonings, mustard, and parsley and stir gently to combine. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

Linda, if you try this, let me know how it compares to the original Miner's Relish. --Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious

I forgot to say, though I think it was implied, that you'd probably be fine leaving out the oil altogether (although I like the mustard vinaigrette effect of it myself). Also, if you like a sweet relish, you can take the sugar up to a cup or even a cup and a half as the original recipe calls for. And a full recipe is going to make about 2 quarts or 4 pints.

I just took my jar out of the fridge and gave some to my roommate to sample. Her exact words were, "You know I don't even like this kind of thing, but this is delicious! Go and put it on something right now, and let's eat it!" Tee hee. I'm feeling some grilled sausages with faux Miner's Relish coming on for dinner!

--Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious (a food blog)

Ok, third post in a row--this is getting ridiculous. But I've had a few more thoughts about the relish. First, I think I'd up the fresh parsley to two tablespoons because the green looks so pretty in there. Also, I really don't see the need for the water in the recipe--it just dilutes flavor. I love vinegar, so I think next time, I'll omit the water and up the vinegar to a full cup.

Finally, a review of the finished product. We did indeed have grilled smoked sausages on toasted buns with sharp cheddar cheese, chopped Vidalia onions, and a generous amount of the sauerkraut relish. Oh my goodness, was it YUMMY! Just thought you might like to know...

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious (food blog)

For Gina's recipe. NO OIL of any kind should be used. Even a half cup is way to much for any safe canning recipe..

That is correct. If you read carefully, you will see that I clearly said that it was a NON-CANNING recipe, unless you leave out the oil. And even that, I'm not sure about (Carol, your thoughts?).

Regardless, the recipe says to REFRIGERATE the finished product--it says nothing about canning. Just to clarify...

--Gina

I've done some searching, especially on .edu sites (Extension agencies and such) but haven't found any canning recipe for Sauerkraut Relish. That doesn't mean it isn't out there. If we did some real digging something might come up.

I also looked in "Joy of Pickling" and old cookbooks like "Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook." Nothing.

But maybe it's best to look at it from another angle. This is a relish based on what for most people is already a canned product (sauerkraut). The other ingredients are available year-round and in small enough amounts that even items like the peppers are affordable. It's easy to make, can be adjusted to taste, keeps beautifully in the fridge, and has a nice crisp texture. So why mess with a good thing?

Canning isn't always the best option. True, you can buy it commercially processed, but they have equipment, preservatives and lab facilities not available to us. Not only that, but I'm betting the homemade refrigerated relish tastes miles better.

Carol

I should have mentioned there's an energy cost also. In this case you'd essentially be "re-canning," which means using jars, lids (expensive) and utilities (expensive), not to mention time, to process something which already has a processed product as its base.

Carol

{{gwi:884244}}

Just thought folks might like to see the finished product--pretty, eh? And tasty!

I will probably put this on my blog later today, but I wanted you folks to be the first to see the "Miner's Relish" in all its glory. :-) --Gina

P.S. Thanks for your wise words, Carol. You make a lot of sense!

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindsey's Luscious