Fruit Chili Relish

This relish is a slow-cooked jam of tomatoes, peaches, apples, onions, and sweet red peppers, reduced by half and then simmered again with pickling spices, sugar, and apple cider vinegar until thick and glossy. It bridges the gap between fruit chutney and classic chili sauce, landing somewhere sweet, tangy, and warmly spiced.

The two-stage cooking is what builds the depth. The first 90 minutes reduce the fruit and vegetables into a concentrated base, cooking off water and intensifying natural sugars. Adding the spice bag, sugar, and vinegar for the second hour transforms that base into a balanced preserve where no single flavor dominates.

Keeping the apple and peach skins on adds pectin that helps the relish set up thicker. The skins break down during the long cook but leave behind natural thickening power that you’d lose if you peeled everything first.

Chef Tips

• Stir often during the last hour. As the relish thickens, it’s prone to scorching on the bottom. A heavy-bottomed pot helps, but attention is the real insurance.
• Tie the pickling spices in cheesecloth. This makes removal easy and keeps stray whole spices out of the finished relish.
• Test for thickness by dragging a spoon across the bottom of the pot. If the trail fills in slowly, it’s ready. If liquid rushes back, keep cooking.
• Process in a boiling water bath for shelf-stable canning. Follow your jar manufacturer’s instructions for timing.

Variations

• Use pears instead of peaches for a milder, more honeyed fruit flavor.
• Add a few dried chili flakes to the spice bag if you want actual heat to match the “chili” in the name.
• Stir a spoonful over cream cheese and serve with crackers for an instant appetizer.