Fresh Tomato Relish is full of bright, sweet, and tangy flavors, making it irresistible! Serve it as an appetizer with crunchy bread and cheese or topping for grilled burgers, chicken, and fish. This simple no-canning recipe made with fresh vegetables is the perfect “something extra” that tastes like summer in every bite.
If you love the taste of fresh tomatoes, you’ve got to make Tomato Cucumber Salad, or Caprese Pasta Salad!
In This Post
There are just a few things in life, well, specifically food, that I’m willing to argue over. One of them is tomatoes. And if you’ve ever tasted a fresh tomato, picked off the vine while it was still warm, then you know just how good it can be.
This Fresh Tomato Relish Is The Best Because It’s
- Packed With Flavor – Fresh tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onion, and other flavor-packed ingredients are perfectly combined to showcase summer’s favorite fruit.
- Easy To Make – This relish requires just 8 ingredients, and no special equipment is needed. As a bonus, it does not require cooking, boiling, or canning.
- The BEST Homemade Condiment – Fresh Tomato Relish is good on almost anything!
Tomato Relish Ingredients
- Fresh Tomatoes – Use whatever size or kind you like Beefsteak, cherry, Roma, or other sweet and in-season tomatoes.
- Onion – You can use Vidalia or sweet onion.
- Jalapeño Pepper – I love adding a little kick to my relish, and jalapeno is perfect! If you don’t like spice, you can leave this out or add a little bit.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley adds a nice clean flavor with a little earthiness. Use flat-leafed parsley, not curly parsley.
- Sugar – A little white sugar helps to mellow out all the acid in this relish. Honey will also work.
- Red Wine Vinegar – This is how we quickly pickle the vegetables. Quick pickling means preserving something in vinegar. It will in the fridge for weeks but is not shelf-stable like traditionally pickled items.
- Salt & Pepper – Always taste and adjust to meet your taste preferences.
Donya’s Success Tip
When choosing a tomato, look for ones that do not have any dark spots or blemishes. The tomato should be firm and heavy for its size. Lastly, give it a little sniff! The tomato should have a fresh, bright aroma when you smell it near the stem.
Variations And Additions
- Try adding red or green peppers.
- For a sweet chutney-like version, you can add mango or pineapple.
- Add feta cheese and olives in place of jalapenos for a Greek-style relish.
- Herbs like basil or cilantro will be tasty if you don’t have parsley.
- You can use champagne or white vinegar instead of red wine for a slightly less robust flavor.
How To Make This Tomato Relish Recipe Using Fresh Tomatoes
- Finely chop the tomatoes, onion, and parsley.
- Remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño pepper using a knife or spoon, then finely chop.
- Add all the chopped ingredients to a bowl.
- Measure and add the sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Mix everything together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for one hour.
- After chilling, which allows the flavors to combine, put the relish into a pretty bowl or jar and serve!
Questions And Answers
Relish involves some type of pickling or pickling liquid, like vinegar. While salsa is tomato-based and just uses an acid like lemon or lime juice, this tomato relish combines the best parts of both!
Nope! The beauty of this fresh relish is that all you have to do is chop the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
This fresh relish will keep for about two weeks if stored covered in the refrigerator. Before serving, please give it a nice stir to blend any ingredients that might have settled.
Yes, if you want to serve it at a party, simply double or triple the recipe. It gets better (and spicier) the longer it chills, so you can make it up to 2 days in advance.
What Do You Use Tomato Relish For?
Now, here’s where the fun comes in! After making tomato relish the first time, my mind went crazy thinking of how I could serve it. Here are a few of my favorites:
- I love serving Fresh Tomato Relish as an appetizer. I toast some French bread slices and grab a wedge of good cheese. I place everything on a cutting board along with Sweet Heat Pickles and Salami Roll-ups and serve!
- Place spoonfuls on top of Air Fryer Hot Dogs, or burgers along with a drizzle of mustard for an unexpected pop of flavor.
- Spoon over grilled Pork Tenderloin or Easy London Broil.
- Top off a bowl of Instant Pot Pinto Beans with Fresh Tomato Relish. You won’t believe how good the flavor combination is!
Craving More? Try These Recipes
If you tried this Fresh Tomato Relish Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ cups finely chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup finely chopped Vidalia or sweet onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped jalapeños pepper with the seed and membrane removed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredient to a medium-size bowl. Stir to combine.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Remove relish from refrigerator, stir and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
5 Days of Fall Cooking
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Joann
This came out surprisingly great, I just almost doubled the recipe.
Tammy
Delicious and easy to make.
Thanks so much!
~Donya
Cheryl Timm
Can I can this relish in a water bath canner. I have tons of tomatoes.
If you are experienced with canning, give it a try. Let me know how it turns out.
~Donya
Terri
Hi can this recipe be canned in jars?
I’ve never tested or tried. Let me know if you do.
~Donya
Debbie
I added chopped celery and radishes for added crunch. I used 2 tbs red wine vinegar and 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar. It is yummy good!
Awesome! That should so good. Thank you for the outstanding rating.
~Donya
Sarah
Can this relish be frozen for enjoying during the cold months?
Also, have you ever added celery, I was thinking a half cup of finely diced.
Donya
Hey there Sarah!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe! I like the way you think, adding some chopped celery is a great idea, I’ve never tried that but I bet it would be delicious. This Tomato Relish can be frozen, but I will tell you it’s much tastier when it’s fresh, when you defrost it you’ll lose some of the vibrant color and fresh texture that make this dish so tasty. Thank you for your support, let me know what you think if you do give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it all turns out!
~Donya
Leigh Farrell
Could you use an aged balsamic vinegar? I am not good at changing up recipes so I wonder what you thought?
Donya
Hey there Leigh!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a good question! I use red wine vinegar because it’s a lighter, fresher vinegar, and it tends to complement the tomatoes very well instead of overpowering. I haven’t tried this recipe using balsamic vinegar, but I have seen other recipes for balsamic tomato relish, so if I were you I would give it a try but use two tablespoons instead of 2 1/2 tablespoons. Let me know how it turns out, I am very interested. Thank you for your support, I hope you have a great day!
~Donya
Connie Mazoka
Love this
I use to buy something similar from Costcobut I tried yours and I was sold,
Ver good
Donya
Hey Connie!
Thank you so much for your phenomenal rating! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, I think I’ve seen something similar at Costco too, but there’s nothing better than a homemade recipe. Thank you so much for your support!
~Donya
Anita Bell
How long will the relish last in the refrigerator.
Donya
Hey Anita!
That’s a great question! It will last in the fridge for about a week or two, it has a similar shelf life to homemade salsa. I hope this helps, let me know what you think of the recipe! I hope you have a great day!
~Donya
Margaret Marcotte
What could I substitute for jalapenos? I can no longer eat them. Guess I could just leave them out.
Donya
Hey Margaret!
That’s a great question! You can absolutely leave them out if you’re unable to eat them, or you could substitute Poblano or Bell peppers. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
Thanks for this recipe. It has my name all over it!
Julia