Oscar Relish Recipe- Suprising Condiment!
Oscar relish is a new twist on traditional condiments. It might just become your new favorite. This peach-and-tomato-based recipe combines sweetness, tanginess, and a gentle heat, making it perfect with nearly everything—meat, fish, chicken, pork, and even eggs.
Unlike typical relish, this one leans more toward a chutney in texture and complexity. It’s a unique addition to your pantry that easily outshines bland ketchup or mustard.
What Is Oscar Relish?
Oscar Relish is a lesser-known recipe that should be in your pantry. It’s made with ripe peaches, fresh tomatoes, onions, and peppers, then simmered slowly with sugar, vinegar, and warm spices. The result? A versatile condiment that’s sweet, tangy, and just spicy enough to be interesting, not overpowering.
I originally discovered this recipe during peak harvest season when my kitchen was overflowing with peaches and tomatoes. After trying it once, I was hooked. While its origin remains a mystery (if you know where it came from, let me know!), the flavor is unforgettable.
Why You’ll Love This Peach-Tomato Relish
- Incredible Flavor: Balanced sweetness, acidity, and a touch of heat.
- Versatile Uses: Pairs beautifully with a wide range of dishes, from grilled chicken to scrambled eggs.
- Easy to Can: Perfect for preserving late summer produce.
- Chutney-Like Texture: Thick and hearty, great for spooning over dishes.
What You Need
- Peaches: Bring natural sweetness and a smooth consistency.
- Tomatoes: Add body and depth of flavor.
- Onions: Offer a savory balance.
- Peppers: Green bell peppers add a bit of a kick.
- Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar creates the signature tangy relish flavor.
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds a sweet, deep molasses flavor.
- Hot Pepper: Ground hot pepper adds a little kick without overwhelming.
- Pickling Salt: Salt brightens the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Pickling Spice: Pickling spice adds the traditional relish flavor.
How to Make it
Trim the cores from the tomatoes and remove any bruised spots.
Boil water in a large pot. Add tomatoes to the pot and blanch for 30-60 seconds until the skins crack.
Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and add them to the ice water bath.
When cool enough to handle, move the tomatoes to the cutting board.
Peel the tomatoes with your hands or a small paring knife. Chop them.
Set up the ice bath again for the peaches.
Score the blossom end of the peaches in an X shape. Carefully add them to the boiling water. Blanch for 30-60 seconds.
Remove the peaches with the slotted spoon to the ice bath.
Chop the tomatoes and peaches finely. Chop the peppers and the onions in a food processor to save time, if you have one.
Add all of the ingredients to the large pot. Bring the contents to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 1½-2 hours, until the relish reaches your desired consistency. Process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. (See the recipe card below for altitude adjustments.)
How to Can Oscar Relish
Get the canner water hot. Wash the jars and lids. Add the clean jars to the canning pot to heat. Once the jars are filled, add them to the canning pot. Bring the water in the pot to a boil. Once the water is boiling, set the timer.
When the processing time is complete, remove the pot from the heat, carefully open the lid, and partially lift it off the top of the canning pot. Let it rest like that for 5 minutes.
Then, remove the lid and let the jars rest in the canning pot for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
After resting, remove the jars onto a kitchen towel placed on your counter and let them thoroughly cool for 12-24 hours, undisturbed. You may hear the lids pinging sometime in the next hour. This is music to a canner’s ears. It is due to the reaction of the lids being sealed to the jar.
Check the seals. Press down in the middle of the lid. If it flexes up or down, the jar is not sealed and should be refrigerated and used first.
Then, remove the bands. Gently pick up the jar by the lid to check the seal further. Again, if it is not sealed, use it first.
Label jars with contents and the date. Store in a cool, dark place for at least a year. Avoid areas with large temperature fluctuations.
Do not stack jars on top of each other. This can compromise the seals. If you run out of room on your shelf, use a sheet of cardboard or a thin piece of wood and place that on top of a row of jars. Then you can put jars on top of that. This will distribute the weight evenly.
Before using any canned goods, always inspect the packaging and the food itself. Make sure that it looks and smells as it should. If it doesn’t, it’s best to err on the side of caution and discard it.
If you’d like the relish to have a bit more spicy heat, add more ground pepper.
More Delicious Condiment Recipes
- Ketchup
- Yellow Squash Relish
- Zucchini Relish
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Garlic Scape Relish
- Hot Pepper Relish
- Sweet Pepper Relish
Helpful Tools
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- Water bath canning pot
- extra large bamboo cutting board
- Canning tool set
- canning bands
- canning lids
- pint jars
- half pint jars
- ladle
Love to Garden?
If you enjoy growing your own produce, make sure you check out my How to Start a Garden series. It walks you through every step:
- Planning Your Garden
- Preparing the Garden Site
- Choosing Plants and Planting
- Garden Maintenance
- Harvesting and Preserving (includes 100+ free recipes!)
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Oscar Relish
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped fresh peaches ( about 12 large)
- 8 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about 12)
- 2 cups diced green sweet peppers (2 large)
- 1 tablespoon red hot pepper ground (1 pepper)
- 2 cups ground onions (about 6)
- 4 cups brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 2 cups cider vinegar (5%)
- 1½ teaspoons canning or pickling salt
- 4 tablespoons pickling spice tied in a cheesecloth bag
Instructions
- Peel and pit peaches. Chop into small pieces. Peel and chop tomatoes into ½-inch pieces. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and dice them into ¼-inch pieces. Peel onions and grind in a food chopper.
- Combine all ingredients in a 10-quart saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1½ to 2 hours, until it reaches the desired thickness.
- Pack the relish into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove the air bubbles and adjust the headspace if needed. Wipe the rims of the jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner.
- Variation — Use two small hot peppers if you like a hotter relish. For milder relish, substitute Tabasco to taste (½ to 1 teaspoon) for the peppers.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- 0-1000 feet 10 minutes
- 1001-6000 feet 15 minutes
- Above 6000 feet 20 minutes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something. See FTC Disclosure, here.
Originally published October 27, 2017. Updated June 21, 2025.
Overview
- Recipe Name: Oscar Relish
- Type: Condiment, chutney or savory fruit relish
- Main Ingredients: Fresh peaches, ripe tomatoes, green bell peppers, hot pepper, onions, brown sugar, cider vinegar, pickling spice
- Yield: Approximately 6 pints (192 tablespoons)
- Flavor Profile: Sweet, tangy, slightly spicy; alternative to ketchup or relish
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Preservation Method: Water bath canning
- Shelf Life: 1 year unopened; refrigerate unsealed jars
- Best Uses: Burgers, sandwiches, eggs, pork, beef, fish
- Spice Options: Use more hot pepper for heat or Tabasco for a milder version
- Special Features: Step-by-step photos available; small-batch canning recipe; made with peak summer produce
Mmmm. I love this relish!! I can just imagine how it tastes just by looking at your photos! I think it would be hard for me not to eat it all by the spoonful!
Thanks, Elaine! I think you would like it! It’s hard for me not to eat it by the spoonful!
This looks so good and easy to make too! I have to try this. I love how versatile it is.
Thanks, Luci! It is so good! Looking at it makes me want to make something so I can have it for lunch!
This looks delicious. I have always wanted to make my own relish!
It is really very easy! Give it a try! Thanks, Sandi!
This looks and sounds delicious! I’d love to have a big jar in the fridge ready to dress up burgers and who knows what else? Sorry if this is a silly question – is pickling spice something you can usually find at the regular grocery store? I don’t do much pickling or canning, so just don’t know where to find it!
You can find it in most larger grocery stores. I actually make my own. It’s just a bunch of spices you already have in your pantry! Great idea! I’ll do a post on that for you! Thanks Monica!
oh yum! I’ve never heard of this kind of relish but it sounds like a flavor party.
Yes, that’s pretty much sums it up! A flavor party! Thanks, Cheapskate!
It sounds delicious and is definitely something I think my little boy would love as he goes crazy for any type of sauce or ketchup variation.
It’s funny, some kids just gravitate towards ketchup! If he likes ketchup, he will like this! Thanks, Corina!
What a great sauce. Forget about ketchup, just have this Oscar Relish. I never use ketchup anyway. The story of this recipe probably is: a farmer called Oscar had so many peaches and tomatoes to use up that he came up with this recipe. Have you checked if you have a neighbour called Oscar?
Haha! You’re probably right Laura! Farmer Oscar! Thanks for checking it out!
This sounds so good! I would have never thought of pairing tomatoes and peaches! I bet it tastes amazing.
IT really is a surprisingly good combination! Thanks Nadja!