Old Mill Relish Recipe

This is a Taylor Family favorite, first introduced to them by some mountain men who belonged to the Old Mill Hunt Club that the boys used to hunt with. Patty Brookbank gave us the recipe. (Actually, there are two recipes, written on cracked, old index cards that I have in the form of a digital scan. This is the better one, call Run #1.)

This jar of relish was made from a half-batch of this recipe, but I used 2 c. jalapeños (and left the seeds in for heat), 6 c. sweet Italian frying peppers, and 2 c. green bell peppers. It turned out very nice!

Old Mill Relish (Run #1)
16 c. jalapeño peppers (cored, seeded, and sliced - use gloves)
16 c. onions, sliced
4 c. red bell peppers, sliced

1) Mix all of the above and sprinkle salt over the mixture. 
2) Boil enough water to cover, adding 4 Tbls. salt (canning salt, if available.) Pour over the pepper mixture, cover, and let sit 20 minutes.

7 1/2 c. vinegar
7 1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbls. mustard seeds

1) Combine and bring to a boil.
2) Drain peppers and onions, place in boiling vinegar mixture, and let boil until the color changes (10-20 minutes.) Sterilize the jars and lids.
3) Ladle into hot jars, wipe threads, and hand tighten. Turn upside down on a towel to seal.

Note:
- For crisper relish, don't boil as long.
- You'll need a 20qt (or more) stockpot and a very large bowl (or another 20qt stockpot) to hold all the pepper mixture.