Pickle relish, sweet

Sweet pickle relish is the finely chopped, vinegar-sweet condiment stirred into tartar sauce, mixed into deviled egg filling, or spooned onto hot dogs, corn dogs and burgers for a crunchy, tangy contrast to the meat. It is also folded into tuna salad, egg salad, coleslaw and potato salad to add texture and a bright sweet-sour note without needing fresh cucumbers on hand. Made from chopped pickled cucumbers, sugar and vinegar, its texture stays crisp even after sitting in the jar for months, unlike fresh pickles which soften once cut and left in a mixture.

A tablespoon (about 15 g) carries roughly 19.5 calories, 4.4 g of sugar and 122 mg of sodium, so a spoonful or two adds flavor to a sandwich or salad without much caloric cost, though the sodium adds up if used generously across a whole batch of a recipe. Store the jar in the refrigerator once opened, where the vinegar brine keeps it safe to use for weeks, and give it a stir before scooping since the liquid and solids can separate slightly over time. Because it is essentially a flavoring rather than a food eaten in quantity, it fits best stirred through a mayonnaise-based salad, folded into a burger topping mix, or spread thinly on a sandwich alongside mustard.