Ah, the fancy cousin. Bread and butter relish is basically sweet relish’s overachieving relative. It includes more sugar and often has cinnamon or cloves for a warm, spiced kick.
The name comes from a Depression-era trick: spreading pickled cucumbers on buttered bread as a cheap meal. It’s less a sandwich and more a survival strategy that turned into a classic.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought
If you’re adventurous, making relish at home is shockingly easy. You just need cucumbers, onions, vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of patience. Plus, you can adjust the sweetness—or spice it up with jalapeños.
Store-bought relish, however, is a miracle of modern convenience. It’s shelf-stable, consistent, and comes in a jar that doesn’t judge you for eating it straight from the spoon at 2 AM.
