If you are looking for a way to amp up your regular meals, pickle relishes are a great idea. It brings sweet and zesty flavors to enhance the flavor of dishes. Two such relishes that are popular are dill and sweet relish. But are they the same?
It’s common to confuse dill relish and sweet relish because of their looks and uses. However, dill relish and sweet relish are not the same.
Dill relish and sweet relish differ in color, flavor, and nutritional profile due to the difference in their ingredients. While dill relish is tangy, vinegary, and slightly sweet, sweet relish is sweet, moderately sour, tangy, and tart.
In this article, you will learn the difference between dill and sweet relish to know how they are made, how to use and store them, and which one is healthier. Continue to read.
Dill Vs. Sweet Relish | Difference Table
| Basis Of Difference | Dill Relish | Sweet Relish |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Chunky | Chunky |
| Ingredients Used | Cucumber seasoned with onions, sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds, and salt. | Cucumber seasoned with Onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, and sometimes turmeric |
| Flavors | Tangy, vinegary, sweet | Moderate sour, acidic, and tart |
| Nutrition | Lesser sugar, high sodium | High sugar and sodium content |
What is Dill Relish?
Dill relish is a pickle relish having sour, tangy, and tart flavors. It is a mixture of ingredients that creates a wonderful condiment to flavor other food items.
Dill relish is typically made with chopped cucumbers, dill leaves, and stems. Other ingredients used in the preparation of dill relish include onion, vinegar, sugar, and salt. You can also find turmeric as a common ingredient in dill relish.
Dill relish can be used in many ways. You can use salads, sandwiches, tartar sauce, deviled eggs, and more.
What Is Sweet Relish?
Just like dill relish, sweet relish is also made with cucumbers as the main ingredients, which leads to confusion between the two. However, the major difference lies in taste. As the name suggests, sweet relish is flavorful and has vinegary notes.
The other ingredients used to make sweet relish include onion, sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds, and salt.
Both sweet relish and dill relish may also contain bell peppers, olive oil, various seeds, spices, etc.
Sweet relish is also paired with many food items. It can be added to dips, sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, and many more things.
Dill Relish Vs. Sweet Relish | Similarities Between The Two
Just a small brief of the two relishes has made clear that they both have different tastes. However, when you go through the ingredients list, you find some similarities too. Thus, before we determine the differences between these two, let’s look at what aspects are similar.
1. Both Use Cucumber As A Ingredient
Pickle relishes are made with cucumbers. Thus, both relishes have cucumbers as the main ingredient.
2. Both Are Served As Condiments
Relishes are served with savory dishes. Therefore, both dill relish and sweet relish can be served with sandwiches, burgers, meatloaf, tartar sauce, wraps, nachos, salads, and more.
3. Both Relishes Provide the Same Health Benefits
Pickled cucumbers are considered to have many health benefits as they contain probiotics that are beneficial for health. They boost the intake of antioxidants.
Thus, both relishes have similar health benefits. However, the flip side of relishes is that they contain high amounts of sodium and sugar. Therefore, you shouldn’t consume them in large quantities.
Dill Relish Vs. Sweet Relish | Differences Between The Two
1. Ingredients
While preparing sweet or dill relish, a significant difference lies in the ingredients used to make them.
While the base ingredient, which is the cucumbers, is the same for both relishes, the prominent difference in their taste lies due to differences in their list of other ingredients.
Dill relish is made with cucumbers flavored with dill leaves and stems. Other ingredients used in the preparation of dill relish are onion, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Aside from cucumbers, sweet relish contains onion, sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds, and salt. While both relishes may also have bell peppers, olive oil, various seeds, and spices, the significant difference in their taste lies in the amount of sugar used.
2. Flavor
The main difference between dill and sweet relish lies in their flavors. Thanks to the ingredients used to prepare them.
If you taste sweet and dill relishes together, you will find a significant difference in their level of sweetness.
Sweet relish, like other relishes, has a tangy and vinegary taste, but the sweetness is profound. The level of sweetness depends on the sugar added to it.
On the other hand, dill relish contains less sugar. It predominantly has tart and sour flavors, which are balanced out by sugar. So, when you taste dill relish, you will experience acidic, sour, and tart notes.
3. Texture
Both dill and sweet relish are made out of the finely chopped cucumber. Thus, both of them look similar. They are chunky in texture.
4. Preparation
Dill relish and sweet relish have very similar preparation processes. The only real distinction between them is the amount of sugar or dill used. Here’s how you prepare dill or sweet relish.
- Finely chop cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers (optional).
- Soak the cucumbers and onions in salt water.
- Combine the vinegar, sugar, spices, and seeds while the cucumbers soak in a saucepan.
- Allow the vinegar solution to come to a boil, and add the cucumbers.
- Let the cucumbers boil for 5-10 minutes in vinegar.
- Put the relish in an airtight container and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Uses
Relishes are a fun way to add delicious flavors to your dish. Dill and sweet relish are two such relishes that can elevate the flavors of your meal. The best part is that you can use dill and sweet relish with many dishes.
Both relishes can be used in salads, hotdogs, burgers, sandwiches, eggs, meatloaf, chicken, eggs, and stuffings.
6. Storage
Unopened homemade or store-bought relish can be refrigerated. They can be kept in a cool and dark place. But once opened, they should be stored in a tightly sealed jar. Both dill and sweet relish can be stored for up to 12 months, thanks to the presence of vinegar that acts like a natural preservative.
7. Health Benefits
Pickle relishes are not just used to enhance the flavor of meals; they are also known for their health benefits. They are known to boost the intake of antioxidants and are low in saturated fats and cholesterol.
They are also known to contain essential vitamins and minerals to prevent health problems like osteoporosis and blood clotting.
However, the downside of consuming pickle relish in large quantities leads to high intake of sodium and sugar that could lead to health issues.
Top Recipes To Make With Dill Relish
1. Dill Relish Burger
Amp up your regular burger by using dill relish. You will never see your burger the way you do right now. This burger features a beef patty, dill pickle relish, tomato paste, spicy brown mustard, romaine lettuce, and potato chips placed between two sesame seeds buns. Learn how to make a dill relish burger by following this recipe.
2. Dill Pickle Tartar Sauce
Tartar sauce is a spectacular sauce to pair with fish and chips or even fries. But what if I tell you that you can make it a crowd favorite by adding some dill relish to it? Ever thought of it? Well, then, try this recipe today. This lip-smacking recipe takes 10 minutes to make. You surely want to make sure to take advantage of such an easy and delectable sauce. Find the full recipe here.
3. Grilled Hot Dogs With Dill Pickle Relish
Hot dogs are a great snack to indulge in at any time of the day. But you can make them more flavorful by using dill relish. If you have yet to try this combination, you have been missing out on something super delicious. Check out this recipe that is bursting with amazing flavors here.
4. Potato Salad With Dill Pickle Relish
Love your potato salad a little too much? What if I tell you a secret ingredient to turn it into an extraordinary treat? Say hello to potato salad with dill pickle relish, a little mustard, and hard-cooked eggs that give this salad a tangy finish. Find the full recipe here.
5. Deviled Eggs With Dill Relish
Deviled eggs make for a great appetizer. If you have been making deviled eggs with just mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper, try adding some dill relish. The creamy and eggy flavors of this dish pair extremely well with zesty dill relish flavors. This recipe is sure to become your new favorite.
Top Recipe To Make Sweet Relish
1. Tuna Salad Sandwich With Sweet Relish
Take a twist on a classic tuna salad sandwich by adding some sweet pickle relish. This sandwich is a refreshing and delicious twist on your basic tuna sandwich. This sandwich features light tuna, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, celery, lettuce, and whole wheat sandwich bread. It’s so delicious that your kids will love it too. Learn how to make a tuna salad sandwich with sweet relish here.
2. Chicken Salad With Sweet Relish
Turn your regular chicken salad into an extraordinary meal with the addition of sweet relish. This salad brings creamy flavors with a kick of tang and sweetness. This salad features cooked chicken cubes, mayonnaise, celery, onion, sweet pickle relish, herb mixture, salt, and pepper. Find the full recipe here.
3. Sweet Relish Meatloaf
If you are planning to make meatloaf for dinner, try making it with sweet relish. The sweet and tangy flavors of the relish bring delicious flavors to the meatloaf that are one of a kind. Check out the full recipe for sweet relish meatloaf here.
4. Salmon Burger With Sweet Relish
If you love fish and burgers, then make a salmon burger with sweet relish for a heavenly ride. This burger is made with crisp salmon patties topped with sweet and tangy pickle relish for a sweet twist on fish burgers. Is your mouth watering? Follow the full recipe of salmon burgers with sweet relish here.
Dill Relish Vs. Sweet Relish | Which Is Healthier?
Relish is commonly found in the U.S. Their extraordinary sweet, sour, and salty flavors not just help elevate the flavors of the dishes but also provide some health benefits.
Relish is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, phosphorus, folate, and antioxidants.
However, they may contain large amounts of sodium that can contribute to high blood pressure and can cause your kidney and liver to work harder.
Diets high in sodium may be connected to an increased risk of osteoporosis.
Therefore, you should add relish to your diet for the health benefits they provide. However, you must keep its consumption in check as too much can cause problems like high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and liver and kidney issues.
Dill Relish Vs. Sweet Relish | Which Is Tastier?
Dill and sweet relish are both tasty condiments. But both are used for different purposes. One has a predominantly sweet flavor, while the other has tangy and sour flavor notes. Therefore, they are both great in their own ways.
Dill Relish Vs. Sweet Relish | Which Is More Versatile?
Dill and sweet relish are prepared using almost the same ingredients. However, their flavor profiles are distinct, which makes one more versatile than the other. Between the two, dill relish is versatile as it has savory and tangy flavors that can be adjusted by adding sugar to it.
On the other hand, sweet relish is sweeter than dill relish. Therefore, if your dish doesn’t require sweet flavors, you might want to skip using it or add it in lesser quantities.
Dill Relish Vs. Sweet Relish | Which Is Better?
Looking at all the information provided above, we can easily conclude that dill relish is better than sweet relish if you are deciding to pick one to add to your pantry. Dill relish is more versatile, which makes it easy to use in any meal. If you need some sweetness to it, you can always increase the sugar content.
That’s not to say that sweet relish is not good. It works great in savory meals calling for some sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are dill relish and sweet relish the same?
Dill and sweet relish are not the same. They have a similar ingredient list. However, they differ in taste.
What is dill relish made of?
Dill relish is made with cucumbers, onion, pickling salt, onion, red pepper, turmeric, and dill seed.
Is dill relish healthy?
Relishes are a great additional way to amp up the flavors in your food. However, they can be bad for health if used in large quantities.
What’s the difference between dill relish and sweet relish?
Dill relish is seasoned with the dill herb and has a minimal quantity of sugar. On the other hand, sweet relish has a large quantity of sugar or other sweeteners.
Are dill relish and dill pickle the same?
If a major ingredient in the preserve is vinegar or salt, then you are making a pickle rather than a relish.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading about the difference between sweet and dill relish and have an idea of where to use what. Both condiments are a superb addition to your pantry. They are a great way to elevate the flavors of your meals.
If you have any more queries regarding these two relishes, feel free to drop all your questions in the comments section below.
