- Relish is a condiment that contains diced cucumbers.
- Relish is used as a taste-enhancer with several primary dishes.
- Relish is naturally made from gluten free ingredients, but the processed ones may contain it.
- Relish does not cause any harm to the environment.
Is relish gluten free? If you are a person who loves food, you might know the importance of pickles and other such condiments. Pickles, chow chow, chutney – all fall under the same category known as a relish.
However, the most popular is the pickle relish that contains spiced cucumbers diced in small pieces. And we want to know are relish gluten free.
This question is always the top priority for those who are allergic to gluten or have celiac. If you are allergic and curious to know if you can consume your favorite condiment, read this article to learn more.
Is relish gluten free? Are pickles gluten free? Let’s find out
Celiac or gluten allergy is not a small thing to deal with. If by any chance, you are allergic and consume gluten-rich food items, you will have to pay a hefty price. This condition demands regular checks on every bit that enters your buccal cavity.
The allergy is such that you first have to be thorough with the ingredient list before digging into your favorite dish. Relish is one such dish that is always under scrutiny for its gluten content. It has a jam-like consistency and contains pickled cucumbers.
Sometimes, relish consists of fresh cucumbers mixed with other ingredients to give it that tangy taste and pickle-like flavor. Even though it is made from cucumbers and other such ingredients, the question remains – Is relish gluten free?
If you check its ingredient list, you will find them all to be gluten free.
However, when packaged, it might get contaminated with other products that have this protein. Due to this cross-contamination, this gluten free condiment may contain gluten.
Since a small trace can cause massive damage, you should always check the label before investing in a bottle of relish.
If you find any trace of gluten, abandon it then and there and check somewhere else. Another significant question that bothers many is, does any brand guarantee gluten free relish?
If you are worried whether you can lay your hands on entirely gluten free relish to savor your snacks or salads, drop your guards because here’s the good news! Several brands make relish with no trace of this deadly protein.
Do you want to know which brands are these? To know the different brands that provide gluten free relish, refer to the section below.
Here, you will come across the reliable relish-manufacturing brands, but let’s focus some light on other topics related to this tasty condiment before you proceed.
What are the ingredients used to prepare relish?
You might have seen your grandma preparing pickles of different varieties at home. Relish is also one such pickle that consists of diced cucumbers. Pickles are made by combining several flavor-imparting ingredients. These flavorful ingredients are listed below.
- Fresh Cucumbers
Cucumbers are the primary ingredients of the pickle relish. Fresh cucumbers are used to prepare this incredible condiment. They are diced and mixed with other ingredients to impart the tangy taste that is a must for a pickle.
- Pepper
You shouldn’t mistake this pepper for the round black pepper used as a seasoning. The peppers used to prepare relish are bell peppers. Predominantly, red and green bell peppers are used in the preparation.
- Spices
Spices are an integral part of the pickle-making process. Several spices go into the making to make this condiment rich in flavors and taste – dill seeds, mustard seeds, and celery seeds to name a few. These flavorful spices impart their exotic taste to relish and make it tasty.
- Vinegar
Vinegar adds more flavor to relish and also enhances its shelf-life. Vinegar is a natural preservative, which is why it is often used in pickles to prevent them from going bad too soon.
- Onion
Even though relish is a type of pickle, it is different from a traditional pickle in various ways. One such difference lies in the use of onions. Onions are not used in a traditional pickle, while relish uses onions to bring out the sweet taste.
- Salt
To balance the sweetness of the onions and give the pickle relish its signature tangy and refreshing taste, salt is added.
A pinch of salt makes all the difference. Hence, a spoon of relish, when added to any bland food item, revives its taste such that you cannot stop savoring every bite of it.
- Sweeteners
Some people don’t prefer adding onions to their version of this tasty condiment. To even out the taste, some sweeteners are added. A mix of sugar and water or honey is widely preferred, and many relish lovers love it.
- How is relish used?
Many people prefer having Relish with food items like hot dogs and hamburgers. It is not the only way to have this sweet and tangy condiment. You can have it with other dishes too. Some of its uses are listed below.
- Russian dressing
You can use relish as an ingredient in Russian dressing. This dressing is consumed in many parts of the world and tastes similar to a famous sauce known as Thousand Island. To prepare this dressing, mix relish, ketchup, and mayonnaise. Relish finds a fair use here.
- Deviled eggs
Eggs, if not seasoned, have no taste of their own. This pickle adds flavor to this otherwise bland dish and pampers your taste buds. The next time you make an egg salad or deviled eggs, don’t forget to add this magical condiment and enjoy its tanginess.
- Potato salad
Like eggs, potatoes are flavorless. Relish plays a significant role in adding flavor to potato dishes and bring them back to life. Its tanginess and refreshing taste breathes life into the bland potato dressing or potato salads.
Which are the brands that offer gluten free relish?
The ingredients used to make relish are naturally gluten free and do not impart gluten traces to the final product. A packaged relish may contain traces of this protein either due to cross-contamination or the use of distilled vinegar, which is extracted from wheat.
Gluten is a type of protein present in grains like wheat, rye, barley, etc. The food items made using these grains, primarily wheat flour, contain gluten in massive amounts. While for a normal individual, this protein may pose no problem, many others are drastically affected.
The group that is most affected by this protein is either gluten-intolerant and develops allergic reactions on consumption or suffering from an ailment known as celiac. If a person suffering from celiac consumes gluten, it may cause serious deterioration in their health.
It is because of these disastrous effects of this protein that many people watch out for it in everything that they eat. While several brands available in the market are known to produce relish, only a few are reliable as far as this protein is concerned.
To make your task more comfortable, we have listed six brands that guarantee you no-gluten relish. However, many controversies are surrounding their claims. We have also listed them down so that you can make a trusted choice.
No gluten relish brands
a) Best Maid
At Best Maid, you are likely to find three relish variants: dill relish, sweet relish, and sweet jalapeno relish. Due to this wide variety and incredible taste, Best Maid is known as one of the best pickle manufacturing brands and hence trusted by millions.
Though the company claims that all its products to be free from troubling protein, a few people point fingers at its authenticity. They say that the labels don’t specify if the ingredients used are gluten-free or not, which creates space for doubt.
Besides, they claim that their relish variants have vinegar distilled using Corn. Even though corn is not a gluten source, the relish manufactured by Best Maid is still surrounded by a thick fog of uncertainty.
b) Heinz
Do you remember the tasty tomato ketchup manufactured and sold by Heinz? This ketchup is a nostalgic memory that many would relate to. However, in addition to tasty, thick tomato ketchup, this age-old brand prepares taste bud-pampering relish.
Here, you will find different variants of relish. Onion relish, hot dog relish, dill relish, India relish, and sweet relish, to name a few. You can name what you need, and you will find it here at Heinz. Are you still wondering if Heinz produces gluten free relish?
Several ingredients are used to prepare the relish at Heinz, like spices, cabbages, cucumbers, vinegar, salt, etc. These ingredients don’t contain gluten, but the company still doesn’t label its relish as free from this protein.
The absence of the gluten-free label is proof that the company doesn’t guarantee that cross-contamination did not occur at the time of processing or packaging. Hence, if you are consuming Heinz’s product, you may do so at your own risk.
c) Mt. Olive
Do you want to taste 12 different variants of your favorite relish? If yes, no brand other than Mt. Olive will give you that privilege. The catalog includes hot dog relish, mustard and jalapeno relish, dill relish, sweet relish, and many other varieties.
All the relish manufactured by this brand is free from the protein hazardous to celiac and gluten-intolerant individuals. Hence, it is safe to consume.
Moreover, this brand also claims that its products are safe for individuals dealing with other allergies, like peanuts, dairy products, MSG, soy, nuts, etc. The vinegar used here is not obtained from wheat or any other gluten-rich grains. It is distilled from corn, making it safe for consumption.
d) Patak’s
Patak’s is a well-known pickle manufacturing brand that is famous for its Indian pickles. It manufactures relish labeled as pickles of different vegetables and other ingredients.
All the products manufactured by this brand are gluten free and safe for consumption by gluten-intolerant individuals.
You will find several kinds of pickles, like the ones made with hot chili, eggplant, garlic, mango, and lime, etc. Even though this brand is known for its gluten free products, some are not labeled as gluten-free.
Hence, whenever you purchase any product from this brand, ensure that you check the label and listed ingredients. If you find gluten traces in it, we would recommend you drop the decision to purchase it because health matters.
e) Stonewall Kitchen
Stonewall Kitchen maintains transparency with its customers, and hence is very reliable. You will find six relish variants manufactured by Stonewall Kitchen, which are enriched with flavors. All these products are labeled as either gluten free or as having traces of it to warn the users of its presence.
Out of the six variants manufactured by this brand, two are gluten-free – mustard pickle relish and farmhouse red relish. The other four variants are labeled as no-gluten ingredient, which means that they could be subjected to cross-contamination.
These four variants include farmhouse red relish, spicy corn relish, cranberry relish, and tomato relish. So, before you buy any product, make sure you check its label!
f) Wickles Pickles
This brand is based in Alabama, and produces three relish variants that are gluten free. These variants include jalapeno relish, green relish, and spicy red relish.
Since the ingredients used are all gluten free, and the vinegar is also made from apple cider, you can entirely rely on Wickles Pickles for purchasing your tangy condiment.
Wrapping Up
Relish is a famous condiment that is widely used by many. It is a refrigerator essential and finds its place everywhere. It can be added to your hamburger or a hot dog to enhance the taste and make every bite more appealing.
This famous condiment is naturally gluten-free, but cross-contamination is likely to happen at the time of processing and packaging. Due to this reason, you should always check the label on the bottle of relish.
If you find relish that is entirely gluten free, only then consume it. If you find any cross-contamination possibilities or the package not labeled as gluten-free, you shouldn’t consume it at any cost.
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