Relish

Relish is high in histamine and best left off a low-histamine plate. It is essentially chopped vegetables preserved in vinegar and salt, and that preserved, tangy profile is exactly the kind that runs high.

Why relish is rated high

Relish is made by pickling or fermenting chopped cucumber (or other vegetables) and holding them in vinegar and brine, often with aged spices. Vinegar is itself a fermentation product, and any relish that is truly fermented rather than just vinegar-packed can carry more histamine still. The vegetables also sit preserved for a long time, so it is a condiment designed around exactly the preservation steps that tend to raise histamine.

What changes your risk

• Fermented vs. vinegar-packed — a naturally fermented relish tends to run higher than a quick vinegar pickle, but both the fermentation and the vinegar itself are concerns here.
• Vinegar and brine — the vinegar and long salt-brining are core to what relish is, and you cannot really separate them out of the finished product.
• Aged spices and add-ins — many relishes include mustard seed, aged spice blends, and sometimes onion, which pile on rather than lower the load.
• Time in the jar — relish is a keep-forever condiment, and a preserved vegetable product can sit for many months before you open it.
• A fresh chopped version is a different food — freshly chopped cucumber with herbs, made and eaten the same day, avoids the whole pickling step that makes relish high.

Lower-histamine alternatives

For that cool, crunchy, chopped topping on a burger or in a salad, go fresh instead of preserved. Finely chop fresh cucumber and mix it with fresh dill and a little olive oil, or dice fresh bell pepper for crunch and mild sweetness. These give you texture and freshness without the vinegar and brining. Skip anything jarred and tangy, and do not sub in pickles, capers, or olives, which are in the same high-histamine family as relish.

How to lower the risk

Make your relish stand-in the day you eat it: chop fresh cucumber and herbs, add a pinch of salt and olive oil, and use it right away rather than storing it. When you are eating out or grabbing condiments at a counter, assume the relish is vinegar-based and reach for something fresh instead. Keeping a small container of fresh chopped cucumber-herb mix in the fridge for a day or two covers most of what relish is doing for you.

Common questions

Is sweet relish lower in histamine than dill relish?

Not in a way that helps. Both are pickled in vinegar and brine, which is the part that makes relish high, so the sweet versus dill distinction does not change the picture much.

Does vinegar in relish cause histamine problems?

Vinegar is a fermentation product and is commonly a trigger on low-histamine plans, so a vinegar-packed condiment like relish is one to avoid.

Can I make a low-histamine relish at home?

You can make a fresh chopped-cucumber-and-herb topping the same day, but a traditional pickled or fermented relish that keeps in a jar cannot really be made low in histamine.