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Chow Chow Relish for #SundaySupper

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Southern Chow Chow Relish | Magnolia Days

Summer will soon come to an end. A once bountiful garden will struggle to produce. The shorter days and cooler nights take a toll on fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes stop turning from green to red. Pepper plants are not a vigorous as they were only a few weeks earlier. It is this time of the season when using up the final harvest brings about creativity. Once such recipe born out of a creative collective of Southern folks is Chow Chow Relish.

Canning is something I have yet to tackle. However, my parents canned for years and years. So this is a guest post of sorts with the recipe coming from my mom. The chow chow relish they canned is in the photo. I had a few conversations with mom to go over the steps. I’ll check with her if any questions arise. Preserving family recipes is very important and I can’t think of a better place to save and share it than right here on this blog.

Chow Chow Relish | Magnolia Days

What to do with chow chow relish? Use it anywhere you would a pickle relish. It is a sweet/hot condiment that has a surprising depth of flavor. Plus you can change it up to your taste or use other vegetables in the mix. Southerners will serve it with black-eyed peas, pinto beans, and cornbread. It is incredible with cornmeal dusted pan-fried trout or catfish.

Chow Chow Relish | Magnolia Days

How do you preserve your harvest? To this point my only method has been freezing. I do want to tackle canning one day. Dehydrating is also on the to-do list. At least I have a resource for some great recipes thanks to this Sunday Supper event hosted by Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks. Scroll down to see the recipe list. Click on the links to visit and read about each one. Enjoy your summer and preserve the goodness for the winter to come!

Chow Chow Relish | Magnolia Days
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Chow Chow Relish

A recipe for chow chow relish. Chow Chow is made with green tomatoes, cabbage, onion, peppers, and spices including turmeric, mustard, and allspice.
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 15 pints
Author Renee

Ingredients

  • 4 quarts green tomatoes from 3/4 peck basket, about 10 pounds
  • 6 cups chopped onions about 3 1/2 pounds
  • 1 medium-large cabbage
  • 2 quarts chopped bell pepper green & 1 red, about 14 large
  • 4 hot banana peppers
  • 3 cayenne peppers
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 8 cups apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground mustard
  • 3 tablespoons mustard seed
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons allspice

Instructions

  1. Finely chop all the vegetables in batches in a food processor fitted with a knife blade.
  2. Mix chopped vegetables together in a very large non-reactive container. Sprinkle 1/2 cup salt over and let set at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
  3. Drain the vegetables and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  4. In large boiler, mix apple cider vinegar and sugar.
  5. Combine the ground mustard, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and allspice in a spice bag. Add the spice bag to the liquids.
  6. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
  7. Add the drained vegetables and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
  8. Pack the chow chow mix while it's hot into sterililzed pint canning jars. Use caution while working with the hot mix and jars. Leave about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch head space in each jar. Wipe the mouth of the canning jar clean and seal the jar with canning lid and rings. Lids should properly seal and make a popping sound while cooling. The seals are good if they stay depressed in the middle.

Recipe Notes

A recipe for chow chow relish. Chow Chow is made with green tomatoes, cabbage, onion, peppers, and spices including turmeric, mustard, and allspice.

Chow Chow is a classic southern relish made with green tomatoes, onions, cabbage, and peppers. Make it and use it as a topping for seafood, beans, hot dogs, and more.

Ready to preserve your harvest? Check out these recipes by talented Sunday Supper bloggers:

Cool Condiments:

Fabulous Fruits:

Other Outstanding Recipes:

Vivacious Vegetables:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement

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Comments

  1. My grandmother and her sisters made chow chow every year and shared the bounty with all of us. Like with their homemade pepper sauces, there was a gentle rivalry about whose chow chow was best. I always preferred my own grandmother’s. Not too sweet, just the right amount of pickle and spice. I have the recipe but have yet to tackle it. Thanks for sharing yours, Renee, and for the reminder that I need to do this. And soon.

    Reply

    • I really don’t think there are two chow chow recipes that are the same and each one can vary from year to year depending on what is in the garden. I like ones with a little heat, probably because I’m used to my parent’s one with the peppers.

      Reply

  3. Interesting recipe, the first time I hear of such a relish. I love the addition of tuermic and allspice makes it all the more exciting Renee. =)
    Usualy I make jams or I pickle to preserve produce or we dry too. My parents would make condiments and lots of pickles.

    Reply

    • I can believe you have not heard of chow chow. It’s a southern thing here in the US. I do want to start preserving and canning more. Glad to see you are making jams and pickling.

      Reply

  12. I’ve never heard of chow chow relish, but I love the sound of it!

    My mom would can various pickles, jams and jellies every summer for years, but I have yet to try my hand at canning. The process looks a bit intimidating and I just fear that I may end up at the ER! I know, I really need to just get over it….

    Reply

    • My parents canned pickles, tomatoes, green beans, pepper sauce, and more. You do have to be careful dealing with the hot jars and hot relish.

      Reply

  13. What a great recipe, Renee! I love that you are preserving your Mom’s recipe, too. I’ve seen chow chow in the stores, and had no idea how many wonderful ingredients are in it! Just lovely.

    Reply

    • You should buy one from the store just to get an idea of how it can taste. However, each recipe is so different depending on the veggies and spices used.

      Reply

  15. We ended up buying a jar of chow chow when we were vacationing in Tennessee. Now I know what it is exactly haha The only canning I’ve done is with jam.

    Reply

  18. I’ve never heard of this, Renee, but reading through the list of ingredients, my mouth was watering. I can just imagine who delicious it would taste on top of a hot dog or hamburger. I’ve never canned either – maybe you and I can start together, although I’m sure I’ll need way more help than you will! I’d probably just be an annoying hindrance, dragging you down 😉

    Reply

  20. I haven’t had chow chow in years. My grandmother made it every year and this post brought back so many memories! It’s great on so many things! Thanks for a great post!

    Reply

  22. What a lovely recipe! i’ve never heard of it before, but I love the heat and spice in it! We don’t really have green tomatoes over here – would red ones do?!

    Reply

    • I’ve never heard of chow chow being made with red tomatoes. I think it may be too acidic at that point. I would stick with green tomatoes.

      Reply

  24. Every element of deliciousness is in your parents’ chow chow recipe… hot, sweet, savory… yum. Wish I hadn’t given away my canning set when we moved, but I’ll make do. (Isn’t that the hallmark of the South?!) Thanks.

    Reply

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