How to Make Homemade Chow-Chow Relish

Chow-Chow is an American pickled relish, which can be made from green tomatoes, red tomatoes, cabbage, onions, green and red peppers. It is canned like pickles or salsa, although the mixture is usually cooked first.  Homemade Chow-Chow Relish recipes can vary; some are sweeter and have different ingredients. Chow-Chow may be eaten by itself or served as a condiment on meats, beans, hot dogs, hamburgers and other foods.

Ingredients needed to make Homemade Chow-Chow Relish:
4 cups onions, ground
4 cups cabbage, ground
4 cups green peppers, ground
4 cups green tomatoes, ground
2 cups red peppers, ground
1/2 cup salt
Hot pepper may be added if you like spicy.
8 pint jars, sterilized

Syrup:
5 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

Directions for making Homemade Chow-Chow Relish:
Step 1: Wash all vegetable before using.
Step 2: Put the onions, cabbage, green peppers, green tomatoes and red pepper through a food grinder.
Step 3:  In a large pot mix ground vegetables; cover with water, add salt.  Let stand in refrigerator 4 to 12 hours.
Step 4: Drain vegetables thoroughly.
Step 5: Add to drain vegetable the syrup ingredients; sugar, cider vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds and turmeric.
Step 6: Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 7: Ladle hot relish into sterilized jars; leave 1/4" head space.
Step 8: Process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
Step 9: Wait three week before using.

Tips:
Use fresh vegetables.
Sterilized the jars, lids and rings in dishwasher.
Homemade Chow-Chow Relish is best when chilled before using.
If any of the jars do not seal after cooling; put in refridgerator to use right away.

Warning:
Be careful when filling jars with hot mixture; use a pot holder to hold the jar in place. And be cautious when removing from water bath.

Image by jeffeyw

Comments (3)

jswana said:

	... Just the word chow-chow gets me going. We ate so much with so many things in my youth. Thanks for sharing.
	report abuse vote down vote up

July 24, 2010
Votes: +4

djeff37 said:

	... Good article on canning and chow-chow.
	report abuse vote down vote up

September 24, 2010
Votes: +1

poetryman69 said:

	... wow! you must have you own cookbooks!
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November 01, 2011
Votes: +0