Southern Chow Chow (Traditional Green Tomato Relish)

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Southern chow chow is a traditional green tomato relish, diced finely and combined with sweet spices. It’s the perfect topping for burgers or hot dogs or anywhere else homemade relish is used.

If you’re not familiar with Chow Chow, I’ll break it down for you. It’s a relish-like concoction that’s been a beloved staple of Southern cuisine for generations. It’s made with a mix of vegetables and spices, resulting in a tangy, sweet, and sour taste that perfectly complements almost any dish.

This particular Southern Chow Chorecipe w uses green tomatoes and cabbage as the base, creating a fresh and robust flavor profile. Adding the mustard further elevates the dish, adding a spicy kick that’s sure to wake up your taste buds!

Not only is Chow Chow delicious, but it’s also incredibly useful. It’s a versatile condiment that can be used in a variety of ways – add it to sandwiches or burgers for an extra layer of flavor, mix it into potato salad for a unique twist, or spoon it over grilled meats for a zesty kick.

But perhaps the most appealing thing about Chow Chow is its homemade taste. Recipes vary from family to family, and making your own Chow Chow is a labor of love that’s sure to impress your guests. Plus, the canning process means that you can enjoy this delicious relish all year long, long after the summer growing season has passed.

So put on your apron and get ready to preserve a Southern classic!

Ingredients for Southern Chow Chow

The ingredients for canning southern Chow Chow are pretty simple. To make a canner batch of six 8-ounce (250 ml) jars, you’ll need the following:

• 4 cups (1 L) chopped green tomatoes 
• 2 cups (500 ml) chopped green and red bell peppers
• 4 cups (1 L) green cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 ml) chopped onion
• ¼ cup (50 ml) canning salt
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dry mustard
• 2 cups (500 ml) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp (10 ml) celery seeds
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) ground allspice
• ½ tsp (2 ml) ground turmeric
• 2 ½ cups (625 ml) apple cider vinegar

If you can, let this Chow Chow mellow for about two weeks before you eat it from the jars. This will let the flavors fully develop.

While you can use just about any tomato you’d like for the recipe, make sure you’re using those that are not ripe. 

Some varieties of tomatoes are green when fully ripe, and while they’re delicious, they aren’t ideal for this recipe. You want firm, unripened tomatoes – this will confer the best taste and texture to your finished southern Chow Chow. 

Making Southern Chow Chow

First, gather your ingredients. You’ll need tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, onions, cucumbers, carrots, green beans, sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and salt. 

Start by finely chopping the veggies. We’re looking for small, uniform pieces, about 1/4 inch. A few quick pulses with the food processor will do the job nicely.

Soak the tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, onions, and cucumbers overnight in water and salt. Drain, then rinse and drain again. Don’t skip this step, as it really helps to bring out the flavor of the veggies! This can be somewhat time-consuming, but it’s worth it.

If you skip the draining and salting process, your Southern Chow may be a bit too soggy when you take it out of the jars. 

After completing this overnight draining, rinsing, and settling process, you can continue with the rest of the recipe.

Canning Southern Chow Chow

Prepare a brine by mixing the sugar and spices into the vinegar. Bring it to a boil on the stove and simmer for about 2-3 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Add the salted, drained, and rinsed veggies.

Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to thoroughly heat the veggies and ensure they’re all completely coated in vinegar.

Pack the hot Southern Chow Chow into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Adjust the headspace, remove bubbles, and add more Chow Chow, if necessary, to fill the jars.

Don’t forget to wipe the rims of the jars to remove any food residue before adding the sanitized lids and bands. Screw the bands on until they’re fingertip tight.

Load the jars into a water bath canner. Process the pints for 10 minutes at 0 to 1000 feet, adjusting the time for altitude if needed.

Once the processing time is done, remove the jars from the canner and let them cool at room temperature for 24 hours. Check the labels, seal, and store for one year. Any jars that didn’t seal properly can be refrigerated and enjoyed immediately. 

Altitude Adjustments

Water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, so jars must be processed slightly longer as you go up in elevation. Here are the altitude adjustments for canning Southern Style Chow Chow:

• For 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation – Process pint jars for 10 minutes and quart jars for 15 minutes.
• For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation – Process pint jars for 15 minutes and quart jars for 20 minutes.
• Above 6,001 Feet in Elevation – Process pint jars for 20 minutes and quart jars for 25 minutes.

Serving Southern Chow Chow

Now that you’ve canned your delicious Southern Chow Chow, it’s time to think about how you will serve it up! Luckily, Chow Chow is extraordinarily versatile and pairs well with various dishes. 

You may want to add a heaping spoonful of Chow Chow to your favorite sandwich for a unique kick of flavor. It also works excellent as a topping for grilled meats, such as hot dogs, chicken, or even a juicy burger. 

If you’re feeling fancy, you can use your Chow Chow as a colorful and flavorful addition to charcuterie boards or as a side dish for Southern-style fried chicken. Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with different dishes – the possibilities are endless!

Yield: Six 8-ounce (250 ml) jars

Southern Chow Chow Relish

Prep Time: 2 days

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 days 20 minutes

Southern chow chow is a traditional green tomato relish, diced finely and combined with sweet spices.  It's the perfect topping for burgers or hot dogs, or anywhere else you'd use homemade relish.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 L) chopped green tomatoes
• 2 cups (500 ml) chopped green and red bell peppers
• 4 cups (1 L) green cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 ml) chopped onion
• ¼ cup (50 ml) canning salt
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dry mustard
• 2 cups (500 ml) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp (10 ml) celery seeds
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) ground allspice
• ½ tsp (2 ml) ground turmeric
• 2 ½ cups (625 ml) apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Gather your ingredients. Soak the tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, onions, and cucumbers overnight in water and salt. Drain, then rinse and drain again. 
2. Prepare a brine by mixing the sugar and spices into the vinegar.  Bring it to a boil on the stove and simmer about 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Add the salted, drained and rinsed veggies.
4. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to thoroughly heat the veggies and make sure they're all completely coated in vinegar.
5. Pack the hot Southern Chow Chow into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Adjust headspace, remove bubbles and more Chow Chow, if necessary, to fill the space in the jars.
6. Wipe the rims of the jars to remove any food residue before adding the sanitized lids and bands. Screw the bands on until they're fingertip tight.
7. Load the jars into a water bath canner. Process the pints for 10 minutes at 0 to 1000 feet, adjusting the time for altitude if needed (see below).
8. Once the processing time is done, remove the jars from the canner and let them cool at room temperature for 24 hours. 
9. Check the labels, seal, and store for one year. Any jars that didn't seal properly can be refrigerated and enjoyed right away. 

Notes

Altitude Adjustments

Water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, so jars need to be processed a bit longer as you go up in elevation.  Here are the altitude adjustments for canning Southern Style Chow Chow:

• For 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation - Process pint jars for 10 minutes, and quart jars for 15 minutes.
• For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation - Process pint jars for 15 minutes, and quart jars for 20 minutes.
• Above 6,001 Feet in Elevation - Process pint jars for 20 minutes, and quart jars for 25 minutes.

Homemade Relish Recipes

Looking for more easy relish recipes to add zest to your cooking?

• Corn Relish
• Zucchini Relish
• Amish Chow Chow