Chow Chow is a traditional fall harvest option for what’s left in the garden. Pending the success of your summer garden yields you might have a heavier pepper or onion Chow Chow to a more cucumber option. Its the beauty of this sweet tangy pickled relish enjoyed thru the winter as a vegetable staple for a side dish or condiment. I grew up with it offered with beans or cornbread. As an adult I find it on shelves of gourmet food stores at $15 a jar. A country ” poor mans” tradition cherished as gourmet? My hat is off to the wise! Enjoy and try if you want a East coast country girls classic! Or call me- I’ll share.
Non reactive bowl is needed for this recipe.
Thinly slice chop a mess of veggies.
I had a large cabbage
Yellow red green peppers
Sweet onions
Sweet corn of two ears cut
Green zucchini
Yellow squash
Hard tomatoes
Carrot
Cucumber
Chop thin slice how you want your relish to look. I like king slices but some like it really chopped Down.
Toss with 1/3rd cup pickling salt. Cover and rest room temp 6 hours or refrigerate overnite. 8-12 hours. It will reduce in size and salt will pull moisture.
Rinse rinse rinse rinse and drain all salt off.
Large non reactive pot
- Bring to a boil
- 2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brownsugar
- 1 Tbs mustard seed
- 1 tsp turmeric
Boil 2 min add drained rinsed vegetables. Bring to a full rolling boil for 15 solid minutes.
Place in hot clean jars and water bath seal. Pack veggie leaving space at top the cover with hot liquid. Seal with new lids and water bath 15 minutes follow safe canning instructions.
. Enjoy. This is good kitchen work with some bluegrass tunes and sweet tea!
Grit Cooking- A Southern Girls Taste 
This all sounds really amazeing , question could you add in apples and pears , or are they too sweet ?
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That sounds delicious! I think the beauty of the country Chow Chow relish is that is differed every year based on the items left in the fall garden. One year it might be heavier on the cabbage, other more onions and peppers then you might add cauliflower or apple 🙂 all delicious and preserving a tradition.
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I think that would be nice. The idea of chow chow was remainders of a fall garden. To salvage everything. It was a tradition but also method of winter survival.
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The beauty of the fall chow chow is that anything goes. Its never really the same twice with what is left in the fall garden. I think apples would be yummy. Pears might get too mushy but there are hard varieties that I think would work nicely.
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