Great Granny's Chow Chow Relish

Happy October everyone! It looks like this might be the last warm weekend around Cincinnati and Dayton – garden clean up for most of us. We are sharing a flashback to a 2012 newsletter from Granny's Garden School when Roberta included her Mother’s recipe for end of the season green tomatoes. Look for a good deal on bushels of green tomatoes at farmers markets this week if you don't have access to any. 

5 cups coarsely chopped green tomatoes (about 5 tomatoes)
5 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (about 1½ pounds cabbage)
1½ cups finely chopped yellow onion or sweet onion
2 cups coarsely chopped bell pepper, at least 1 red for color (about 4 peppers)
⅓ cup kosher salt or pickling salt
2½ cups cider vinegar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seed

Chop the tomatoes and peppers very finely. Either by hand or in small batches in a food processor. I diced up all my veggies only because I like a chunkier relish.

Add the chopped vegetables in a large pot (heavy bottom non reactive pot) add the mustard seed, celery seed, vinegar, kosher salt and sugar.

Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook stirring often and skimming as needed.

Simmer until the mixture cooks down and thickens into a relish, about 2 hours. Turn into hot sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath.