Recipe for Old Fashion Chow Chow

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In this post I'll be sharing a simple Homemade Grub Chow Savor recipe with yous. Y'all will love this Southern grub chow! Information technology has been a Southern pantry staple…well for centuries. It's a delicious style of preserving food to brand the well-nigh of the summer garden harvest.

Y'all, I am so happy to exist sharing this grub chow enjoy with you lot. It has been on my list of dishes that I want to share on the blog for a while now. A new subscriber made a request that I share a chow chow recipe and I'g happy to exist finally checking that one off the list.

If you lot've never heard of chow grub food (not the dog breed) and then y'all must be wondering what on earth it is. It is a type of relish that is made from a variety of vegetables, rather than just cucumber like a pickle relish.

This old fashioned vegetable relish was offset published in a 1700's Due south Carolina book of receipts. It'south been a Southern favorite for over 250 years. Other cultures too accept their own variations of this preserved bask as well.

This delicious relish is corking on hot dogs, bratwurst, beans, greens, meats, served over foam cheese as an appetizer and more.

Chow Chow Relish

The stories that accept been handed down through generations tell that it was the end of summer and there was just a few vegetables left in the garden. A scrap of this and a piffling of that. The variety of vegetables was put together to make grub grub relish.

Why is is called chow chow? Information technology seems to exist derived from the French word, Chau, which means cabbage.

If you don't grow your own vegetables, no worries. You can easily selection up everything that you need to make a batch of this sweet and spicy relish at your local grocery store, farmer's market or Wal Mart.

More about grub chow recipes

What is Southern grub chow? The Southern version starts with greenish cabbage and green tomatoes as the main components.

A diversity of vegetables are included, some relishes are sweeter and some are sweet and spicy. We prefer a hot way chow grub. It'south not overly hot but has a dainty kicking to it.

What is Tennessee chow chow? The Tennessee style is pretty similar to the South Carolina version except apple cider vinegar is used.

Our Southern vegetable relish is very similar to the British version as well, chosen Piccalilli . Piccalilli includes cauliflower, veggies and has more mustard flavor in the finished relish.

What is Amish chow chow? The Amish variations include cauliflower, beans, carrots and other vegetables besides in a sweet vinegar brine with spices.

So there's really no right or wrong mode to make a batch of chow grub relish. You need veggies, spices and vinegar with a bit of saccharide. The vinegar-sugar-spice mixture gives the enjoy the incredible flavor that nosotros love.

Southern Chow Grub

What is Southern Chow Grub made of?

• Green Tomatoes – add a tanginess to the relish.
• Cabbage – a staple ingredient in Southern chow grub relish recipes.
• Onion – for season.
• Green Bell Peppers and Red Bong Peppers – for variety and colour.
• Jalapeno Peppers – for a bit of heat. If you lot take other hot peppers to utilise and so use those instead.
• Pickling & Canning Salt -pickling common salt or Kosher salt may be used. This adds flavor and helps preserve the savor. Never use table iodized salt.
• Granulated Sugar – for sweetness and preservation.
• Spices for Seasoning – likewise as added flavor including prepared mustard, mustard seed, pickling spice, turmeric and red pepper flakes.
• White Vinegar – for brining and preservation.

A lot of folks also similar to include celery seed in their spice mix only I'thou not fond of it. Perhaps it is my sense of taste buds but celery seed has a bitter reaction with my taste buds. If you lot like it and then feel free to add it in.

To preserve your relish y'all have two options. You can water bath process the canned bask to make shelf stable or you tin keep your relish in the fridge for a few months.

Canning Supplies Needed:

• Sterilized Canning Jars – I used the pint size.
• Lids and Bands – to seal the jars.
• Canning funnel – to ladle the savor into the jars.
• Chimera Popper – tool to remove air bubbling and pack veggies into jars.
• Jar Lifter – to safely handle the hot jars.
• Water Bath – a water bath canner pot, a steam canner or a big pot of boiling water.

Prepping the Vegetables

Brainstorm past prepping the vegetables. Chopping tin be done by hand with a knife if you prefer a chunkier finished production or apply a food processor for a finer relish.

I chopped all of my vegetables by hand because that is how my peachy-grandmother did it and to show you don't need fancy equipment. The chopping past hand took me a solid 60 minutes and I got a tiny blister under my alphabetize finger when information technology was said and done.

Side by side fourth dimension I will opt for using the food processor instead. Depending on which method that you utilize to prep the vegetables will determine the corporeality of vegetables needed for your bask.

To fill a large bowl ( I used a vi quart mixing bowl) it will take a few more vegetables to fill if y'all chop with the food processor.

Once my bowl if full, I finish calculation vegetables.

Homemade Chow Chow Relish

To brand it easier to mix the vegetables I tend to alternate which vegetables I chop to add together every bit I go along then that there are layers of everything throughout.

Comprehend your chopped vegetables with the canning/pickling salt (or Kosher salt) and use a spoon or clean hands to combine and distribute the salt throughout.

Adjacent, comprehend your mixing bowl with plastic wrap, identify it into the fridge, and let information technology to refrigerate overnight.

How to Prepare Chow Grub

The adjacent twenty-four hours, remove the bowl from the fridge. You will observe that the vegetables take released h2o and have reduced by most a tertiary in the bowl. That is what y'all want.

Drain off the liquid. Don't rinse the vegetable mixture. Simply drain the released water. I drain as much as I tin then transfer the vegetables to a big colander and place it back over the mixing bowl to finish draining off the liquid.

Earlier processing your bootleg chow chow savor, you will want everything fix and set up to go at your canning station.

The jars should be sterilized. Have your clean canning tools handy along with the flat lids with wax seal and ring screw bands.

Your water bath should exist ready for the jars, or steam canner if you're using. Once all of that is ready to become then information technology is fourth dimension to make the brine and chow chow savour, which doesn't accept long at this indicate.

Get-go the alkali past calculation the white vinegar to a large pot over medium oestrus along with the granulated white sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir until the saccharide is dissolved.

The Spices

Allow'south take a await at the spices and flavorings that we are adding to the brine.

Elevation left is mustard seed, lesser left is turmeric, top right is pickling spice, middle right is red pepper flakes and bottom right is prepared mustard.

Add them all to the brine mixture and stir to combine.

The Sugariness Spicy Brine Mixture

This is how the brine mixture will wait after adding the spices. Bring the liquid dorsum to a simmer and carefully add the chopped vegetables to the pot.

Stir to combine everything together, return to a simmer and allow it to gently cook for about xv to twenty minutes. The vegetables should nevertheless have a slight crunch once they've simmered and absorbed the flavorings of the alkali.

If y'all would prefer the vegetables to be softer then let it simmer a little longer. This is your chow grub relish so make information technology how y'all will savor it nigh.

Canning the Grub Chow Relish

Next it is fourth dimension to ladle your chow-chow savor into the jars. Take a jar and place the canning funnel over top and ladle in some of your chow chow savor making certain to go out well-nigh an inch head space from the peak. Use the air chimera tool or back of a wooden spoon to ensure that there are no air bubbles in the jars.

Echo until all of the jars are filled then take a clean dampened fabric and wipe the rims of the jars to ensure aught spilled on them that would prevent sealing and that information technology is clean.

Place the lids on the jars and secure with the ring band. Place the filled jars into your h2o bath, making sure the simmering water covers the jars and allow to process for 10 minutes.

When the processing time is finished, employ the canning jar lifter to transfer the jars to a towel lined surface and allow them to cool to room temperature. Information technology shouldn't have long before you hear the pinging of the lids letting yous know that the jars have sealed properly. This is a proud moment for any home canner.

Homemade Chow Chow Savor

After I immune the jars to cool for 24 hours, I couldn't await to open one up and taste the grub chow on a hot dog. Oh my stars! That is good eating y'all!

I snapped a photograph and sent it to Daddy and he replied that he was looking frontward to enjoying some chow chow with a bowl of pinto beans with a side of cornbread and with pork sandwiches.

Since I got sever pints out of this batch, of form I have to share some of them. That gives me a lot of joy to be able to share my kitchen creations with others. It is a smashing gift made with love.

A few tips:

• Store your processed Southern chow grub savor in a cool identify, such as a pantry, for up to a yr. If y'all did not procedure the relish, go on information technology refrigerated upwards to six months.
• Pickled Food is a great mode to preserve some of the seasons fresh vegetables to savor throughout the yr. Many pickled foods are healthy too.
• Always follow the latest safe home canning methods for preserving food. An old recipe from your great-great grandmother could be outdated by today's standards and scientific discipline for condom preservation of foods. No criminal offense, Granny!

Full Printable Recipe Card

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Fourth dimension ane hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

The Chow Chow Savour

• 2½ pound Cabbage, chopped (may use up to three pound cabbage)
• 4 Medium Onions, chopped
• 5 Green Bell Peppers, chopped
• iv Carmine Bell Peppers, chopped
• 4 Medium to Large Green Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• three Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and chopped
• ½ loving cup Canning and Pickling Common salt (or use Kosher Salt)
• 5 cups Granulated White Saccharide
• 2 tablespoons of Prepared Mustard (I used French's)
• one tablespoon Mustard Seed
• 2 tablespoons Pickling Spice
• ½ tablespoon Turmeric
• ane tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 quarts White Vinegar (8 cups)

Other

• 8 Pint Size Sterilized Canning Jars with Lids and Bands
• Canning Tools - jar handler, funnel, air bubble remover, and a damp cloth
• Water Bath or Steam Canner for processing (See Notes)

Instructions

1. Add the chopped vegetables to a large bowl (6 quarts) and cover with the common salt. Gently mix and so cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2. Next, bleed the liquid from the vegetables (do not rinse). Set bated.
3. In a large pot over medium heat; combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and spices then bring to a simmer, stirring until the carbohydrate is dissolved.
4. Next, add the vegetables to the alkali and return to a simmer then cook 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Pack the chow chow savour in sterile jars leaving ½ inch of head space; cover with lids and secure the lids with bands.
6. Procedure in a water bath or steam canner for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully transfer the hot jars to a towel lined countertop and allow to cool overnight. You lot should hear jar lids ping letting you know that they are properly sealed. (See Notes)

Notes

Read full post for more detailed explanation and variations for making chow grub relish.

If yous do not wish to process the jars, keep them refrigerated.

Once y'all open a sealed jar, refrigerate.

If any jars exercise not seal properly, go on them refrigerated and use first.

Processed chow chow is shelf stable for a year. The grub grub relish will last upwards to six months refrigerated.

Always follow the latest safe practices for preserving foods.

Nutrition Data:

Yield:

256

Serving Size:

one Tablespoon
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 20 Total Fatty: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fatty: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 5mg Carbohydrates: 5g Cobweb: 0g Sugar: 4g Protein: 0g

What to Serve with Chow Chow Relish?

Chow chow relish is delicious with beans, as a side to pork or craven, turkey burgers and great on hot dogs or bratwursts.

More Side Dishes at Julia's Only Southern

Cheers so much for stopping by! I hope that you savour this chow grub relish just as much as my family has for generations.

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About Julia

Hey You lot! I'm Julia, the melt and author behind the recipes here at Julia's Only Southern. I began my website so that I could share like shooting fish in a barrel to follow recipes that anyone tin can employ to put a dwelling house cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping past!

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