Soul Food Green Tomatoes

It is usually made with green tomatoes, cabbage, mustard seed, onions, hot peppers, sweet peppers, and vinegar. Other optional ingredients include cucumbers, celery, carrots, beans, corn and also cauliflower. However, the ingredients are by no means “strict” and nearly any leftover fresh vegetables could be used including radishes and even red tomatoes in a pinch.

Chow chow is typically made from chopped green tomatoes and cabbage which, of course, give it its’ distinctive green appearance. It gets its spiciness from mustard seed, onions, hot peppers, sweet peppers, and vinegar.

The term “relish” is from the expression “reles” which means “something remaining” in old French, which makes sense with this kind of dish since the ingredients can be changed around so much. Regardless of where chopped tomato originated, what is clear is that Southerners have been using it as a condiments for hundreds of years.

The following chow chow meal can make half dozen pints. List of ingredients:

nine lbs of green tomatoes half-dozen lbs of yellow or white onions, peeled and finely diced 1 cup of salt six cups of water 4 cups of white wine vinegar 4 tbsps of pickling seasonings 2 1/2 lbs . white sugar two 1/2 pounds light brown sugar 1/2 cup of corn starch two teaspoons of dry mustard one teaspoon turmeric one red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced four cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced

Directions:

Get your diced green tomatoes together with the onions in a very, very big bowl and add four cups of the water plus all of the salt. Allow the mixture to marinate for at least eight hrs, although twelve hrs is much better, covered up inside of the fridge.

Strain really well inside a colander after which you’ll put tomatoes and onions into a large cooking pot along with the white vinegar, 2 cups of water and pickling spice.

Bring all of this to a boil above high temperature then minimize the high temperature to low and simmer for a half-hour. Pour in all the white and brown sugar and let to simmer for another half-hour.

In a smaller sized bowl, mix the cornstarch, mustard along with tumeric and steadily add it to the simmering pan. Incorporate the diced red bell pepper and garlic cloves and simmer for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until eventually thick. Now, pour your green tomato relish in tupperware and store in your refrigerator or even in the freezer for as long as half a dozen months.

Hungry for more? Then try pickled okra or this hush puppies recipes