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cracker barrel chow chow recipe

Chow Chow Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups green cabbage, finely chopped
  • 2 cups green tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp pickling salt
  • 1 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Method
 

  1. Toss the cabbage, green tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion with the pickling salt in a large bowl. Cover and rest for at least 2 hours, then drain, rinse, and press out as much liquid as possible.
  2. Bring the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, turmeric, and red pepper flakes to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add the drained vegetables to the brine, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but still have some bite.
  4. Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes, then spoon into clean glass jars with brine covering the vegetables. Seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
  5. Spoon into a small serving bowl and drizzle a little of the golden brine on top before setting it out.

Notes

The 2-hour salting step is not active cooking time, so the recipe comes together faster than it looks. If you have time, salt the vegetables the night before and refrigerate them overnight — the extra time draws out more moisture and gives you a crisper final relish. This recipe makes about 2 pint jars.