Chowchow, also known as piccalilli in some areas, is a condiment that is intended to use up garden scraps, or seasonal left-overs. I played around with several recipes and I'm more than happy with the tangy, hot-mustard flavor of this one. It reminds me of a spicy Asian sweet and sour relish.
The original recipe called for only 1/2 cup sugar, but I added to it. You may omit tomatoes and use only cukes if desired. The seasonings here, are meant as a guide, but you can add to, or take away what you please.
Serve chowchow along with glazed ham, or in place of pickle relish.
1 large cabbage, cored and roughly chopped
3 cups mixed peppers, cored, seeded and chopped(I used mostly milder banana peppers and threw in 2 hot inferno peppers just to spice things up)
2 smaller cukes, unpeeled and chopped
2 quarts peeled, cored, and chopped green tomatoes (4 pounds)
1 large, candy onion, chopped
1 - 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons whole, yellow mustard seeds
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
In batches, roughly chop all the veggies. In a very large bowl, toss the veggies with the salt. Let them stand at rom temperature for 3 - 4 hours. Drain excess liquid. Rinse and drain well again.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add he drained veggies and bring back to a boil. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.
When finished, the chowchow should look similar in consistency to pickle relish. Using a slotted spoon, pack the chopped veggies into pint sized mason jars, leaving about an inch headspace. Ladle the brine over the veggies leaving 1/2 inch final headspace.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Delish!!
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