Relishes
1. Beet-Cabbage Relish
- 2 cups chopped boiled beets
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
Method
- Scald beets in boiling water, remove peels.
- Chop beets into 1/2 inch cubes, put in non-reactive kettle or pot add water to cover, boil until tender.
- Remove beets to a clean pot or kettle; reserve cooking water.
- Mix all ingredients in kettle, measuring 1/2 cup cooking water.
- Heat until boiling.
- Place in hot pint jars, making sure all jars get equal amounts of liquid.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
2. Sassy Southern Relish
- 2 cups sweet red peppers, seeded and chopped
- 4 cups cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups sweet green peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 Tbsp celery seed
- 2 cups white or yellow onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup mustard seed
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 hot peppers, seeded and chopped (to taste)
Method
- Wash, seed, de-rib, and chop all the peppers.
- Wash and chop cabbage.
- Peel and chop onions.
- Combine vegetables in a non-reactive bowl, pot, or kettle.
- Cover with salt and let stand at room temperature overnight.
- Drain, add spices, sugar and vinegar to veggies without heating.
- Pack into sterile pint jars, leaving inch inch of head space.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
3. Sweet and Sour Hot Dog Relish
- 24 red bell peppers
- 7 medium white or yellow onions
- 2 Tbsp mustard seed
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
Method
- In a food processer, combine the peppers and onions until they look ground.
- Place peppers and onions and their juices in a heavy kettle or pot and add remaining ingredients.
- Boil for 30 minutes.
- Pack into sterile pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes.
4. Chow-Chow & Piccalilli
These two relishes are so similar that their names are sometimes used interchangeably. Chow-Chow seems to have originated with the French Canadians, and brought south to the US during a time of heavy immigration.
The French chou is the word for cabbage. Chow-Chow is used primarily as a condiment for mashed potatoes, meats, fish cakes, and biscuits. There is an unsubstantiated opinion that the term comes from Chinese cuisine.
In Great Britain, Piccalilli that is made of coarsely chopped vegetables is served on a plate as an accompaniment to a dish. When it is made of finely chopped vegetables, it is used as a spread on breads or in meat sandwiches.
Chow-Chow appears to be somewhat hotter in spice, with the vegetables finely chopped. Piccalilli is usually sweeter and chunkier. Both use many combinations of regionally available vegetables and spices. In other words, like chutneys, there is no right or wrong when it comes to either Chow-Chow or Piccalilli!
Chow-Chow
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/2 pound small boiling onions
- 6 small pickling cucumbers
- 6 small firm red tomatoes
- 3 bunches celery
- 1 gallon vinegar
- 1/2 cup dry mustard
- 1/2 cup mustard seeds
- 1/4 cup prepared Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup ground turmeric
- 2 Tbsp ground cloves
Method
- Wash, quarter, core, and chop cabbage into small pieces.
- Wash, quarter, core, and separate cauliflower into florets.
- Peel onions.
- Wash cucumbers and tomatoes.
- Wash celery, remove leaves, and chop.
- Cook vegetables separately until tender.
- Drain immediately and toss together in a large bowl.
- In a non-reactive pot or kettle, combine vinegar, dry mustards, mustard seeds, Dijon mustard, turmeric, and cloves.
- Heat until mixture boils.
- Turn down heat to maintain a simmer while packing vegetables into canning jars.
- Pack mixed vegetables into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
- Pour boiling vinegar mixture over vegetables, making sure some mustard seed gets into each jar.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process in a boiling water bath for fifteen minutes.
Piccalilli
- 4 cups chopped cabbage
- 4 cups chopped green tomatoes
- 2 large onions (white or yellow)
- 2 sweet red peppers, chopped
- 4 Tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water 2
- cups packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp celery seed
Method
- Place chopped vegetables in a non-reactive bowl, pot, or kettle.
- Mix with the salt and let stand overnight.
- Drain the next day, pressing with a plate to remove as much liquid as possible.
- In a non-reactive pot or kettle, boil vinegar, water, sugar, and spices for five minutes.
- Reduce heat to a simmer until vegetables are packed.
- Pack vegetables into hot pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
- Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables.
- Wipe rims, screw on lids and rings.
- Process in a boiling water bath for fifteen minutes.