Green Tomato Chow Chow
Avoid tossing your green tomatoes into the compost by making this quick-pickled tomato relish instead
I cannot tell you the first thing about the origins of chow chow. It’s probably best described as the southern version of giardiniera. I have no idea who invented it, nor do I remember when I first tried it. It didn’t frequent the dinner tables of my childhood, and I honestly didn’t think much about it until five years ago when I stumbled on an old message board post, dated September 8th, 1997.
The post lived in an archived thread from the gardening forum of a now-defunct message board dedicated to Clemson University athletics. It briefly described one poster’s solution to a common problem in southern gardens.
The poster described a green tomato chow chow that his grandmother made. I studied it for a minute, figuring that the texture of an unripe tomato wasn’t that far off from cucumber, okra, or anything else I’d pickled. The chow chow I see in grocery stores near me is a cabbage and onion mixture with enough red bell pepper slices thrown in to give it some color on the shelf but not enough to make it taste like peppers. I knew it wouldn’t be hard to improve upon the store-bought version.
I’m in Zone 7b in North Carolina and usually harvest my first cherry tomatoes around Father’s Day. By mid-August, it’s time to flip my beds and get the fall/winter brassicas in. Most tomato varieties, especially those in the cherry and grape family, are indeterminate. This means they’ll keep growing and producing tomatoes as long as weather conditions allow. As a result, every August, I’m left with pounds and pounds of green cherry tomatoes that won’t have time to ripen on the vine and would otherwise go in the yard waste bin with the rest of the tomato vines. So after reading that archived post, I grabbed some cabbage and sweet onions from the store, harvested the green tomatoes and peppers from my garden, and got to work making homemade green tomato chow chow.
What started as a last-ditch attempt to avoid food waste became something I look forward to every year. It’s gotten to the point where I plan my garden around maximizing the number of green cherry tomatoes I have each August.
I’ll be honest: it took me a few tries to get the seasoning mix and the brine solution right. Also, don’t be shy about employing a Slap Chop here. All home cooks should strive to improve their knife skills, but trying to get five pounds of cherry tomatoes diced to a uniform size isn’t the time or place to make that stand. They’re stiff and the small round shape makes them want to roll out from under the knife. You will make a mistake eventually. Don’t be a hero.
This recipe can be scaled to fit any quantity or variety of green tomatoes that you have on hand. Additionally, the texture is something you can change to your liking. All you have to do is alter the thickness of your cuts. As for uses, this can go on or in virtually anything where you’d use a relish. In my house, the favorite application is on a hot dog with some yellow mustard.
This green tomato chow chow recipe utilizes the quick pickling method. The jars will seal and keep in the refrigerator for at least one year, but they are not shelf-stable. This recipe will fill one half-gallon Ball jar or eight half-pint Ball jars.
Green Tomato Chow Chow
Ingredients
Method
- Boil and sterilize your jar, lid, and ring. Set them aside to dry.
- Chop all the cabbage, green tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion. Pack them tightly into your jar, sprinkling in the mustard and celery seeds after the veggies are in.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a boil. Boil the brine for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the brine from saucepan to something with a spout (pitcher, mixing bowl, etc.).
- Slowly pour the brine over the jarred veggies. Pour quickly while the brine is still almost boiling.
- Using a skewer or other similar tool, poke down into the jar and release all the air bubbles.
- Place the lid on the jar and tightly screw down the ring.
- Place the entire jar into your refrigerator. It will take quite awhile to cool completely. I always leave mine overnight and check the next morning to make sure the lid has sealed. Store in refrigerator for up to 12 months and enjoy!
Yeah on a hot dog with mustard. You are a nc boy. Thanks for the recipe!