Chow-Chow Relish
A tangy, slightly spicy relish made from end-of-garden produce — cabbage, onions, green tomatoes, peppers — chopped, salted, then preserved in sweetened vinegar. A spoonful wakes up any braised dish.
A tangy, slightly spicy relish made from end-of-garden produce — cabbage, onions, green tomatoes, peppers — chopped, salted, then preserved in sweetened vinegar. A spoonful wakes up any braised dish.
At the end of summer, when the garden gave its last vegetables, we let nothing freeze on the vine. We chopped everything — cabbage, onions, green tomatoes still hard — salted it overnight, then made the vinegar sing with a little sugar and spices. Rows of jars on the shelf, that was our insurance against winter. A spoonful on the beans, and even a gray day had flavor.
- •Cabbage — one head (crunchy base)
- •Green tomatoes (end of season) — a few (acidity)
- •Onions — two or three (aromatic)
- •Sweet and hot peppers — to taste (heat)
- •Vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds — to taste (preserving brine)
Chow-Chow Relish
A tangy, slightly spicy relish made from end-of-garden produce — cabbage, onions, green tomatoes, peppers — chopped, salted, then preserved in sweetened vinegar. A spoonful wakes up any braised dish.
Why this dish? On a farm feeding thirteen children, nothing was wasted: leftover autumn garden produce was pickled in vinegar to last the winter. Chow-chow, this tangy relish, livened up everyday beans and greens — the farm economy of Anita Hill's Oklahoma childhood.
At the end of summer, when the garden gave its last vegetables, we let nothing freeze on the vine. We chopped everything — cabbage, onions, green tomatoes still hard — salted it overnight, then made the vinegar sing with a little sugar and spices. Rows of jars on the shelf, that was our insurance against winter. A spoonful on the beans, and even a gray day had flavor.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cabbage — one head (crunchy base)
- Green tomatoes (end of season) — a few (acidity)
- Onions — two or three (aromatic)
- Sweet and hot peppers — to taste (heat)
- Vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds — to taste (preserving brine)
Ingredients
- White cabbage — 400 g, chopped (crunchy base)
- Green tomatoes (or green bell peppers) — 300 g (acidity)
- Onions — 2, chopped (aromatic)
- Red bell pepper + 1 chili — 1 + 1 (color and heat)
- Coarse salt — 2 tbsp (for drawing out water) (water extraction)
- Apple cider vinegar — 350 ml (preservation)
- Sugar — 150 g (sweet-sour balance)
- Mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric — 1 tsp each (spices)
Method
- Finely chop all vegetables, mix with coarse salt, and let stand overnight in the refrigerator.
- Rinse and drain well the next day.
- Bring vinegar, sugar, and spices to a boil, add vegetables, and simmer 10-15 minutes.
- Pack into hot sterilized jars, seal immediately, and invert to create a vacuum.
- Let mature at least a week before tasting; keeps for several months.
How it was made : Chow-chow is a typical Southern rural preserving relish, heir to European pickling techniques adapted to garden surpluses. It allowed families, both Black and white, to keep flavor and vegetables through winter in an era before widespread refrigeration.
The contemporary twist : Serve it also as a condiment on a sandwich or with cheese: the sweet-sour-spicy note works wonders, like a homemade pickle.
Sources : Edna Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking (1976) · Ronni Lundy, Victuals: An Appalachian Journey (2016) · Adrian Miller, Soul Food (2013)
Anita Hill · Charactorium