Learn how to make chow chow, a zesty mix of pickled vegetables that Southerners love.

Chow Chow
2016-05-06 20:24:42

Makes 8 pints
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped green cabbage
- 4 1/2 cups small cauliflower florets
- 4 cups chopped red bell pepper
- 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green tomatoes
- 3 cups sliced sweet onion
- 3/4 cup chopped poblano pepper
- 5 tablespoons canning and pickling salt
- 8 pint canning jars, metal lids, and metal bands
- 5 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons mustard seed
- 2 tablespoons celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, cauliflower, red bell pepper, green tomatoes, onion, poblano pepper, and salt. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain vegetables again.
- Prepare 8 pint jars, lids, and bands according to manufacturer’s instructions. Prepare boiling water-bath canner. In a large nonreactive enameled or stainless steel Dutch oven, bring vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, tumeric, ginger, and coriander to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir vegetables into vinegar mixture, and return mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pack vegetables into hot sterilized jars, and cover with vinegar mixture, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, and adjust headspace as necessary. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth. Immediately cover with lids, and screw on bands to fingertip tightness. Process in boiling water-bath canner according to manufacturer’s instructions for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid; let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes. Place jars on a clean towel on a counter, and let cool for 24 hours. Check seals. Let stand in a cool dark place for 2 to 3 weeks before opening. Refrigerate any unsealed jars for up to 1 week.
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Prepare vinegar solution. Do not reduce amount of vinegar—pickles and other preserved foods must have the correct amount of acidity to be safe.
Add vegetables, and cook for specified time. Cooking or “hot-packing” vegetables shrinks them, making them easier to pack in jars.
Pack vegetables firmly in jars, but do not press down hard on them.
Ladle vinegar mixture over vegetables, and remove any air bubbles. Adjust headspace as specified in recipe.
Place lids and bands on jars, and tighten to fingertip tightness (o not over-tighten). Be sure to bring canner to a full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
After processing, let jars cool on a clean dish towel, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check seals. Remove bands, and wipe rims before storing.