Chow Chow and Crackers

Chow chow is the quintessential Appalachian relish — a coarse, pungent condiment made from the end-of-garden vegetables in October: green tomatoes that won’t ripen before frost, the last of the cabbage, bell peppers, onions, hot peppers — all chopped and pickled with vinegar, sugar, and spices. Eaten on crackers, on beans, on hot dogs, or straight from the jar, chow chow was on every mountain table.

Ingredients

• Chow chow: 4 cups green tomatoes chopped, 2 cups cabbage shredded, 2 cups onions diced, 1 cup green bell pepper diced, 1 cup red bell pepper diced, 2–3 hot peppers chopped
• Brine: 2 cups cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp mustard seed, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp salt
• Saltine crackers for serving

Directions

1. Combine all chopped vegetables. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp salt. Let stand overnight to draw out moisture. Rinse and drain thoroughly.
2. Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric, celery seed, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.
3. Add drained vegetables. Return to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Pack hot into sterilized mason jars. Process in water bath canner 10 minutes.
5. Let sit at least 2 weeks before eating — flavors develop and mellow significantly.
6. To eat: spread generously on saltine crackers. Also excellent on beans, pinto soup, or hot dogs.

Notes

Chow chow varies dramatically by family — some make it sweet, some make it hot, some use mostly cabbage, others mostly green tomatoes. The constant is the vinegar-based preservation and the end-of-garden vegetable combination. It keeps for 1–2 years unopened. Mountain families made it in large quantities every October to last through the year.