Chow chow
turns green tomatoes into a tasty relish.
The arrival of the first ripe tomatoes is one of the year's highlights for most gardeners, but dealing with a bumper crop can become wearing by the end of the season. In most climates, the first frosts arrive before tomatoes have stopped bearing, meaning there are a large quantity of green tomatoes to use up as well. Making up a batch of green tomato relish, called chow chow or piccalilli, is one way to do this. There is a Southern version with bell peppers added, and a simpler but spicier New England version.
Instructions
1. Check your canning supplies before starting. Inspect the rims of your jars for chips or abrasions that might prevent sealing, even if they are brand new. Use new sealer lids for every canning project, as they are not intended for multiple uses. Have sterilized tongs or a magnetic lid lifter available for handling the sterilized lids without contaminating them. A jar lifter makes it safer and easier to remove hot jars from your canner.
2. Prepare a batch of chow chow according to your favorite recipe. Most produce six to 10 half-pint jars of the chow chow.
3. Place the rack in and fill it with hot tap water. Place it on your stove, and bring the water up to a simmer.
4. Sterilize your canning jars and lids in boiling water, or by any other USDA-approved method. Fill the sterile jars with your hot chow chow, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top. Place sterilized lids on the jars, and tighten them until just finger-tight.
5. Load your canner with the jars. If there is not at least one inch of water over the jars, add more hot water. Bring the canner to a full boil. Chow chow is a highly acidic food, and will be safe from botulism and other food-borne illness if canned using the water-bath method.
6. Process the jars in your canner for five minutes if you live at sea level, twice that if you are above 1,000 ft. elevation, or for 15 minutes if you live at 6,000 ft. or higher. Remove the jars from your canner after processing, and leave them in a draft-free place to cool. A jar lifter, essentially a specialized pair of tongs, makes this task easier and safer.
7. When the jars have returned to room temperature, test the seal by pressing down on the middle of the lid with your finger. If the lid does not buckle under your finger, you have a good seal. If the lid pushes down and then bounces back, it did not seal. Re-process the jar or refrigerate it for immediate use.
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