Chow Chow is a traditional Southern pickled relish, often prepared at the end of the harvest season to preserve late-summer vegetables. This sweet and sour condiment has a finely chopped texture and vibrant flavor, providing a tangy counterpoint to rich, savory dishes. This preparation focuses on using cabbage as the primary ingredient, alongside bell peppers and onions, to create a crisp, brightly colored relish. The following steps detail the process for making this relish, ensuring both excellent flavor and safe preservation.
Preparing the Cabbage and Vegetables
Achieving the proper texture for the relish begins with the precise preparation of the solid ingredients, including the cabbage, onions, and peppers. All vegetables must be chopped or ground to a fine or medium dice, ensuring a uniform size that will integrate well into the final product. Using a food processor on a pulse setting is an efficient method, but care must be taken to avoid over-processing the mixture into a watery paste.
The salting process is necessary to prevent the final relish from becoming watery. Fresh vegetables contain a high percentage of water, which can dilute the brine during cooking and storage. To combat this, the chopped mixture is tossed with pickling or kosher salt and allowed to sit for 4 to 12 hours in a non-reactive container.
This salting process utilizes osmosis, drawing excess moisture out of the vegetable cells. After the resting period, the accumulated liquid must be discarded. The salted vegetables are then thoroughly rinsed under cool running water to remove excess salt, followed by complete draining before combining them with the brine.
Crafting the Sweet and Sour Brine
The distinctive sweet and sour profile of Chow Chow comes directly from the brine, which balances acidity and sweetness. The liquid foundation involves distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar, providing the acetic acid necessary for flavor and preservation. A high ratio of vinegar is needed to ensure the relish has a low enough pH level for safe canning.
Granulated sugar is incorporated into the vinegar base to temper the sharp acidity, adding the sweetness that defines this relish. The brine is then infused with a blend of spices that provide depth and complexity. Common additions include yellow mustard seed and celery seed, along with turmeric, which imparts the relish’s characteristic bright yellow hue.
The liquid ingredients, sugar, and spices are combined in a large pot and heated, stirring continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved. The mixture is brought to a gentle boil and allowed to simmer for several minutes to infuse the brine with the spices’ flavor. This hot liquid is then ready to be combined with the drained vegetables for the final cooking stage.
Cooking, Canning, and Storing the Relish
The final stage involves combining the prepared vegetables with the hot brine, cooking the relish, and sealing it for long-term storage. The drained vegetables are added to the simmering brine, brought back to a boil, and allowed to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. This cooking period allows the vegetables to slightly soften and absorb the brine’s sweet and sour flavors while retaining a desirable, crisp texture.
Once the relish is cooked, it must be transferred immediately into sterilized jars, leaving a half-inch of headspace at the top. It is important to use a non-metallic tool to remove any trapped air bubbles from the jar before wiping the rim clean to ensure a proper seal. The jars are then fitted with new lids and bands, tightened to finger-tip snugness, and carefully lowered into a boiling water bath canner.
The filled jars must be processed in the boiling water bath for the specified time, typically 10 minutes for pint jars at low altitudes, which heats the entire contents and creates a vacuum seal. After processing, the jars are removed and allowed to cool undisturbed on a towel-lined surface for 12 to 24 hours. Once completely cooled, the seal is checked by pressing the center of the lid; any jars that did not seal properly must be refrigerated, while sealed jars are ready for cool, dark, long-term storage.