This has been a crazy busy week around here…and it just keeps getting better! Monday I had the privileged of going to my Aunt Ruth’s house and helping in the Chow Chow making process. Now, let me tell you a little about Aunt Ruth. She is in her 80′s and has more energy than me and you put together. She has a huge garden every year and cans hundreds upon hundreds of jars of home grown goodness. Her sense of humor and fun are unrivaled by anyone else I know. In other words…we might have gone to work, but like always it was more fun than work.I came home with a big mess of tomatoes, several home-grown cantaloupes and some freshly made chow chow.
And just look at her canned goods room:
That is only one section of one wall! This stuff you can’t buy in a store with coupons. It is home grown, home canned, home goodness!
The first step, which happens to be the biggest is to get everything chopped up. Sandra (in the back) is chopping the green tomatoes. Mallory is chopping the bell peppers and I was in charge of chopping the onions. It got me a little teary-eyed.
Ruth had gotten up early that morning and peeled all the green tomatoes that go into making the chow chow. Once we all arrived and got the assembly line going it went pretty fast. See, that is the thing about canning, gather up a couple of family members and friends and you can make a party out of it.
Once you get your green tomatoes and your onions all chopped up your going to add some salt and cook for about 20 minutes. Once all it is finished cooking you have to drain it really good before you add all the other ingredients. After you have drained it you are going to add in the peppers:
Make sure you stir it all up really good and then add in the celery seed, vinegar and sugar:
Now that all the ingredients are in you are going to cook it for about 20 minutes making sure to stir often.
Pack the Chow Chow into hot jars and seal with hot lids and rings.
Chow Chow is great with any kind of beans or peas or greens. And of course you can’t forget the cornbread!
The recipe:
1 gallon green tomatoes
1 dozen onions
6 green bell peppers
6 red bell peppers
2 hot pepper (optional)
3 lbs. sugar
1 quart white vinegar
1 TBPS celery seed
1/2 cup salt
Peel the tomatoes and onions, chop them both ( I use a food processor). Mix together and add a 1/2 cup of salt and cover with water. Cook for 20 minutes and then drain well. Then add the chopped peppers, celery seed, sugar and vinegar. Cook for 20 minutes. Pack into clean hot jars and seal with hot lids and rings.
