Green Tomato Chowchow
Ingredients
- 6 green tomatoes, cored and diced
- 1 or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- ½ bunch celery, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1½ green bell peppers, seeded and diced
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. mustard seed
- ½ tbsp. fennel seed
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- ½ tbsp. blades of mace (can substitute 1 scant tsp. nutmeg)
- ½ tbsp. whole black peppercorns
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups sugar
Directions
- Place diced vegetables in a large bowl and season with salt, tossing to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
- Set a colander into a large bowl and strain vegetables, reserving the liquid.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium and toast mustard seed, fennel seed, turmeric, mace blades (or nutmeg), and black peppercorns for 2–3 minutes or until fragrant, tossing frequently.
- In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar and 2 cups of reserved vegetable liquid to a boil. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve, and toasted spices. Reduce heat to medium-low and reduce liquid slightly, about 4–5 minutes. Pour hot liquid over diced vegetables.
- Let cool to room temperature, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Or, to preserve, ladle mixture into sterilized jars kept warm in hot water and preserve according to standard water-bath technique. For more information about canning, see Ball’s freshpreserving.com.