Chow Chow Recipe (Southern Relish)
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Transform any meal with a spoonful of this chow chow recipe, a classic Southern relish that’s a flavorful combination of tart, sweet, crunchy, and spicy.
If you have never heard about chow chow relish before, you’re in for a treat! This is a classic Southern condiment that people often called the end-of-season relish. Did your granny make this? If yes she would likely get all the leftover vegetables from her garden, like green tomatoes, under-developed bell peppers, onions, and cabbage, and make a big batch of chow chow relish. It made sure nothing was ever wasted, which was so important back in those days.
Using four main veggies: onions, cabbage, green tomatoes, and green and red bell peppers. But just like they did back then, you can use whatever veggies you want that you don’t want to waste. Our veggies are pickled in a tart, sweet, and flavorful combination of white vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric.
The instructions are thankfully pretty simple. All we have to do is finely chop up our vegetables, let them soak in salt overnight, and then bring the remaining ingredients to a boil the following day. Then it’s just a matter of canning the relish. This is such an easy chow chow relish recipe to follow and I just know you’re gonna love how tasty it is! The combination of flavors is irresistible.
Now let’s get to this recipe so I can enjoy a big bowl of red beans with chow chow and cornbread
Recipe Ingredients
- Onion
- Cabbage
- Green tomatoes
- Red and green bell pepper
- Coarse salt
- Granulated sugar
- Mustard seed
- Celery seed
- Turmeric
- White vinegar
- Water
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Chow Chow Relish
Chop vegetables finely using a food processor or grinder.
Place the chopped vegetables in a porcelain or glass container and sprinkle with the salt.
Cover and let them stand overnight.
Place the vegetables in a large colander and rinse very well under cold running water. Divide into smaller batches if necessary.
Drain thoroughly and place in a large stockpot.
Combine the remaining ingredients…
Then pour over chopped vegetables. Heat to boiling and then boil for 4 minutes.
Ladle into clean pint jars that have been sterilized in boiling water.
Seal with sterilized lids according to manufacturer instructions.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Here’s my canning tutorial for more info.
Now enjoy your homemade chow chow relish with some beans and cornbread. YUM!
Storage
When canned properly and stored in a cool, dry place, the green tomato chow chow will last up to one year.
Recipe Notes
- If you like, substitute the white vinegar for apple cider vinegar.
- For extra heat, add a sliced cayenne pepper or jalapeno pepper to the veggies (remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward).
- Other pickling spices you might like to add to this recipe for chow chow relish (a teaspoon each) include ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and dry mustard (or yellow mustard powder).
- If you don’t have access to green tomatoes, normal tomatoes will work in a pinch.
- You want to use pickling salt or kosher salt, not iodized table salt.
Recipe FAQs
What is chow chow?
Chow chow is a pickled relish condiment made from a variety of vegetables. Its origins are traced back to the South as a way to use up ingredients in the pantry. There’s no traditional chow chow recipe and it can vary from region to region, but the main ingredient is typically green cabbage. You can eat it by itself or add it as a main dish topping for extra flavor.
Chow chow is also a common recipe in the Pennslyvania Dutch area and in Britain where they call it Piccalilli. Amish chow chow recipe ingredients are very similar, but they often use different vegetables like green beans, lima beans, cauliflower, and corn kernels.
What does chow chow taste like?
Chow Chow tastes like a pickled relish, so it’s both sweet and sour thanks to the combination of sugar and vinegar.
How do you serve chow chow?
Southern chow chow goes well with so many Southern dishes. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Serve it as a Southern side dish with cornbread and a main dish like Southern fried catfish or Southern fried chicken.
- As I mentioned, it’s so good with red beans and cornbread or pinto beans and ham.
- Add it as a topping to sandwiches like pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs.
- Pour it over cream cheese and serve alongside crackers.
- Add it to your next charcuterie board.
- Stir the chow chow into deviled eggs or potato salad.
Check out these other Southern specialties:
Hush Puppies Recipe, Southern-Style
Southern-Style Fried Okra Recipe
Southern Biscuit Recipe (3 Ingredients Only)
Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese (Southern Plate Favorite)
Ingredients
- 12 medium onions 4 cups
- 1 medium head cabbage 4 cups
- 10 green tomatoes 4 cups
- 12 green bell peppers
- 6 sweet red bell peppers
- ½ cup coarse salt
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp mustard seed
- 1 tbsp celery seed
- 1 ½ tsp turmeric
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Chop vegetables finely using a food processor or grinder. Place the chopped vegetables in a porcelain or glass container and sprinkle with the salt. Cover and let them stand overnight.12 medium onions, 1 medium head cabbage, 10 green tomatoes, 12 green bell peppers, 6 sweet red bell peppers, ½ cup coarse salt
- Place the vegetables in a large colander and rinse very well under cold running water. Divide into smaller batches if necessary.
- Drain thoroughly and place in a large stockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chopped vegetables. Heat to boiling and then boil for 4 minutes.6 cups granulated sugar, 2 tbsp mustard seed, 1 tbsp celery seed, 1 ½ tsp turmeric, 4 cups white vinegar, 2 cups water
- Ladle into clean pint jars that have been sterilized in boiling water. Seal with sterilized lids according to manufacturer instructions. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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not what I am looking for my grandma mom and anute made thier with banana peper no sugar kown some of the recipe I donot rember the rest thier on one in my famly that kown how to do any ting like that just me and I was very little at the time everyone is gone I still try nerve got it rigth but thank
Is chowchow like coldslaw or is it a relish and what do they eat with it.
you eat it on pinto beanswith some fried potatoes, fried okra, fried pork chops, and corn bread. delish!!
and greens
So true. I love Chow Chow.
Sounds yummy!!
I love your comment I make my great granny’recipe it has jalapenos in it as well and that is exactly how we grew up eating it .pinto beans corn bread and pork chops .man I can’t keep it on my shelves everyone loves it
i use brown sugar and a variety of peppers to taste
we like with fish
It is like a sweet relish if made according to this recipe, but if you cut the sugar in half it is more like a dill relish…either way it is VERY good.
a relish my mom made it it is good on every thing.
I put mine into homemade potato salad, and it just blows folks away…. this is the ultimate chow chow recipe on the planet and beyond…. will never make it any other way.
It is like a pickle relish delicious in pinto beans!
It is a relish only better! I added a tsp of garlic powder and a 1/2 tsp of cayenne. It is good with peas and cornbread, or beans or even hotdogs! Nothing like good Ole homemade chow chow!
Glad someone finally mentioned hot dogs! We like it on ‘brat dogs’ or spicy ‘boudin dogs’.
I am a country boy born and in Arkansas I am trying grandma’s recipe for the first time I added lots of peppers to the recipe to give it Sweeney spicy taste it’s good eat it. With anything yummy!!
It is more Iike relish but put a dollop on your plate and a smidge on your fork with any bite of anything! Nice bright flavor! Mmm mmm.
My family always called it “hamburger relish”. It’s also wonderful on hot dogs. My grandma added shredded carrots to the mix
Chow chow is not slaw. It’s a relish.
I do not remember sugar in the ones my mom made and then my mother in law. All the ones I have found on the internet do call for sugar.
I have never had chow chow that was not sweet. It is essentially a southern chutney good with greens, meats, beans, and cornbread.
It does contain sugar.
I was looking for a recipe for making chow chow like my grandmother’s and my mother in law’s especially as her’s was the best. I came across this one and used it as the base for my recipe. I mixed all the seasonings and vinegar and added 2 T pickling spice done up in a cheesecloth to all boil together until I could not stir it down. Then turned off the heat and let it set while I prepared the veggies. I also use finely chopped 1 large yellow squash and cucumber and 3 shredded carrot in mine like my grandmother did but the bulk of the veggies is onions,2red,1yellow and 1 green bell peppers and cabbage. Pour the vinegar mix over the veggies after rinsing the salt off and boil for 10 minutes. Put in jars,water bath for 15 minutes and then let cool. Awesome. Thanks for the help. We also called it Harvest Relish. So good with beans and cornbread.
I am originally from Wv and Mom always made Chow Chow. We called it mixed pickles. Love it. This is the closest to what I make.
Can you do this with a pressure cooker? I don’t have a hot water bath pot and for space purposes was not planning on getting one but wanted to do chow chow and tomatoes too…This recipe sounds delish!!
I have been searching high and low for a recipe for chow chow. My maternal grandma was from Arkansas and she use to make it for us, we would eat it with greens and beans. She would make a spicy and a mild. Thanks for this recipe, and bringing back memories.
I need to make some of this for my grandmother and see if she calls it chow chow or picalilly…she swears they are two totally different things so we shall see what she calls this 🙂 Bless her shes not eating much these days due to congestive heart failure and so many meds but this may get her to eat a nice portion at dinner when I make it 🙂
Yep, my mother always made Chow chow every year and I remember really liking it but since I moved to the Great Northwest I have never made it myself; however I am keeping your receipe and may just make it someday. Truly appreciate the history behind this Southern speciality.
With gratitude,
~Sylvia Faye