Chow Chow
This canning project works well in late summer as gardening begins to wind down. Chow chow does not require the youngest, tiniest vegetables, so it is a way to use the last of the season’s yield.
In some families, sisters get together for chow-chow making. That relieves the tedium of chopping and cooking the numerous vegetables that go into the most subtly flavored, variously textured, and brightly colored chow chow.
Ingredients
- 4 cups lima beans
- 4 cups green string beans
- 2 cups yellow wax beans
- 4 cups cabbage chopped
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 4 cups carrots sliced
- 4 cups celery cut in chunks
- 4 cups red and green peppers chopped
- 4 cups small white onions
- 4 cups cucumbers cut in chunks
- 4 cups corn kernels
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp. pickling spices
- 1 Tbsp. mustard seed
- 1 Tbsp. celery seed
Instructions
- Cook each vegetable separately until tender but not mushy.
- When each is finished lift out of hot water with a slotted spoon, and rinse with cold water to stop its cooking and preserve its color.
- Drain, then layer into large dishpan.
- Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, and spices into a 15-quart stockpot (or do half a batch at a time in an 8-quart kettle) and bring to boil.
- Make sure the sugar is fully dissolved, then spoon all the vegetables (or half of them, depending upon the size of the kettle) into the syrup and boil for 5 minutes.
- Stir gently, only to mix the vegetables well.
- Spoon into hot, sterilized jars.