Green Tomato Relish Just Before Frost
Today. I was supposed to write this killer, sentimental, informative essay about how wonderful it is that some people find a use for every single thing—you know them— those depression-children, those composters, and left-over lovers. But sometimes, in my line of work, things happen that leave my body hurting and my mind too exhausted to finish an essay. One of those things happened today.
So, I’m going to share a few photos and a video of Momma’s recent work. Yesterday, she picked 20 pounds of green tomatoes to save them from the frost. “What are you going to do with all this?” I asked as I pulled a nursery cart overflowing with veggies into the back porch. “I used to like this green tomato relish,” she said, “I’ll try to find the recipe.”
I understand, on some level, the deep appreciation for the food we grow. I understand compassion. I can’t understand something that Momma knew as a child: poverty and insecurity. There are all kinds of deep reasons some people make every single thing count.
Their reasons are complex, sometimes joyful. I love Momma’s other trick for keeping green tomatoes is easier, “If you do this now, then all fall long, you can just reach into the basket and rummage around, and it’s like finding Easter eggs!”
Though my hips still hurt, and I have a foot-long briar scratch down one arm, I’m glad I wrote even this bit. And I’m comforted by these photos. So, thanks, y’all, for being my motivation and helping me forget a day of problems. I’m not going to tell you about that except to say it involved a broken pipe, a flooded building and the bothersome slacker, seen in this video, who kept stealing everything we laid out in the sun to dry.
Green Tomato Relish
3 cups white vinegar
2.5 cups sugar
1 tbs pickling salt
1 tbs celery seed
1 tbs mustard seed
10 cups cored, thinly sliced green tomatoes
2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cups chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped red pepper
Combine first 5 ingredients and heat to boiling. Add all vegetables and simmer 10 minutes.
Pack hot, sterilized jars. Fill to top, making sure vinegar solution covers the veggies. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Makes 5 pints.
My mom, well into her eighties, makes a Chow-Chow which uses green tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and hot peppers. It does not include cabbage., which is common in most Chow-Chows. All of the ingredients are ground in a hand-turned food mill. The recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother. My sister made it one time using a new-fangled device called a food processor. It was horrible. My mom replied, " You left out the love." Good things come to those who wait.
Chasing the donkey is like chasing out old great dane. U cant catch them. He's both annoying but so adorable. I meed some greent tomatoes. Bet dh would love this relish. Thanks for sharing.