Preserving memories — Green Tomato Relish

   

      I can’t take credit for this recipe, and won’t be trying it this season due to the fact we’ve had a dismal tomato crop. Janet Gfeller provided this recipe plus a jar of her delicious relish when I interview her for my monthly cooking column (Abilene Reflector-Chronicle on August 26, 2014).

     Her article begins with this paragraph — Jars of home canned green tomato relish remind Janet Gfeller of her childhood. “My grandma typically made it at the end of the growing season and then we used it in chicken salad or tuna salad, on hamburgers, hot dogs, just about anything.” She also says, “It's a recipe that is labor intensive.” Normally Janet looks for uncomplicated recipes that don’t require too much time in the kitchen. “If I was looking at this recipe for the first time, I’d probably be put off by the number of ingredients and all the steps but since I know it tastes so good and it is my grandma’s recipe, I am willing to make the effort,” she admits. 

      I, too, will make the effort when, and if, we have a productive tomato crop in the future!

Green Tomato Relish

Relish

1 gallon ground green tomatoes (10 quart bucketful)

6 cups ground cabbage (2 medium heads)

1 pint ground onions (4 large)

1 pint ground green and red sweet peppers  (2 of each)

1 cup table salt

1. Mix all of the ground vegetables together, pour salt over them and mix. 
2. Put mixture into a large container, such as a crock, and weight it down. Let it set overnight at room temperature. 
3. Next morning, squeeze dry. 

Pickling Solution  (Janet puts the whole cloves & cinnamon sticks in a spice bag)

6 cups cider vinegar

4 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons celery seeds

4 sticks cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1. Add ingredients to a very large pot, mix and bring to a boil; boil hard for 10 minutes. Add the squeezed relish to the pot and bring to a boil. Add prepared relish to sterilized jars and seal when hot.
2. For safety purpose, USDA guidelines recommend processing pint jars in a boiling-water bath canner for 5 minutes at 0-1,000 ft. altitude.

Recipe without photos . . .

Green Tomato Relish

Relish

1 gallon ground green tomatoes (10 quart bucketful)

6 cups ground cabbage (2 medium heads)

1 pint ground onions (4 large)

1 pint ground green and red sweet peppers  (2 of each)

1 cup table salt

1. Mix all of the ground vegetables together, pour salt over them and mix. 
2. Put mixture into a large container, such as a crock, and weight it down. Let it set overnight at room temperature. 
3. Next morning, squeeze dry.

Pickling Solution  (Janet puts the whole cloves & cinnamon sticks in a spice bag)

6 cups cider vinegar

4 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons celery seeds

4 sticks cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1. Add ingredients to a very large pot, mix and bring to a boil; boil hard for 10 minutes. Add the squeezed relish to the pot and bring to a boil. Add prepared relish to sterilized jars and seal when hot.
2. For safety purpose, USDA guidelines recommend processing pint jars in a boiling-water bath canner for 5 minutes at 0-1,000 ft. altitude.