Green Tomato Chow Chow Recipe (2024)

I am going to teach y’all how to make the southern delicacy that is Green Tomato Chow Chow. Some might call this end of the garden relish or even salsa verde. {It is a southern recipe but is very close to a salsa verde.} I can it every year using the green tomatoes out of our garden. What do you do with leftover green tomatoes? Make a relish! Let’s get started learning all about canning chow chow to eat all year long!

This one was first published on September 21, 2012, but I have added some more information for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon green tomatoes
• 1 medium head cabbage
• 5 medium bell peppers (I used a mix of red and green)
• 1 medium onion
• 6 pods hot pepper
• 3 c. vinegar
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. plain salt

Cabbage Chow Chow Recipe

I process my veggies in a food processor to make this recipe easier. Chop your green tomatoes. One gallon of green tomatoes makes a BUNCH once you chop them. Check out this picture for a graphic.

Add those into a very large pot. Shred your head of cabbage, seed and chop all peppers, and chop the onion. Add those ingredients to your pot plus the salt and stir.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a separate pot and bring to a boil. Pour over your pot of vegetables and it will look like this.

Cook for 20 minutes. In those 20 minutes, your mixture will actually change color.

Canning Chow Chow

Pour into sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes while covered with boiling water. Please make sure you have plenty of liquid in each jar along with the tomato mixture. You will also want to leave 1/2 inch of headspace in your jars.

This recipe made 3 quarts and 5 pints. This southern tomato relish is perfect on all sorts of things.

Please wait at least 4 weeks before enjoying your green tomato chow chow. You want to give time for the flavors to develop.

What is tomato chow chow?

Think of this as a southern spicy relish. It is super similar to salsa verde, however. It is great on beans, chili, nachos, and you can use in any recipe that calls for salsa verde. Plus it looks so pretty in these jars you can give them as gifts as well!

I hope y’all enjoy this simple canning recipe for green tomato pickle relish! Let me know if you make it and what you think.

Love this recipe for spicy green tomato chow chow and want more ideas? Try the links below!

• Pickled Jalapeno Peppers: A Spicy and Sweet Recipe
• 25 Canning Recipes
• Ultimate Guide to Canning and Freezing Summer Produce
• Home Canning Recipes: Preserving Summer Series
• Fried Green Tomato Pickles
• More Green Tomato Recipes

Need to print this recipe? Try the recipe card below!