Chow-Chow

This next installment from Grandma's recipe box is chow-chow. I am not going to make this recipe because it makes four gallons of chow-chow, which I could never eat up in my lifetime. But I have fond memories of jarred pickled chow-chow in Grandma's cellar, and it was a great way for Grandma to use surplus vegetables from her garden, carrying forth with the philosophy of her generation to not let anything go to waste. I may look for it in a grocery store, and just buy a single jar of it. Chow chow is great and can be used as a relish on hot dogs, eaten as a side to all kinds of meat, spooned atop a lettuce salad, etc. Here is her recipe:

Chow-Chow -- Makes 4 gallons

Chop a bunch of tomatoes fine and squeeze out water. Put in dish pan and add 1/2 cup salt and cover with vinegar. Add the following:

2 or 3 Tbsp. pepper            1 Tbsp. ground mustard

2 Tbsp. cinnamon                1 dozen finely chopped onions

2 Tbsp. mustard seed        2 Tbsp. cloves

6 cups sugar                    2 heads of cabbage, finely chopped

Boil all for 1 hour. Can and store.

Here's what the Internet has to say about chow-chow. This article was created from artificial intelligence:

The origins of chow chow, a staple in the Southern United States, are debated. Some say it comes from Chinese immigrants who built railroads in the 19th century and brought spicy sauces with them. Others claim it originated with the Acadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia and settled in Louisiana. The name may come from the French word chou, which means "cabbage". Chow chow recipes have been found in Southern cookbooks dating back to 1770, and it may have originated as a way to preserve vegetables for winter. 

Chow chow is typically made by salting chopped vegetables and letting them sit for hours or overnight to draw out excess moisture, then brining and jarring them. An early 20th-century recipe called for cucumbers, onions, cauliflower, and green peppers that were left in brine overnight, then boiled in vinegar with mustard and celery seeds, and mashed into a paste with flour and turmeric. Today's chow chow can include many different vegetables, such as carrots, beans, asparagus, and corn, and can come in a variety of colors, including red, green, and cucumber. Some common seasonings include citrus, ginger, mustard, and hot peppers.