Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (2024)

By Kelli and Holli 11 Comments

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This is my Nana’s Chow Chow Recipe. How long has it been since you have had Chow Chow? Do you know what it is? For those of you who do not, chow chow is a preparation added to food in order to enhance its flavor, like whatever you may put on your fries although I wouldn’t put chow chow on fries. Last week, as I was unpacking another box from the move I found some cookbooks and in one of those cookbooks I found an index card in my Nana’s handwriting with her beloved and until-now-lost chow chow recipe. Yay! It is sweet and spicy and perfect for the top of pinto beans or the bottom of a hot dog. Since Nana made it last, many things have changed and I use as many shortcuts as I can.

If you have a full garden, you go ahead and chop up all those garden-fresh items – you’ll need to chop and chop. You may do the same if you have access to a farmer’s market. But, if you are like me, only green bell peppers, onions and tomatoes are ripe in the farmer’s market right now. So, I took what I could get and bought the rest at the store. I purchased 2 bags of angel hair cabbage as well as all my red, orange and yellow bell peppers already cut up. It will save you tons of time! Check around your produce area – they are generally on a top shelf.

Nana’s Chow Chow

Here’s what you are going to need to get:

1 small cabbage, chopped
6 to 8 green or red tomatoes, chopped
6 medium bell peppers, chopped
6 large onions, chopped
2 hot peppers, chopped
3 cups sugar
5 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup salt or pickling salt.

1 teaspoon mustard seeds.

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
Ladle into pint jars and screw lids tightly on top. Place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a towel that is in a place in your home that is draft free. Makes 8 to 9 pints.

Now you can give some to your friends and keep some to add to dishes where you want that little extra kick! Before you know it – people will be begging you for more!

Nana's Chow Chow

Ingredients

  • 1small cabbagechopped
  • 6 to 8green or red tomatoeschopped
  • 6medium bell pepperschopped
  • 6large onionschopped
  • 2hot pepperschopped
  • 3cupssugar
  • 5cupswhite vinegar
  • 1/4cupsalt or pickling salt.
  • 1teaspoonmustard seeds.

Instructions

  1. Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

  2. Ladle into pint jars and screw lids tightly on top. Place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a towel that is in a place in your home that is draft free. Makes 8 to 9 pints.

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Comments

  1. Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (4)Terri C

    I’ve made my grandma’s chow chow too. Thanks for the great memories! Yours looks delicious!

    Reply

    • Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (5)Kelli

      Thank you Terri!!

      Reply

    • Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (6)Karen

      I love chow chow on a pulled pork sandwich! Can’t wait to make my own!!!

      Reply

  2. Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (7)Sarah

    Looks and smells good. I’ve never been brave enough to try chow chow. I added extra jalapeños to give it more kick. I just have one thing “bad” to say about your recipe. You don’t tell how much headspace.

    Reply

    • Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (8)Kelli and Holli

      Sorry about that! 1/4 inch headspace is the correct amount. Too much or too little headspace can cause problems with the seal. Thanks for asking — Kelli

      Reply

  3. Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (9)Patsy

    I’d like to make childcare for my son but he’s allergic to the green tomatoes so can I just do cabbage instead of the green tomatoes

    Reply

    • Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (10)Kelli and Holli

      That’s a great idea! Yes!

      Reply

    • Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (11)Granny Jean

      Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (12)
      I have made chow chow with ripe tomatoes. Just cut off the top of the tomato and then squeeze out as much liquid and seeds you can. Will keep the chow chow from being too runny.

      Reply

  4. Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (13)Derick

    Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (14)
    My Aunt made Chow Chow often I remember loving it so much. I was a foodie before that was even a thing. She always had a stockpile of ingredients for any eventuality. I and my Cousin often made cheese dips and the like.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] Add Nana’s Chow Chow for a real zing! […]

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  2. […] are you doing this fine Sunday? I am making more of the Chow Chow I made a few weeks ago and my daughter asked me to make a salsa recipe for canning. Something I […]

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Nanas Chow Chow Recipe - Kelli's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is chow chow relish made of? ›

Some chow chow recipes consist primarily of chopped green tomatoes, cabbage, onion, and peppers while others can contain carrots, beans, cauliflower, or peas. Regardless of which ones you choose, the ingredients are all pickled in a canning jar and served cold as a condiment.

What makes chow chow? ›

Chowchow is a pickled relish dish that was used to preserve summer vegetables for later in the year. Recipes for the relish are highly regional, and tend to be generational recipes, passed down through families. While no one batch is the same, a lot of Southern chowchows use tomatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, and onions.

What is Chow in cooking? ›

Simply put, chow chow is a relish made using late summer produce. Green tomatoes were the inspiration for this chow chow, so they are the centerpiece of the recipe. The flavor definitely skews on the side of tangy versus sweet in order to keep that fresh garden taste.

What is the difference between relish and chow chow? ›

Chow chow is a pickled relish condiment that's typically made from a variety of vegetables. It can be eaten by itself or used to top dishes for some added tang, crunch and salt.

What is the difference between pickle relish and chow chow? ›

What is the difference between chowchow and pickle relish? While chowchow can vary in terms of what vegetables are included, the primary ingredient in pickle relish is always cucumbers.

What is the English name for chow chow? ›

Chayote Squash, popularly known as Chow-Chow in India is a vegetable belonging to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. The thin skinned, big pear-shaped vegetable that goes with the botanical name Sechium edule, also referred as mirliton, pipinola, choko, originates from both Mexico and Guatemala.

What is special about chow chow? ›

Chow Chow Temperament & Personality

The Chow Chow is an extremely loyal, very independent and highly intelligent breed. They have a low-maintenance personality that means they can often demand little in the way of attention or affection. In fact, they can be quite aloof at times.

What's the difference between Piccalilli and chow chow? ›

Chow chow and piccalilli are often mistaken for each other, yet although similar, they are slightly different. Picalilli relish simply has more vegetables in it than chow chow relish—that's the main difference between these two relishes.

What vegetable is chow chow? ›

Chayote, chow chow, squash or Bangalore brinjal is a common inexpensive vegetable that belongs to the gourd family, along with melons and cucumbers. It is known by different names in different places. In some countries it is called cho-cho, pipinola, pear squash, vegetable pear or choko.

What to serve with chow chow relish? ›

The most popular food to eat with Chow-Chow Relish in the south is pinto beans or black-eyed peas. As an item on your veggie tray. Use as a condiment on a shredded BBQ pork sandwich or Sloppy Joes. Use with almost any tuna - tuna salad, tuna burgers, tuna stuffed tomatoes.

What goes good with chow chow? ›

DIRECTIONS:
  • With cold roast beef.
  • On top of steamed veggies.
  • On mashed potatoes.
  • A southern favorite - on top of your favorite type of cooked beans! (pinto, white beans, or red beans)
  • On a Po' Boy sandwich.
  • Any kind of salad! ...
  • Top a baked potato with chili & chow chow!
  • Use on a BBQ pulled pork sandwich or a sloppy joe.

What kind of relish is on a Chicago dog? ›

Chicago-style relish is a type of sweet pickle relish typically used on Chicago-style hot dogs. The unique color of the relish, often referred to as "neon green", is created by adding blue dye to regular pickle relish.

What is Chow Chow Relish used for? ›

The most popular food to eat with Chow-Chow Relish in the south is pinto beans or black-eyed peas. As an item on your veggie tray. Use as a condiment on a shredded BBQ pork sandwich or Sloppy Joes. Use with almost any tuna - tuna salad, tuna burgers, tuna stuffed tomatoes.

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