Green Tomato Hot Dog Relish
This is a green tomato relish I tried this fall for the first time and I just opened the first jar to serve with chili dogs I am making tonight and it's delicious. I'll make it again. Good way to use up those green tomatoes. Flavorful green tomato relish is the perfect relish for hot dogs and hamburgers or stir some into your dressing for pasta or potato salad.
This is a green tomato relish I tried this fall for the first time and I just opened the first jar to serve with chili dogs I am making tonight and it's delicious. I'll make it again. Good way to use up those green tomatoes. Flavorful green tomato relish is the perfect relish for hot dogs and hamburgers or stir some into your dressing for pasta or potato salad.
- 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 8 cups cored green tomatoes finely chopped (processed or ground)
- 2 cups peeled onions finely chopped (processed or ground)
- 4 bell peppers part red finely chopped (processed or ground)
- 1/3 cup pickling salt
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 1/4 cups white vinegar
- 1 2/3 cups light brown sugar packed
- Carbohydrate 368.48372697651 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.2777 g
- Fiber 0.222999997138977 g
- Protein 0.946700000378718 g
- Saturated Fat 0.02635 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1012g)
- Sodium 37325.3913648889 mg
- Sugar 368.260726979371 g
- Trans Fat 0.04185 g
- Calories 1527 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the chopped vegetables and salt in a large stainless steel pan. Cover and let stand in a cool place (about 65° F to 70° F) for 10 to 12 hours, or overnight. Pour the vegetables in a colander over the sink and let drain. Rinse with cool water and use your hands to squeeze out any excess liquids.
- Tie the pickling spices and celery seeds in a cheesecloth spice bag.
- In a large stainless steel or enamel-lined pan, combine the vinegar, the spice bag, chopped garlic, and the vinegar. Put the vinegar mixture over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Add the drained green tomato mixture and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently, stirring often, for 1 hour.
- While the mixture is cooking, prepare the work area, canner, jars, and lids.
- Fill hot, prepared jars and remove any air bubbles with a small plastic spatula, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Clean jar rims and fit with lids and rings. Process in a covered boiling-water bath canner for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the cover, and let jars stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Makes about 7 half-pint jars of relish.
Pickling salt drives the initial stage of this recipe by drawing out excess moisture from the chopped green tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers through osmosis. Unripe fruit contains high levels of pectin and moisture, which can dilute a preserve if not properly managed. Letting the salted vegetables rest for ten to twelve hours firms the cellular walls of the produce, preventing them from turning into mush during the one-hour simmer. Rinsing thoroughly after this resting phase removes surface sodium chloride so the final product strikes a balance between tart, sweet, and savory.
- Use a stainless steel or enamel-lined pan for boiling the vinegar and sugar mixture. Reactive metals like aluminum or cast iron will corrode when exposed to acetic acid and taint the flavor of the relish.
- Enclose the whole pickling spices and celery seeds in a clean cheesecloth bag to infuse the liquid without leaving gritty fragments in the finished jars.
- Maintain a gentle boil on medium-low heat for exactly one hour to reduce the liquid until the mixture thickens properly.
- Process the filled jars in a boiling-water bath canner for ten minutes, then let them rest uncovered in the hot water for five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Fresh vegetables provide crisp textures and bright, herbaceous notes that diminish slightly during the preservation process. Storing sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry extends shelf life significantly compared to keeping fresh produce in refrigeration.
