Well the cold wet overcast weather put the final nail in the coffin for my tomatoes. Last couple of years they would have been fine. I picked them all off the plants to try and salvage something.
I figure that is about 10 pounds of varying sizes with a few ripening ones. What to do with all of this? Make a relish? Pickle them? Seems a shame to go to waste.
Place them in single layers in a cardboard box, with newspaper in between the layers. Keep them cool like in the garage this time of the year and they will slowly ripen.
Clean either 24 pint-size or 12 quart-size canning jars. Chop enough green tomatoes to fill half the jars. Chop enough green peppers to fill a quarter of the jars. Chop enough onion to fill a quarter of the jars. Thoroughly mix the veggies and distribute evenly into jars.
In a large pot, dissolve 1 package of Mrs Wages Pickling Spices for Vegetables (crush the peppercorns) and 12 cups of granulated sugar into 8 cups of vinegar and 4 cups of water. Optionally add a Tbsp or two of celery seed. Distribute liquid mixture evenly over veggies in jars.
Process in pressure cooker at 15 psi for 15 minutes.
I believe chow chow will be made. Not the full amount but it it will indeed be hot. I want to pickle some too. I was told to cook for 15 minutes or so and then freeze in ziplocks or can in jars. That doesn’t enthuse me. Maybe some sort of green tomato green chile salsa.
You should be fine. Nanny’s actual recipe just called for “pickling spices”. The Mrs Wages is just what’s easy to find at our local Southern States Co-op.
If you don’t have enough for a full batch use finely chopped cabbage as a filler. Squash, peppers (hot and/or bell), corn, califlower or carrots works good too. I make some chow chow with nothing but cabbage, onions and peppers and some with just about everything thrown in. There is no set standard.
The Mrs Wages Hokerer was speaking of makes a good product. I use the dill pickle packages. It makes better than I can mix up myself.
It is in our stores here too but you can buy online.