Preserves · Old-Fashioned Classics

Old-Fashioned Chow Chow

Name: Old-Fashioned Chow Chow
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 12 h
Yield: About 4 × 500 ml jars
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb (500 g) green cabbage, finely chopped; 500 g green tomatoes, finely chopped; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 green peppers, finely chopped; 3 tbsp fine salt; 2 ⅛ cups (500 ml) cider vinegar; 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp celery seeds; ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

G By Our Grannies' Kitchen Updated Jul 2026 4.9 (176 ratings)

4.9 / 5

40 servings

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Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

For salting
1 lb (500 g) green cabbage, finely chopped
500 g green tomatoes, finely chopped
2 onions and 2 green peppers, finely chopped
3 tbsp fine salt
For the brine
2 ⅛ cups (500 ml) cider vinegar
1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp celery seeds and ½ tsp chili flakes

Method

Salt overnight. Toss the chopped cabbage, green tomatoes, onions and peppers with the salt in a large bowl. Tip into a colander set over a bowl and leave overnight (or at least 4 hours) — this is the crunch step.
Rinse and drain. Rinse the vegetables well under cold water to remove the salt, then squeeze and drain them thoroughly. Wet vegetables make watery chow chow.
Make the brine. Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, celery seeds & chili flakes to the boil in a large pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Just to the boil. Add the drained vegetables and bring just back to the boil, then simmer 5 minutes only. Any longer and they go soft — chow chow should stay crisp.
Jar it. Pack hot into clean 500 ml jars, cover with brine, cool, lid and refrigerate. Keeps 2 months chilled.
Wait a few days. Leave it at least 3 days before eating so the flavors marry. Spoon over beans, greens, hot dogs or cheese on toast.

Granny's tip

Chop everything to a similar small dice so it spoons neatly and pickles evenly — a food processor pulsed in short bursts saves your arm, but don't let it turn to mush. A crinkle-cut of color from a red pepper makes a prettier jar.

Tips for crisp, bright chow chow

Salt is the secret

The overnight salt-and-drain pulls out the water that would otherwise make the relish soft and watery. It's the whole game.

Barely cook it

Bring the vegetables just to the boil and simmer only 5 minutes. Overcooked chow chow loses its signature crunch.

Give it time

Straight from the jar it tastes sharp; a few days in the fridge and the sweet, tangy, mustardy flavors come together properly.

Questions, answered

What do you eat chow chow with?

It's the classic Southern topping for a bowl of pinto or brown beans and a pot of greens (collards, kale), and it's wonderful on hot dogs, burgers, cornbread, fried fish, or alongside cheese and cold cuts. Anywhere you'd want a sweet-tangy pickle, chow chow belongs.

What is chow chow made of?

It varies by family, but the old-fashioned base is finely chopped green cabbage, green tomatoes, onions and peppers, pickled in a sweet-and-tangy mustard-and-turmeric vinegar brine. Some versions add sweetcorn, beans or cauliflower — it began as a way to use up whatever the garden had left.

How long does chow chow keep?

Made by the refrigerator method here, about 2 months chilled, kept under the brine with a clean spoon. Processed in a boiling water bath, sealed jars keep up to a year in a cool, dark cupboard; refrigerate once opened.

What's the difference between red and green chow chow?

Green chow chow is built on green tomatoes and cabbage, as here. Red versions lean on ripe tomatoes and red peppers for a sweeter, redder relish. Both use the same sweet-tangy pickling method — it just depends what the garden gave you.

From Granny's Pantry

The know-how behind this recipe: