how to make chow
Everyone loves a little old-fashioned home cooking. Sometimes food tastes better when someone else prepares it. My mother prepared many Eastern recipes for us over the years. She grew up in St. John, New Brunswick. A traditional recipe from our family that has always been a huge hit is Chow. My mom made Chow every fall and it was definitely a part of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner every year. It is a tasty combination of pickled, braised green onions and tomatoes. If you are a pickle lover, especially sweet pickles, this is the side dish for you. Chow can be eaten over/with any type of meat; including beef, chicken, sausage, and white fish. It also tastes great with mashed potatoes.
Let’s cook:
Ingredients:
6 quarters of green tomatoes
5 pounds of onions
3 pounds of brown sugar
1 quart cider vinegar
1 box of whole spices for pickling.
Prepare green tomatoes; Use 6 quarts of green tomatoes, cut whole green tomatoes about ¼ inch thick into a large stew pot. Layer the tomatoes with a pinch of salt after every 4 or 5 sliced tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are sliced, place a metal or glass pie pan, upside down over the tomatoes and place a heavy weight on the plate. You can use the pitcher of cider vinegar as a weight. Leave the tomatoes under weight overnight.
The next morning: The layers of salt between each layer of tomatoes draw the water and starch out of the tomatoes. Remove weight and pie pan, drain water from tomatoes. The tomatoes will appear dehydrated.
Slice all onions about ¼ inch thick. Layer sliced onions and tomatoes in a stew pot.
Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Add brown sugar and cider vinegar on top. Bring to a boil
Prepare all the spice for pickling: with a cloth that does not come off, such as linen; Cut a square of fabric large enough to hold all the pickling spices. Pour the pickling spice into a cloth and tie it tightly with string. The fabric and rope should not be any color, just white. Once the pickling spice is secured in a cloth, place the bag of spice on top of the onions and tomatoes.
Continue cooking over high heat until mixture boils. Stir to the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to break the spice bag.
Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 3 ½ to 4 hours. Stirring regularly. Tomatoes and onions should be light brown when done.
Mason Jar Prep: Place twelve 1-pint mason jars on a cookie sheet. Remove caps. At 200 degrees place in the oven to sterilize bottles and lids.
Remove Chow from stove and place in hot jars. Fill the jars almost to the top. Seal, hermetically, immediately.
Makes 12 pint jars.
Store in cool area. refrigerated after opening
Experimenting with great new dishes is a creative way for your family to share good times together while experimenting with new foods. Include your pet in the fun and prepare homemade treats for your dog or cat. Pets can be a healthy addition to any family circle.