retired09's Recipe

Mom's Green Tomato Relish

Category: Miscellaneous

YIELDS: 8 pints

RELISH INGREDIENTS:
4 cups ground onion
4 cups ground cabbage
4 cups ground green tomatoes
12 ground green peppers
6 ground red sweet peppers
1/2 cup Kosher salt

BRINE:
6 cups white sugar
4 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Celery seed
2 Tbls. Mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp turmeric

Use course blade on grinder. Or you can use a food processor, but don't pulverize the vegetables. Leave juice in and put 1/2 cup Kosher salt and stir. Cover. Let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Strain and rinse thoroughly. Put in a large towel and squeeze out all the excess liquid. In large kettle, prepare brine and bring to boil. Put dry relish in brine and simmer for 30 mins with time starting when relish reaches a simmer. Sterilize** 8 pint jars and new lids (with separate lids and rings). Using a canning funnel, fill hot jars to top making sure rim of jar is clean, dry and no knicks. Seal with lid and metal ring. Process in hot water canning bath for 10 minutes after water comes to a boil. Follow instructions that came with the canning kettle. Then remove to countertop with a heavy towel or cutting board, using canning jar removal tool. Put in a place where there are no drafts. Vacuum from heat will seal lids securely with a POP as it pulls the center of the lid down. When jars are completely cooled check tops by pressing in the center of the lids to make sure a vacuum was created. At this point you can remove the metal ring if you need it for other jars. It is only needed for sealing and when you open the jar for use.
If the lid moves, it did not seal and you will need to reheat and try again, making sure lid and rim are clean. Write date on lid. Store on shelf. This will keep for many years.

**To sterilize jars and lids, I use a metal 9"x11" baking pan. Put 1" of water in it. Put it on a stove burner on low heat. Put clean jars upside down in pan with lids. Leave in there till you're ready to fill the jars. Then remove to countertop with a towel. Then proceed.