Green Tomato Hot Dog Relish
End of the season green tomatoes are always in abundance in our fall garden and Green Tomato Hot Dog Relish is one of the recipes we make and can for our pantry shelf. If your family uses a lot of relish, it's easy to double to make in larger quantities. We make many of our own condiments because we then know what is in it (or more importantly - NOT in it) and can make them to our own taste. This recipe can use red, orange or yellow peppers instead of just green if you want more color.
Equipment
- 1 glass or stainless bowl with cover
- 1 food processor or knife and cutting board
- 1 set measuring cups and spoons
- 1 large pot (not aluminum)
- 1 large mixing spoon
- 1 colander or strainer
- 1 spice bag (can use a piece of cheesecloth)
- 1 Water Bath Canner, Jars & Canning Supplies *if canning
Ingredients
1st Mix Which Will Sit Overnight
- 6 cups finely chopped green tomatoes
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 sweet peppers (2 green, 1 red or all green)
- 1/4 cup pickling salt
Spice Bag
- 1 cinnamon stick (broken in half)
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tsp celery seed
Additional Ingredients
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1½ cups brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
Initial Tomato, Onion, Pepper and Salt Mix
- Using a large glass or stainless steel bowl, mix green tomatoes, onions, peppers and pickling salt. Cover and let sit approximately 12 hours (or overnight) in a cool place (about 70℉ or 21℃)
- Strain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Drain thoroughly and squeeze out any remaining water. Set aside.
Spice Bag
- Cut a square of cheesecloth to use as your spice bag
- Place cinnamon stick, whole cloves and celery seed onto the cheesecloth. Fold and tie top with string. Set aside.
Combine in a large Stainless Steel Pot
- Combine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt, dry mustard and ginger in your pot and stir together
- Add spice bag to your pot. I like to clip it to the side for easy removal later.
- Over medium-high heat bring this mix to a boil, stirring frequently to ensure sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the drained mix of green tomato, onion and peppers to the pot, stirring well and bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat to bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, let boil gently until onions and tomatoes become transparent - approximately 1 hour.
If Canning
- Prepare canner, jars, rings and lids as per normal canning instruction
- Ladle hot relish mix into sterilized, hot jars leaving a ½ inch head space. Remove bubbles, clean rims and tops of jars, add lids and rings to finger tight
- Gently place jars in your canner ensuring they are covered with the proper amount of water and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 10 minutes, shut off heat, remove lid and wait about 5 minutes before removing jars.
- Place jars in an area away from drafts, let sit 24 hours. Test lids for proper seal. Any unsealed jars can be put in the refrigerator for immediate use. Label and date the sealed jars before storing in a cool, dry area.