GREEN TOMATO RELISH - JACK FROST IS COMING!

It's that time of year, the garden is winding down and what to do with all those green tomatoes before the first frost hits?  Here is my favorite recipe for green tomato relish. Please note that the label says "Sugar Free" I made this batch without sugar using Splenda and it turned out great.  The recipe as given is with sugar, as the original recipe was given to me.

YIELD: 16 1/2 PINTS

1 Pint White Vinegar
1 Quart Sugar - 4 cups
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Allspice
Scant 1/3 cup French's Mustard
1/4 Cup Salt
2 Tbs Flour
1/2 Tbs Turmeric
4 Quarts, diced green tomatoes - 16 Cups
2 Quarts shredded cabbage - 8 Cups
1 Quart frozen baby Lima beans - I know, I know, I don't like them either but they are yummy in this recipe. 
2 Green peppers, diced
2 Large onions, diced                                            

Gather all the ingredients that you will need, I always set the Turmeric aside because it goes in later than the other ingredients.

This little gadget is a game changer and if you do not have one they are available for under $20 and come with this little comb to clean out the top part. It is called an "Onion Chopper" and is made by Progressive. My dear DIL, Dawn made me aware of this gadget years ago and it is such a time saver.  I have a Cuisinart, etc. but this is so easy (and goes into the dishwasher) and when you need a uniform dice this gadget is just so quick and easy to use.  It's hard to see in the photo but there are measure marks on the side.  Using this and purchasing bags of already chopped angel hair cabbage (Walmart) takes so much of the work out of this recipe.

Chop the tomatoes, onions, and green peppers, mix them all together with the cabbage.

Put the salt on the mixture, cover with cheesecloth and let them "soak" at least (2) hours or overnight.

When you are ready to make the relish DRAIN off the liquid, put into a large pot on the stove, add the Lima's, and all the seasonings,(EXCEPT the turmeric), the sugar, the mustard, the flour, vinegar and cook for 30 minutes, then add the turmeric.

Be careful and pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill the jars all the way to the top.  Screw on the lids.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot. Put the jars into the pot, leaving a 2 inch space between jars (I use a rack designed for canning that can be used in the bottom of any large pot), fill with enough water to cover the jars about 2" above the jars. Bring the water to a full boil and process for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the jars from the pot and place on a cloth covered surface (they will be very hot) several inches apart, until cool.  Once they have cooled press the top of each jar making sure that they have sealed, tighten the rings if necessary.

The flavors of the relish need to "age" or "meld" so please let them rest in a cool place for 2-3 weeks before using.  Relish may be stored for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

This relish is especially good on hamburgers, hot dogs and great in tuna.

I created the label in Corel Draw and laminated it but you can use any of the available templates that are free on-line, print them out on any 81/2 x 11 full size label and then cut them out for use with this yummy recipe.

Please feel free to print out this label for your own use.

Resource

Onion Chopper, Progressive International Onion Chopper (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Corel Draw, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 Academic

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