6/1/15

Among the Possibilities of Pickling,  CHOW CHOW brings the most smiles and smacking of lips! This here is Aunt Francis's Chow Chow from the Portage, Wisconsin region, where the Illinois is portaged to the Wisconsin Rivers, in memory…
The main ingredient of Chow Chow is Green Tomatoes and the second is usually Corn…here are her two versions, tried and true:

Chop coarsely to make one gallon of chopped green tomatoes; I gallon of chopped fresh, crisp cabbage; one half gallon of chopped yellow or white onions; one bunch of crisp celery; six seeded sweet green peppers; three mild 'hot' peppers; 3/4 of a cup on non-iodine salt: mix all together with grinding motion…let stand for two hours Drain any fluid…put four cups of white sugar (or date sugar); two and 1/2 cups of good brown sugar; two quarts of good apple cider vinegar; and one cups of pickling spices of choice into the vegetables all mixed in well…simmer in a non-reactive huge pan for one hour. pour into sterile jars…may boiling water process for ten minutes, but not really necessary…makes. well, a Lot of Chow Chow! may add about six ears of cut fresh sweet corn to this one, for added color and texture….

Now, here's the Corn Chow Chow:
Cut corn clean from one dozen ears of sweet corn, and drain off the 'milk'. Mix with two well-chopped onions; two sweet green peppers, chopped; one sweet red pepper, chopped; one cup very crisp cabbage chopped; two tablespoons non-iodine salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; ones and 1/2 tablespoons dry yellow mustard; one cup date or cane sugar; and two cups of white vinegar: cook slowly simmering, for an hour. stir often…makes five or six half-pint jars…may process, up to ten minutes…

here's Chow Chow Poetry:

when we of the middle west
hear the words Chow Chow:
up comes Aunt Francis - and she's singin'
over her big linoleum kitchen table!
She's laughin': "kill em with kindness, Katey!"
She's rockin' someones baby somewheres about -
and she's slow cookin' that ol' hen who lays no more…
we'll eat so fine we know, cuz Francis asked just now:
"Stayin' for supper? we'll have snap peas along with
this here ol' bird… and we'll have fresh Chow Chow…
cuz I worked with her today - all green tomato fine…
an' the sun comin' in soft as can be, this very mornin'….