End-of-Garden Chow-Chow

A tangy, sweet, mustard-yellow relish made from green tomatoes and cucumbers. Refrigerator style, so there's no canning, and it's naturally gluten-free.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Chop the vegetables: Finely chop 1.5 pounds green tomatoes, cored and finely chopped, 1 pounds cucumbers, peeled, seeded and finely chopped (the yellow one works great), 1 large onion, finely chopped, 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped and 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional) into roughly ¼-inch pieces. A food processor works if you pulse it in short bursts, but don't let it turn to mush.

Step 2

2 Salt and rest: Toss the chopped vegetables with 2 tablespoons kosher salt in a large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature so the salt pulls out the excess water.

Step 3

3 Rinse and drain: Pour the vegetables into a colander, rinse well with cold water, then press or squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This keeps the relish crisp rather than watery.

Step 4

4 Make the brine: In a large pot, combine 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar, 0.8 cups sugar, 1 tablespoons yellow mustard seed, 1 teaspoons celery seed, 1 teaspoons ground turmeric, 0.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes and 2 garlic cloves, minced. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Step 5

5 Simmer: Add the drained vegetables to the brine. Return to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but still have a little bite.

Step 6

6 Jar and chill: Ladle the relish and its liquid into clean jars. Let cool, then cap and refrigerate. It tastes best after at least a day, once the flavors have mingled.