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Thunder & Lightning (Green Tomato Relish)

A mild green tomato relish to accent cooked beans and other savory dishes.
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Keyword relish

Equipment

  • Hot water canner, rack, jars and lids

Ingredients

  • 12 large green tomatoes
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper purple might be fun too!
  • 6 large white or yellow onions
  • 1.5 Tbsp celery seed
  • 1.5 Tbsp mustard seed
  • 1/2 Tbsp salt
  • 2.5 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Sterilize enough jars and lids to hold relish. Set aside.
  • Line a large colander with cheesecloth, place in sink or in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, in batches, coarsely grind tomatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and then onions.
  • Pour veggies into cheesecloth-lined colander and allow to drain for an hour.
  • In a large, non-aluminum stockpot, combine tomato mixture with celery seed, mustard seed, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat five minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill jars all the way to top. Add lids and tightly screw on rings.
  • Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with boiling water. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
  • Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Check to be sure each jar sealed.