Nannie's Chow-Chow Relish

While there are a slew of worthy condiments lining the aisles at your grocery store (Duke’s mayonnaise, anyone?), there’s nothing quite like homemade. That’s especially true when it comes to canning. Taking the season’s bounty, blending in new flavors, and jarring a little something for later is well worth the wait.Down South, chow-chow is an end-of-season recipe that makes the most of any veggies left on your backyard vines. Of all the ways to preserve summer flavor, Nannie’s Chow-Chow Relish is a classic. This vegetable relish has appeared in many early Southern cookbooks as “piccalilli” and “Indian pickle.” No matter what you call it, you’ll still get the same great taste. Here, we chop, cook, and season summer vegetables before putting them up in jars to be enjoyed year-round. It takes a little work, but the result is a relish that can dress up even the plainest of meats all year long. Serve it on a hot dog or hamburger in the chilliest of months, and you just might think it’s a warm summer day. To really bring the heat, add chopped jalapeños to the vegetables for a fiery touch.