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Vinegar, Pickles, and Pickling: Chowchow

Chowchow. Chowchow is the Chinese name for a kind of mixed pickles originally imported from that country and similar to piccalilli or Indian pickle, except that the ingredients are minced fine and mixed together.

Chowchow is frequently used to stuff pickled peppers. It is sometimes known as English chowchow on account of its popularity in that country. French chowchow is a name sometimes applied to mustard pickles.

To make Chinese or "English" chowchow chop fine 2 medium-sized heads of firm, white cabbage, 1/2 peck of green tomatoes, 2 quarts of firm ripe tomatoes, dozen of green peppers, and 2 red peppers. Mix all together and pack in a bag of coarse burlap or linen in layers of 2 or 3 inches deep, mixed between with layers of salt. Improvise a rack of slats of wood laid over the top of the barrel or keg into which it can drain. Place the chowchow on this and put over it a heavy weight. Let stand twenty-four hours under this pressure. Remove, pour out into a large pan and add 1½ pints of sugar, ½ cupful of grated horse-radish, teaspoonful of ground mustard, 1 ounce of white mustard seed, 1 ounce of celery seed, 1 tablespoonful of mace, 1 gill of Dutch mustard. Stir well, pack in glass or wood and seal.

Or for another sort of chowchow slice or chop fine, as preferred, peck of tomatoes, 1 quart of green peppers, 2 quarts of onions, 1 medium-sized cabbage head shredded as for cold slaw, and 1 quart of white mustard seed. Keep these ingredients separate and pack in layers in a jar or tub, first tomatoes, next peppers, next onions, next cabbage. Sprinkle over this part of the mustard seed, and so continue, repeating the layers again and again until all has been packed.

Pour over this any strong liquid desired, scalding hot. Let stand twentyfour hours, pour the whole into the preserving kettle, bring to a boil and let boil not more than five minutes.

Pack down in suitable jars or tubs and seal.

Bengal Chutney. - To make this celebrated Indian condiment, mix together 1 pound of tamarind pulp, 1 pound of sultana raisins, 1 pound of ripe tomato pulp, 1 pound of sweet apples minced fine; extract and add the juice of 12 lemons, grate and stir in the rinds; add 4 ounces of garlic, 6 onions chopped fine, pound of red chilis, 12 ounces of powdered ginger, 1 pound of brown sugar. Place all together in a tub or jar, cover with a gallon of strong vinegar, and let stand for a month or more in a warm place, stirring occasionally until it is well fermented. Pack in small, wide-mouthed glass bottles and seal tightly.

Cucumber and Onion Pickles. - Cut into thick slices 3 large onions to each dozen cucumbers. Place in a colander or sieve, sprinkle with salt and let stand twenty-four hours. Place in a suitable keg or jar, cover with boiling vinegar. Cover tightly and let stand overnight. Boil up the vinegar each day, pour over them scalding hot, and at once cover tightly to exclude the air. When the color is satisfactory pour over them spiced pickling liquid and seal.

PICKLED VEGETABLES, NUTS, AND FRUITS To Pickle Tomatoes. - Slice peck green tomatoes, bring to a boil gallon of any good spiced pickling liquid, and put the tomatoes to boil in this for a quarter of an hour. When cold pack away in tubs or jars and seal.

Or slice 1 peck of green tomatoes; sprinkle with salt. Let stand two days. Slice and salt separately 12 medium-sized onions. Mix in a bowl 4 ounces of mustard, ounce of mustard seed, 1 ounce of cloves, 2 ounces of turmeric, and add garlic, capsicum, or paprika to flavor if desired. Put in a preserving kettle a layer of onions, sprinkle with mixed spice, then a layer of tomatoes and spice, and so on. When all are packed pour over them boiling vinegar and simmer for about two hours until the color is satisfactory.

Or slice green pickles and place them in a colander. Steam in a kettle of boiling water until they are soft, place in jars, cover with any good pickling liquid cold. Let stand twenty-four hours, draw off the liquor, bring it to a boil and pour over the pickles scalding hot.

Or gather the tomatoes when they are turning red, but before they are dead ripe. Pack them in jars whole and without peeling, sprinkle mixed spices with a little bay salt at the rate of about a cupful to a gallon.

Pour over them cold cider vinegar and seal.

Or pour over 1 bushel of whole tomatoes a quantity of boiling water. Let stand until cold, pour off the water, skin the tomatoes, place them in a preserving kettle and boil until they are soft. Stir in mixed spices.

Lay down the tomatoes in jars and seal to exclude the air.