Green Tomato Piccalilli
This can be served as a side dish or as a brightly colored condiment, especially for hamburgers and hot dogs.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES 6–8 PINTS
16 cups green tomatoes, finely chopped
½ head green cabbage, finely chopped
½ cup pickling salt
water to cover vegetables
4 cups cider vinegar
1½ cups dark brown sugar
½ tablespoon yellow mustard seed
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dill seed
Combine vegetables and salt; cover with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse vegetables.
In a large pot, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Pack hot mixture into sterilized pint jars. Cover; process in boiling bath for 15 minutes.
Piccalilli
Traditional piccalilli is a mixture of chopped vegetables with piquant spices such as mustard. Common components include cabbage, tomato, cauliflower, carrot, and onion, but nearly anything can go into the pickling mixture. The first recipe of this nature showed up in the eighteenth century, and some historians believe that Napoleon's chef is responsible for the blend.
