At the end of the season, I had tomatoes on the vine that were still green. What follows is my version of using “what God gave us” and turning it into something special – my own recipe for Green Tomato Relish. 1 lb. green tomatoes

1/4 lb. red tomatoes

1/2 lb red, yellow or orange pepper

1/2 lb. onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. pickling or Kosher salt

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

1 tbsp. pickling spice (or various seeds such as mustard and celery)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice (or allspice)

1. Chop vegetables into small pieces.
2. Cover with salt and let stand for an hour.
3. Put vinegar, sugar, and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Add vegetables and simmer for an hour. If too much liquid, boil off for for a few minutes.
5. Pour contents into small sterilized mason jars. Wipe top of containers, and seal with new lids. Boil under water for 15 minutes to preserve.
6. Let jars cool. Label and share with friends.

Notes:

We had frost last night and many of our cherry tomatoes were still on the vine – and still green. I didn’t want them to go to waste, so I picked them and weighed them and discovered I had about a pound. I love green tomato relish and started to research recipes. Most of them took ingredients I didn’t have or took too much work. So I combined what I learned and concocted this simple relish from ingredients I had on hand. You can do the same, adding more red tomatoes or green peppers or red onions or even carrots.

You can vary the spices you put in and the types and amounts of sugar and vinegar. I like sweet relishes so I put an equal amount of apple cider vinegar and sugar. I love cinnamon (and it is good for diabetes) so I add it into many things including this relish.

It’s just that simple.