Chow-Chow, No. 1

Ingredients

• two large perfect heads of cauliflower
• one quart of cucumbers
• one dozen small green-pepper pods
• one quart of cloves, of garlic, or tiny onion-bulbs peeled
• half a pint of nasturtiums
• two ounces of turmeric
• two table-spoonfuls of Cayenne pepper
• a quarter of a pound of English mustard

Method

1. 1

   Soak vegetables in brine for 24 hours, drain, and mix.

2. 2

   Simmer with turmeric, Cayenne pepper, and mustard mixed with water until tender.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Virginia Cookery-book (1884) by Mary Stuart Smith, page 123. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Chow-Chow, No. 1. (Very like what is Imported.) In making this admired pickle, so justly regarded as a delicacy, the rarer and more tender the vegetable the nearer it comes to the proper standard of excellence. Wide -mouthed glass jars should be provided for the putting away of chow-chow. The following recipe is for filling four quart-bottles : Take two large perfect heads of cauliflower, and divide them up into small but shapely pieces, so as to leave a little of the blossom unbroken on each one ; one quart of cucumbers, by no means over two inches in length, one dozen small green-pepper pods, and one quart of cloves, of garlic, or tiny onion-bulbs peeled; half a pint of nasturtiums are nice, but may or may not be included. Let the vegetables stay twenty-four hours in brine ; the garlic or onions to be scalded and left to 262 VIRGINIA COOKSET-BOOK. soak in a vessel by themselves ; next morning mix all to- gether, and let them drain two hours through a colander; taste, and if too salt pour a bath of hot water through them while still in the colander ; next put the vegetables in a preserving-kettle over the fire, sprinkling through them two ounces of turmeric, adding two table-spoonfuls of Cayenne pepper and a quarter of a pound of English mustard

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.