Types of Chutneys and Relishes
Chowchow:
Chowchow is a pickled relish dish that was used to preserve summer vegetables for later in the year. Recipes for this type of relish are highly regional, and tend to be generational recipes, passed down through families. While no one batch is the same, a lot of Southern chowchows use tomatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, and onions. Some chowchows are sweet, while others lean quite spicy, but however it's made, it's a delicious, refreshing condiment to spoon on just about everything.
Northern versions of it that originated with the Amish communities of Pennsylvania contain other veggies like cauliflower, carrots, or beans. Amish chowchow is also typically made with a sweeter brine.
A lesser-known variation of chowchow is found in Canada's Maritime provinces and is made almost entirely from green tomatoes and onions.
Some people make chowchows very vinegar-forward, while others add quite a bit of sugar to make it sweet. In chowchows with a green tomato base, they might taste brighter and more tart. Some add a touch of cayenne or diced fresh chili for heat, others pack in the spice. The brine seasonings can also change the taste of chowchow, from celery seed to allspice, the whole spices used can completely change the flavor profile.
Chowchow is a fairly simple three-step process: salt, brine, and jar. The process typically begins with salting the chopped vegetables. Tossing the vegetables in salt and allowing them to sit for hours or overnight draws out their excess moisture. The vegetables are then simmered in a brine mixture made of vinegar, sugar, and seasonings like mustard seed, celery seed, pickling spice, and red pepper flakes, before being jarred and refrigerated, or canned to make shelf-stable.
It truly goes well on everything. Chowchow is commonly eaten with soup beans and cornbread in Appalachia. but its uses certainly don't stop there. Add a spoonful to pork chops, toss it on top of greens, or incorporate it into your pimiento cheese for a little kick. Fold chowchow into deviled eggs, or heap it onto hotdogs and hamburgers. Essentially, use it how you would any pickled condiment.
Green Tomato Relish: Southern staple that is often very similar in texture and sweetness to traditional green-tomato-based chowchow.
- Origin: American Southern.
- Ingredients: Primarily green tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and peppers, often with a sweeter, less intense mustard profile than piccalilli.
- Texture/Usage: Ground-up consistency, often served on beans, hot dogs, or greens.
Piccalilli:
Mustard Pickles: A Canadian and British staple often interchangeable with piccalilli, featuring chunks of cauliflower, cucumbers, and onions in a yellow mustard sauce.
- Origin: British (also popular in New England/Chicago).
- Ingredients: Cauliflower, onions, gherkins, and sometimes peppers in a thick, turmeric-heavy mustard sauce.
- Texture/Usage: Chunky, tangy, and pungent. Used with cold meats, sandwiches, and hot dogs.
- Ingredients: A tomato base with peppers, vinegar, and sugar.
- Difference: It is thick and often slightly chunky, unlike thinner, vinegar-based hot sauces. Homemade versions are typically chunky, containing minced or chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
Indian Relish:
A sweet, tangy, and spiced condiment typically made by cooking chopped fruits or vegetables—such as cucumbers, onions, or peppers—in vinegar, sugar, and spices. It is often used to add flavor to sandwiches, tuna salad, or as a side with curries, offering a more flavorful, zesty alternative to traditional sweet relish.
Branston Pickle (Small Chunk):
A British pickled vegetable chutney that is savory, tangy, and crunchy, often used in sandwiches, cheese plates, and Ploughman's Lunch. Its primary ingredients are diced vegetables—carrots, rutabaga (swede), onions, and cauliflower—mixed with a thick, dark sauce made from malt vinegar, sugar, tomato puree, apple pulp, date paste, and various spices.
