Pennsylvania Dutch Chow Chow with Garden Vegetables

Imperial October 14, 2026October 14, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Pennsylvania Dutch Chow Chow with Garden Vegetables is a colorful, sweet-and-tangy relish with tender-crisp vegetables and a golden, mustard-spiced vinegar brine. This home-kitchen version is a refrigerator relish, not a shelf-stable canned preserve.

Yield: About 10 cups; 80 servings of 2 tablespoons each
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 13 hours 25 minutes, including 30 minutes cooling and 12 hours chilling

Quick Ingredients

2 cups chopped green cabbage (200 g)
2 cups chopped firm green tomatoes (320 g)
1 1/2 cups trimmed, chopped green beans (180 g)
2 cups small cauliflower florets (240 g)
1 cup sliced carrots (130 g)
1 1/2 cups chopped red and yellow bell peppers (225 g)
3 cups apple cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity (720 ml)
1 cup water (240 ml), plus 8 cups water for blanching
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
1 tablespoon pickling salt (18 g)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (10 g)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (3 g)
1 teaspoon celery seeds (2 g)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Do This

1. Wash the vegetables. Chop cabbage, tomatoes, beans, cauliflower, and peppers into approximately 1/2-inch pieces; slice carrots 1/4 inch thick.
2. Bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes, then add green beans and cook for 1 minute more. Drain immediately.
3. In a large nonreactive pot, bring the vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, turmeric, celery seeds, and pepper to a boil.
4. Add cabbage, green tomatoes, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the drained carrots and beans; simmer for 2 minutes more, leaving the vegetables slightly crisp.
6. Cool the pot in an ice-water bath for about 30 minutes, then transfer the relish and brine to clean containers and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or colder.
7. Chill for at least 12 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated and use within 2 weeks.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A little garden in every spoonful: Six vegetables bring contrasting colors, textures, and fresh flavor.
Sweet, tangy, and gently spiced: Apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and turmeric create that familiar old-fashioned relish flavor.
Crunch worth keeping: A short blanch and brief simmer soften the vegetables without turning them mushy.
A wonderful make-ahead side: Serve it with sausages, baked beans, ham, roast pork, or other roasted meats.

Grocery List

Produce: Green cabbage, firm unripe green tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, and red and yellow bell peppers.
Dairy: None needed.
Pantry: Apple cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity, granulated sugar, pickling salt, yellow mustard seeds, ground turmeric, celery seeds, and black pepper.

Full Ingredients

Garden Vegetables

2 cups green cabbage (200 g), core removed, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups firm green tomatoes (320 g), stem ends removed, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups green beans (180 g), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 cups cauliflower florets (240 g), cut into approximately 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup carrots (130 g), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds or half-moons
1 1/2 cups bell peppers (225 g), seeds and white ribs removed, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces; use 3/4 cup red and 3/4 cup yellow

Sweet-and-Tangy Brine

3 cups apple cider vinegar (720 ml), labeled 5% acidity
1 cup water (240 ml)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
1 tablespoon pickling salt (18 g)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (10 g)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (3 g)
1 teaspoon celery seeds (2 g)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Blanching and Cooling

8 cups water (1.9 liters), for blanching; drain and discard after use
Cold water and ice, for an ice-water bath around the cooking pot

Equipment: A 5- to 6-quart stainless-steel or enameled pot, a separate saucepan for blanching, a colander, a slotted spoon, and clean heat-safe storage containers. Have six pint-size jars available so there is room for both vegetables and brine.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chow Chow with Garden Vegetables – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables and containers

Wash all the vegetables thoroughly. Remove the cabbage core, tomato stem ends, bean tips, cauliflower leaves, and pepper seeds. Chop the cabbage, tomatoes, beans, cauliflower, and peppers into approximately 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1/4-inch rounds, halving any especially wide slices.

Keep the carrots and green beans separate from the other vegetables. Wash the storage containers and lids with hot, soapy water, rinse well, and let them drain. These containers are for refrigerated storage; this recipe does not include a canning process.

Step 2: Briefly blanch the carrots and beans

Bring 8 cups water to a full boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the carrots and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Add the green beans to the same pan and cook for 1 minute more.

Drain immediately in a colander and spread the vegetables on a clean tray to stop them from sitting in a hot pile. They should be brighter in color and just beginning to soften, with plenty of firmness remaining.

Step 3: Make the spiced vinegar brine

Combine the apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, pickling salt, mustard seeds, turmeric, celery seeds, and black pepper in the large nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 5 minutes.

The brine will be bright golden and smell sharply tangy at this stage. That sharpness mellows as the vegetables rest in the refrigerator.

Step 4: Simmer the remaining garden vegetables

Add the cabbage, green tomatoes, cauliflower, and bell peppers to the boiling brine. Stir carefully to coat everything, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Once the mixture returns to a gentle simmer, cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring twice to bring the upper vegetables into the brine.

Keep the simmer gentle rather than vigorously boiling. The cabbage should soften slightly, while the cauliflower and peppers should still offer a little resistance when bitten.

Step 5: Finish with the carrots and green beans

Stir in the drained carrots and green beans. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes more, then remove the pot from the heat immediately.

The finished chow chow should be spoonable, with distinct pieces of vegetables in a loose, golden brine—not thick like jam. If a piece of cauliflower still seems very hard, simmer for 1 additional minute, but avoid cooking until everything is completely soft.

Step 6: Cool promptly and refrigerate

Set the pot in a sink or larger basin filled with ice water, keeping the water below the rim so none enters the relish. Stir the chow chow occasionally with a clean spoon and cool for about 30 minutes, until warm rather than hot.

Divide the vegetables among clean, heat-safe containers, then distribute the brine evenly. Press the vegetables down gently so they sit beneath the liquid as much as possible, and leave approximately 1/2 inch of space at the top. Cover and refrigerate promptly at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Refrigerate within 2 hours of finishing cooking; do not wait for the relish to cool completely on the counter.

Step 7: Let the flavor develop and serve

Chill for at least 12 hours before serving; the flavor becomes even more rounded after 24 to 48 hours. Stir with a clean spoon before portioning so each serving gets a good mixture of vegetables.

Serve cold, using a slotted spoon if you prefer less brine. Start with 2 tablespoons alongside grilled sausages, baked beans, sliced ham, roast chicken, or roasted pork. Return the container to the refrigerator after serving.

Pro Tips

Choose truly firm green tomatoes: Unripe tomatoes hold their shape better than ripe tomatoes or soft green-colored varieties.
Keep the cuts consistent: Small, evenly sized pieces cook predictably and give you several vegetables in each spoonful.
Measure the vinegar before diluting: Use commercially bottled vinegar labeled 5% acidity, and keep the recipe’s vinegar-to-water ratio unchanged.
Use a nonreactive pot: Stainless steel or intact enamel keeps the acidic brine from reacting with aluminum, copper, or uncoated cast iron.
Taste after chilling: Hot vinegar tastes sharper than cold, rested relish. Give the chow chow its overnight rest before judging the sweetness and tang.

Variations

A little heat: Add 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the brine with the other spices.
Onion lovers’ version: Replace 1 cup of the chopped cabbage with 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (150 g). Add it with the cabbage in Step 4.
Less sweet: Reduce the sugar to 1 cup (200 g). Keep the vinegar and water amounts unchanged, and follow the same refrigerated storage instructions.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Keep the chow chow covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder and use within 2 weeks. Always use a clean utensil, and keep the vegetables beneath the brine as much as practical. For the best flavor, make it 1 to 2 days before serving. You can chop the vegetables up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate them in covered containers, keeping the carrots and beans separate.

Important preservation note: This is a refrigerator recipe and has not been validated for shelf-stable canning. Hot filling, turning jars upside down, or obtaining a vacuum seal does not make it safe for pantry storage. If you want to water-bath can chow chow, use a tested recipe and its exact processing instructions from the USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, or a university extension service. Freezing is not recommended if you want to preserve the crisp texture.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated for a 2-tablespoon serving, including a proportional amount of brine. Actual values vary with vegetable size, final yield, and how much brine you serve.