Carrageenan Free Chow Chow Relish
Tangy, golden, and packed with tender vegetables, this homemade relish is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste better. Cabbage, carrot, zucchini, and onion get salted and squeezed dry before simmering in a bright apple cider vinegar brine sweetened with honey and warmed by turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon — the result is a syrupy, deeply flavored relish that clings beautifully to whatever you spoon it onto. Store-bought relishes and pickled condiments are a common source of hidden thickeners and stabilizers, so making your own from scratch means you know exactly what's in the jar. Every single ingredient here is a whole food or pantry staple, with no gums, no additives, and nothing that doesn't belong. The salting and squeezing step is the real secret — it draws out excess moisture so the vegetables absorb the spiced brine instead of diluting it. After a short rest in the fridge, the flavors meld into something genuinely complex and craveable. Keep a jar on hand for hot dogs, grain bowls, grilled meats, or honestly just eaten straight off a spoon.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup carrot, finely grated
- 1 cup zucchini, finely diced
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
For finishing
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
- 1
Combine the shredded cabbage, grated carrot, diced zucchini, and diced onion in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and toss well to coat. Let the vegetables sit for 1 hour at room temperature until they have released a significant amount of liquid and softened noticeably.
- 2
Transfer the salted vegetables to a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze firmly over the sink until as much liquid as possible has been expelled — the vegetables should feel dry and compact.
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