Thanks to all who sent their condolences during the past week. My family reads this blog and I know that they were as touched by your thoughtfulness as was I.
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This has been quite a month and I hope you’ll understand if I’ve not been as frequent a visitor or commenter on your blogs as I have been in the past.
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This was the first year that I tried my hand at making green tomato relish. The sad fact is that, for the last few years, my tomato harvest has been anything but bountiful. From blight, to cracked containers, to damaging winds, it seemed The Fates had conspired against me. Add the daily, early morning raid by my nemesis, Squirrel, and I was lucky to get one pot of sauce in all of August, though I did manage to prepare a few BLTs. Things got so bad last year that I tossed both plants and containers into the trash in mid-August. (Take that, Squirrel!)
Determined to return to the good old days, when I was rewarded with quarts of tomato sauce, last Winter I bought new planters. When, in the Spring, my seedlings looked pathetic, I bought heirloom plants from the farmers market, some of which were the same as my under-achieving seedlings. And then I waited patiently. Lo and behold, I was richly rewarded. My Brandywine supplied me the “T” for all Summer’s BLTs. My cherry tomato, Mexican Midget, insured my salads never went tomato-less and still yielded enough for me to make tomato jam. Finally, my plum tomatoes, San Marzano, kept me awash in tomato sauce. Grandpa would have been proud.
As October drew to a close, I went out and picked the San Marzano plants clean of green tomatoes. The other vines had all but given out at that point. Setting aside some to ripen on a window sill, I chopped the rest, rendering about 1 of the 2 quarts needed for the relish. I then bought 4 large green tomatoes at the farmers market. 3 were needed for the relish and the 4th, destined for BLTs, joined the others on the window sill.
Searching the web for a recipe wasn’t as easy as I had thought. Most that I ran across required a number of large tomatoes without giving an associated weight or volume. As you can see in the photo, my tomatoes were varied in size and I had no idea how many would equal, say, “24 large green tomatoes”. The recipe I finally chose gave the ingredients in quarts required — equivalent metric units were, also, provided — and could be adjusted to suit the volume of tomatoes on-hand. It wasn’t long before my relish was underway.
Not having much experience with green tomato relish, I cannot say how this compares with other recipes. I do know that the night following “relish day”, my kitchen smelled like a condiment station at Wrigley Field. Needless to say, this relish is the perfect accompaniment for a hot dog or even the “best of your wurst.”
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Today, Wednesday, the Jewish Faith celebrates the start of Hanukkah, while tomorrow we in the States celebrate Thanksgiving. Whether you celebrate the holidays, I hope your day is a good one. Have a Wonderful Hanukkah & Happy Thanksgiving!
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Relish, we are your father.
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Green Tomato Relish Recipe
yield: 5 to 6 pints
Ingredients
- 2 quarts chopped green tomatoes (see Notes)
- 2 large onions, chopped (next time I’ll use one)
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped (I used red for color; green may be substituted)
- 2 jalapeños, chopped
- 4 tbsp canning/pickling salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp prepared mustard (yellow mustard seed may be substituted)
- 2 tsp celery seed (if celery salt is used, do not add additional kosher salt)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 8 whole cloves wrapped in cheesecloth
- 2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
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NOOOOOOOOO!
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Directions
- Place tomatoes, onions, peppers, and jalapeños a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stir to mix and set aside for 1 hour. After the hour has passed, drain the liquid before placing the mixture into a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add the sugar, mustard, celery seed, cloves, and vinegar to the pot and stir to combine. Heat the mixture over med-high heat until it boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Place relish into sterile jars and fill to 1/4 inch of top and cover. Once cool, store in the fridge where it will keep for 2 weeks.
- For canning instructions, see Notes.
Inspired by a recipe on Food.com
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A destiny fulfilled.
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Notes
It took about 6 large tomatoes to make 2 quarts chopped. Sizes vary and you may need more or less tomato to fill 2 quarts.
Even though you can store this relish in the fridge, 5 or 6 pints is an awful lot of relish to use within 2 weeks. I prefer to can the relish, giving me a supply that will keep for up to one year. To can:
- This should be done while relish and jars are still hot.
- Bring a large kettle of water to the boil over high heat. Place a rack or towel in the bottom of the pot so that no jar will come in contact with the bottom of the pot.
- Seal each jar a little less than fully tightened.
- Place jars in the boiling water. Do not allow them to touch each other and the water should cover the tallest jar by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- When the water returns to the boil, process the jars for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars to a cloth-covered counter or baking sheet, away from any drafts. (The cloth will prevent the jars from shattering should they come in contact with a cold surface.) Do not move for at least 12 hours, though 24 hours is best.
- Relish stored in a cool, dark place should keep for about a year.
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Forget Moose. Must get Squirrel!
One day last Summer, after listening to me yet again bemoan Squirrel’s daily raids on my tomato plants, my friend Cynthia mentioned that she’d heard that squirrels steal tomatoes for the moisture they provide. The squirrels will take a bite and a drink from each one that they pilfer. If you want to reduce the thievery, the theory goes, leave a dish of water for them to drink. I didn’t experiment with this because I had stumbled upon my own way of dealing with Squirrel — and a shot-gun wasn’t even involved. Every day or so, I walk around my plants’ containers, picking up tomatoes that have fallen due to the wind, Squirrel, or a passing Max. (He has a yard to patrol yet insists on circling each container.) One afternoon, while on my way out, I gathered up the tomatoes on the ground, placing them on a table on the deck — and promptly forgot all about them. The next morning, much to my surprise, a couple of the tabled tomatoes were stolen by Squirrel but those on the vine were left alone. From that day on, like my Roman ancestors of long ago, I paid a tribute of fallen tomatoes to my enemy, a four-legged barbarian, and my wealth, my tomato harvest, was spared. Only time will tell whether this arrangement will work next season.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
Fall is typically when a Bartolini’s thoughts turn to sausage making. The cooler temperatures make it far less likely to run into the spoilage problems that you might 
encounter in Summer’s heat. Not only that but years ago my family hung the freshly made sausage in their screened, back porches to dry/cure in the chilled air. Once cured, the sausages were sliced and eaten like salami. Well, despite all that — and the photo, for that matter — I no longer make sausages, preferring to make patties instead. No matter your preference, you can learn how to make sausage like a Bartolini by clicking HERE.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Quince: The end of the year’s canning
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from the Bartolini kitchens 
That sounds sooo good John. I love relish but never had it homemade. This is totally a vegan recipe too! I’ve never even heard of green tomato relish, but I bet it’s divine!!
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Thanks, Brandi. I really have no other tomato relish to compare this with. Some call them chow-chow but I’ve not tried them, either. All I do know is that this was a pretty good relish. It totally slipped past me that this was vegan. I need to pay more attention.
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The best of your wurst – brilliant! And your tomatoes lasted until the end of October…that’s incredible. I don’t often make this chutney as we can usually rely on some late autumn sunshine in Andalucia to turn the tomatoes red…and this year we weren’t there but now I am craving it. I bet it smelled great when it was cooking 🙂 And now you’re talking sausages and quince….ooh I LOVE autumn! Hope all is going ok for you and your family, thinking of you.
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Hello, Tanya. All is well with me and the rest of the Clan. Thank you.
We, here in the City, didn’t have a hard frost until late October. The tomatoes, though, had pretty much stopped growing because the sun wasn’t strong enough nor the temperatures warm enough. All the better for my relish making plans. I’m with you, Tanya and your love for Autumn. There are some foods that I only prepare in Autumn and when I do, I always wonder why I didn’t make them sooner. I guess it would ruin much of their appeal if I tasted them more often. Come to think of it, this is about the time for me to cook lamb shanks. Yep, it’s Autumn all right. 🙂
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Sigh 🙂
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Delicious! We don’t have squirrels, but we do have possums which are just as destructive. Must try sharing and see whether it has an impact! My kids form a line for handouts when I’m making green tomato pickle. It’s an old family favourite. We all love it with cheese, but best of all with leftover cold roast lamb in a toastie.
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This is going to sounds like I live in a Nature Park but, besides squirrels, we’ve got possums, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and rabbits. For the last 3 years, there have been as many as 6 raccoons “playing” on the porch above mine on Summer nights. Once scared, they shimmy up the pillars onto the roof. Before I let Max into the yard at night, I bang the door, hoping to make enough noise to frighten the critters away. We’ve already startled skunks a couple times and he’s been sprayed. Trust me. That is soo not the way to end a day. 🙂
I do hope you’ll post your family’s recipe for your green tomato pickle. I would love to give it a try next year.
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My couch potato pooch Monty guards us against the critters with great bravado, though we’re not sure what would happen if he cam face to face with one, probably run a mile. Thankfully there are no skunks here. I smelt one just once while visiting my brother when he lived in Ohio, it’s a smell you never forget! Do you have to bath Max when he gets sprayed? This is the link to our family’s favourite green tomato pickle recipe.http://wp.me/p2frs2-10Q
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I’ve had dogs get sprayed a few times, most often in Michigan. It’s going to be bad, no matter what, but I think it’s a little better if I can get the spray off before it dries on the dog’s coat. Of course, that means getting the spray onto my shirt as I lift the dog into the tub. I throw it away once he’s bathed — and then take a long shower.
Thanks for the link. I see that I read it when it was first posted. I swear I’d be dangerous if I had any kind of memory. Thanks for providing the link. I’ve pinned it this time and will know to look for it next year. 🙂
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Wow that looks fantastic! Never tryed with green tomatoes, but this one I just have to do asap 🙂
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Thank you. It is a great way to put those green tomatoes to use without cluttering up all of your window sills. 🙂
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What an enjoyable post…had me smiling! 🙂 love the technique to keeping Squirrel at bay! I have never made relish and yours made me want a good quality sausage dog…can’t beat that! I did try making fried green tomatoes this fall and they were quite tasty.
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Thank you. I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. I thought I might have some large green tomatoes to try my hand at frying them but it didn’t work out that way. I could have used the one but I’m too big a fan of BLTs. I knew it would be my last tomato, and therefore last BLT, for 6 months. 😦
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Oh that squirrel! I can just imagine he’s thoroughly enjoying his new-found celebrity. I’ve never had green tomato relish in fact, the first time I heard of green tomatoes was in that American movie – it was an odd concept. But yes, I now know they work well in many different ways and your relish looks delicious. I hope your tomatoes are up for a much better season – keep that water in abundance! xx
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Thanks, Charlei. You don’t know the even half the story of Squirrel. I sear he taunts Max & I. If we’re in the yard, he’ll perch high above us and “bark” at us until we leave the area. And his favorite spot for dropping off the tomatoes he’s stolen is on my porch, just outside my door. He is no ordinary squirrel.
This relish is good and is one I’ll make again next year. My new containers are supposed to be self-watering with a reservoir good enough for a week. Well, it was only good for about 3 days but they still worked great. For the first time in years, I had plenty of tomatoes and I’ll be happy if I can repeat this next year.
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I’m so pleased you did the hard work of souring the net for the right recipe John, all I have to do now is make this fabulous relish.
Well done on “training” the squirrels on what tomatoes they are allowed. I bet Max would enjoy a few minutes alone with a squirrel too, just to make them understand who fits in where.
Have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy xo
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Thanks, Mandy. The hardest part of this relish is the chopping. I’m not good at making a small dice but that’s what you should be aiming for.
You should see Max leave out my door and head down the steps. All Summer long, it’s as if the squirrel is in the middle of the yard because he flies down those steps hoping to get him. The squirrel’s never there, of course, but Max is practicing for that one time he will be. 🙂
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Hi John, your relish sure looks good. I am so glad you got a good crop of tomatoes this year. Great idea re the squirrel. It is so funny how exotic and cute other people’s pests sound. Are you in the market for several families of rabbits, by any chance?
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Thanks, Glenda, and the tomato crop was a real nice part of Summer. I was seriously considering quitting if I couldn’t get things turned around.
Thanks you, too, for the offer of rabbits but we have our own, as well, as possums, raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. If you include a couple of feral cats, we could film a nature documentary. 🙂
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I know I might be late but I wish to send you all my condolences too. You seem to have a close family and this is such a great thing.
I have never made a relish but I always wanted to try. One thing is that it’s hard to find green tomatoes over here… what do you suggest would work well as an alternative?
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Thank you for sending your condolences.
This relish is basically a pickle. Whatever you use, it should not be too soft, like a ripe tomato. Green tomatoes are a bit hard and they don’t become mushy during the pickling process. I bet you could use diced cucumber or zucchini in place of the green tomatoes. Let me know if you find and try something. 🙂
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Thanks for the tip 🙂
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You had me check my kitchen for the ingredients at 0500 a.m. A magical yummy chef’s surprise once more! A perfect treat for Thanksgiving. This even looks better than the traditional roasted turkey although I bet your version of turkey will be a legendary taste bud delight. Best wishes to your and your family.
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Thank you so much. I thought I was the only one to read a recipe post and immediately check the pantry, no matter the time. 🙂
I hope you and your wonderful family shared a very Happy Thanksgiving!
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Your tomato relish looks delicious on your hot dog John. Certainly better than what they offer at the supermarket.
Enjoyed reading about how you conquered squirrel’s habits. Hope you are able to be as successful next season.
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Thanks, Colline. For my first batch, I was very pleased. Next time, I may try to add dill to the mix. I bet that would be good, too. All is quiet on the squirrel front. He’s probably asleep in a nest in one of the trees, dreaming of raiding my tomatoes next season. 🙂
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Your relish was needed on my hot dog!!! My neighbor gave me a jar of choko relish today. I have no idea what it tastes like but I’ll know tomorrow!
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This relish is meant for a hot dog, without a doubt I had to google choko and, like you, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea how it would taste. I bet it’s wonderful. I doubt your neighbor would share anything that wasn’t fantastic. You do get along with your neighbors, don’t you? 🙂
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Beautiful tomato relish John! It’s late spring here and my crop of tomatoes is coming along nicely so I look forward to coming back to this post. All the best, and my thoughts, with everything!
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Thanks, Conrad. Late Spring is a great time of the year. My garden is fully planted and there’s such promise with it all. Of course, Squirrel hasn’t made his appearance yet. That battle will be waged in mid-Summer. 🙂
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John you beat that pesky squirrel at his own game, Bravo!! Now, I wonder if that trick will work on my possums?
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I don’t know, Lisa. We have possums, too, but they don’t bother my plants. Nor do the skunks. The raccoons did a couple of years ago but haven’t lately. Rabbits are a pest for my neighbors’ lettuce but I don’t plant anything leafy that they would eat. For me, it’s all about Squirrel. Next year will be the big test. Will our treaty hold? Time will tell… 🙂
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Tomatoes: “Relish, we are your father.”
Relish: “Nooooo!!”
Lol, how funny! That’s why I love your blog. The relish looks amazing, John, especially with the sausage. I made this before, didn’t look nearly as good as yours. And I had better look for quinces now, in preparation for your quince recipe to come. 🙂 Angie.
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Thanks, Angie. This was my first attempt making relish of any kind and I sure did like the results. I may try for one with dill flavoring next year.
I’ve seen quince just a few days ago at one of my markets, so, they’re still available. I found a recipe to make quince jam that can also makes jelly as a bi-product. So, once you get the quince, check your supply of jars. 🙂
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Cloves, yum! Jalapenos? Why not? My mum wouldn’t have heard of them in the era she was making relishes and chili sauces. I should riffle through the older cookbooks on the shelf to see if any pickling recipes call for hot spices, and if so, in what form — curious now!
Love your offering to the squirrel gods. You’ve got good observation skills!
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Thank you for the compliments. The jalapeño was my idea. Just a few years ago I would never have added it but my tolerance for spice is growing and this relish has just a bit of heat, certainly not anything more. Will have to wait until next Summer to see if my treaty with Squirrel is still in effect. Something tells me that this treaty will be broken once the tomatoes start to turn pink. Call it a hunch. 🙂
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Those tomatoes look fantastic John, and what a great way to preserve your wonderful efforts (no pun intended, OK, well maybe a little). I’ve never had green tomato relish but it does look and sound great! And I can only imagine the flavour depth it adds to your fantastic Bartolini sausages. That bun is making my mouth water!
Ah squirrel, I can see your frustration but I was glad to hear that no bullets were used. As much of an annoyance they can be, I love to watch them run around in their squirrelly way. The tip with the water bowl is a good one, I’ll have to remember it next year for sure (but I’ll have to bring the bowl in at night as our pests are raccoons who would surely think I’ve layed out a black tie spread invitation!)
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Thank you, Eva, for leaving such a great comment and compliments. I’ve always loved hot dogs but rarely eat them now because of the nitrites and preservatives used in processed meats. One might say that this post was just an excuse to eat a hot dog again but that’s just not true. The fact that it took 4 hot dogs over the course of a few days for that photo is purely coincidental. 😉
We’ll see how our “arrangement” works. I’ve a feeling Squirrel will be the one to break the treaty. I’ve got a raccoon problem, too, Eva. In recent years, they’ve abandoned my tomatoes but, for a while, they raided and even knocked over my plants. More recently, they congregate on the back porch above mine on Summer nights. The family above has seen as many as 6 up there. When someone opens the door, they scramble up the pillars onto the roof. We’ve also got skunks, possum, and rabbits. It’s like living in a Nature Park. 🙂
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Relish is very unusual in Italy, you must know. With green tomatoes sometimes I make a jam with a particular taste.
I saw how great is your family recipe for salsicce.
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Thank you, Sylva. I make a jam but use ripe tomatoes. Next year, I will try using green tomatoes. My family’s recipe for salsicce is quite plain compared to others and I prefer it that way. If I add it to a sauce or another dish, there are no spices to over-power the dish.
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Love the green tomato pic. Now you have me remembering that lovely movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes.” 🙂
Have a wonderful Hannukah and a blessed Thanksgiving.
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Thank you so much. Thanksgiving was wonderful. And wasn’t that movie a good one? I still laugh at the line, “I’m older and I have insurance!” Too funny.
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John, interesting how once more your food brings me memories of stuff from my days in Brazil. This one made me think of college days. We spent the whole day at school, morning through the end of the afternoon, so my lunch was often a hot dog from a little cart on the street. The guy would arrive around 11am and not leave until past 3pm, waiting for customers. One of his toppings was a relish, not with green tomatoes, because they did not exist in Brazil then, but still… a similar concoction….
great post…
I hope you are doing well…. and so is your family
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Yes, I ate more than my fair share of hotdogs while in college, too, Sally. In fact, I never stopped loving them — and then I started reading about the evils of eating hot dogs and all precessed meats. Now, it’s a rarity unless i get them at one of my butcher’s He makes his own hotdogs and sausages. Yum!
My family and I are all doing fine, Sally. Thanks for asking. There was a big gathering in Michigan for Thanksgiving and Zia’s 91st birthday. I stayed home with the contractors, who just might be finished today! It will be nice to have some peace and quiet again. 🙂
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Next growing season am going to try your method to deter critters from my crops or will I be encouraging their visits? Need to think this one through.
Glad you had a good tomato harvest this year, hope the next will be an even better one. Never grew San Marzano tomato before, found seeds on clearance at the nursery some weeks ago so will try my had at growing them next season.
Your relish sure looks delish, must remember this recipe next year.
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Thanks, Norma. You may be right and the last thing you want to do is encourage squirrels to pilfer your tomatoes. My Squirrel is apparently lazy and will gladly accept a handout. We’ll see what happens next year.
San Marzano tomatoes are a specific plum tomato that is grown in an area near Mt. Vesuvius. “Real” San Marzano tomatoes are said to have superior taste and texture. Well, I’m nowhere near a volcano so I cannot say how my tomatoes compare to the real thing. I do know that my plants give me quite a few tomatoes this year and they were flavorful. That’s good enough for me. 🙂
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What a pesky rodent. Squirrels are rodents, aren’t they?
I am sharing your post with my pickling friends, the canners, the harvesters. I hope they make it next year so I can sample it. Otherwise I will just have to enjoy reading about your making it and looking at the enticing photos.
Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving, and good eating, John.
If you’re cooking, I know it will be superb. I appreciate your great comments on my blog and loved the one about your grandpa’s stuffed fox in the room you avoided.
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Thank you so much, Ruth. I had a wonderful, filling Thanksgiving and hope yours was a good one, too.
I do hope one of your friends makes this relish and gives you a jar. 5 – 6 pints is a lot of relish. They should be able to spare a jar. When they do, break out the hot dogs. This relish was meant for hot dogs.
Yes, squirrels are rodents — and diabolical, too! My Squirrel loves to taunt Max and me, making all kinds of noise when either of us enter the yard. When Max is in the dog run, Squirrel runs back and forth on a power line that runs over the dog run. It drives Max nuts! See? Diabolical! 🙂
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The relish looks so good, John! I’ve never made a relish before (for a food blogger, I seem to have a long list of ‘never befores’) and once again you’ve inspired me. The photo of the hot dog slathered in relish had me yearning for one, and here it is breakfast time. Now that’s an effective food photo!
Had to laugh at your Squirrel story, especially the story about the daily offering. It sounds like an excellent solution to the pilfering problem!
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Thanks, Mar. This relish was meant for a hot dog and it will make great Christmas gifts, too.
I hope my treaty holds next Summer but, realistically, my tomatoes and I are at Squirrel’s mercy. If he breaks the treaty, what can I do? I think he knows this! 🙂
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L’ha ribloggato su passion4food4fashion.
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You honor us when you reblog a post. Thank you.
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I love the flavors in your green tomato relish! I have to admit, I thought green tomatoes were a special type of tomato, lol, not just unripened red ones:) Love your squirrel story, I have a squirrel that keeps trying to dive up and onto my window bird feeder. If he would be contented with the fallen seeds it might be a better proposition for him! I have a plastic pellet gun at the ready, but he always comes around when I’m not looking, sneaky little.. barbarian is the best descriptor! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Are you the maker of the turkey or do you get to attend a dinner?xx
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Thanks, Barb. Yeah, a number of years ago, I, too, thought that green tomatoes were a specific kind. Thank you cooking show for setting me straight.
I was given a bird feeder as a housewarming gift but haven’t put it in the yard because there’s no place to install it that would be free of squirrels. These are relentless.
As for Thanksgiving, a group of us met for dinner at a neighboring restaurant. WIth the construction in my yard, there was no way I could host. Still, I did roast a small bird the Sunday before. There was no way I was going to go without turkey sandwiches. That’s really the only reason I cook a turkey, for the sandwiches, especially with a bit of stuffing and cranberry sauce included. Yum!
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Lovely relish. Have you tried copper powder for the blight? You mix it in with the soil. Not too much as you don’t want it to be toxic but it does help a bit. Each year I add something new to the tomato plants and we keep getting more. Of course I planted 51 of them so I guess that helped. 🙂
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I remember your post about planting all of those tomato plants. Surely you had quite a harvest! Thanks for the tip about the copper powder. I need to find some for next year’s planting season. It wasn’t as bad this year, as in the past, but when you only have a half-dozen plants, losing a couple to blight really takes a toll on the crop.
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And you have to be vigilant one removing the sick branches. Don’t compost those, just throw them away. I love tomatoes but they are hard work at times!
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Yes, they’re hard work but so worth the effort. Nothing like a breakfast of a raw tomato, fresh from the garden. Thanks for the additional tips about pruning. I sure hope this works. 🙂
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I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. 🙂
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Ahh the elusive Squirrel. Mine chirp loudly at about 6 am every sunny summer morning from the large oak tree in my neighbors yard. They also love to dig up my newly planted tulip bulbs and replace them with acorns from the aforementioned tree.
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I forgot about the bulbs! In the Fall, I plant bulbs and, in the Spring, they bloom but all over my front lawn. Squirrel digs them up and replants them!!! Maybe I should try planting them in the lawn, hoping he’ll plant them in the flower beds. 🙂
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That’s my kind of relish!
BTW squirrel tastes good – a bit like rabbit 😉
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Thanks, MD. I’ll stick with rabbit. Squirrel seems like an awful lot of work for very little pay off. 🙂
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It is a bit small – best for entrées IMHO 😉
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Lovely and refreshing relish john!
we used to callled it acar in Indonesia, but actually my asian descant is not that familiar with canning and storinf foo sice we live with sun whole year throught….
i guess this must be perfect with my homemade bresaola….
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Thank you, Dedy. I’d no idea that you’ve a version of this in Indonesia. We learn a lot from our blogging friends, don’t we? I bet this would be good with bresaola, especially yours being homemade.
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Those darn little squirrels John, I have the same issue! They take a little bite off each freakin tomato just to get that moisture. Well, you have much more patience than hubby. He totally gave up growing tomatoes in the city and only does so in the country. When I was at the farmer’s market looking for those darn little damson plums (which were gone, baby, gone!), I saw loads of green tomatoes and wondered if I should get some. I declined. With my luck, I will go back and they’ll be gone too! The green tomato relish looks perfect for sausages on a roll, hamburgers, probably grilled cheese sandwiches too.
And the sausages… in my neighbourhood, you know who the Italians are by the ‘cantina’. All true Italians had a cantina with sausages, salamis and prosciuttos hanging in there!
Funny you have a quince on this post. Just yesterday, I picked one up. Just to give it a try. My daughter asked me this morning what it was and why I bought it. It was because of Maria Dernikos, who came to me via you John, thank you, who had posted about quince paste. Being curious of new and different fruits, I picked one up to have a taste! Can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Hope your week will be a better one for all of you, and do forgive me for writing a novel on your post! xoxo
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This Squirrel — there’s only one — takes the cake, Lidia. He not only takes a bite of each tomato, but he spits them out on my back porch. Almost every morning in Summer I’m met by at least one tomato just outside my door. Worse yet, he likes to sit on the windowsill just behind me. Max sees him there, starts barking and draws my attention. There sits Squirrel with a tomato in its mouth. ARGH!!
I’ve not heard “cantina” in over 30 years! In the basement of the old two-flat, there were a few rooms, each was called a cantina. Until they were banned, Dad would hang an imported prosciutto ham in ours while it cured. Sunday mornings, he’d take me down there and we’d check to see if it was ready. I was almost sad to hear that it was ready because that meant I’d have to share it. 🙂
I’m new to quince, too. I’ve made jam and jelly and now need to learn how to use it. I’m sure the comments for that post will offer suggestions.
Hope your week is a good one, too. Don’t worry about the length of this or any comment, Lidia. I truly enjoy them all. 🙂
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The very few times I’ve successfully grown tomatoes, Squirrel has taken a bite out of every one! And due to lack of sun, there were no extra to leave out for him/her. But now I know to try water, if I want to brave tomato heartbreak again. I love the looks of your relish. We have a similar thing down here called green tomato chow chow, but I don’t think it has peppers in it, and like your relish, it’s wonderful on dogs or brats. I hope things are on the upswing and all happy times for you ahead, John. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thanks, Betsy. With the porches due to be completed tomorrow, things are definitely on the upswing. I put the jalapenos in this relish. It’s not very hot, just a little touch of spice, and that’s all I was looking for. I’ve heard of chow-chow but that;s all. In fact, this is the only tomato relish I’ve tried. You are right, though. it’s great on hot dog.
My Thanksgiving was great and hope yours was, too.
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My mom pickled green tomatoes when I was young. As kid, I was always a little embarrassed pulling them out of my school lunch. But boy do I wish I had them now! I can only imagine how fabulous this relish would be on any sandwich! This is wonderful John! On a separate note, I’m sorry for your loss. There is nothing more sacred than family and our memories. I’ll pray for you and your family.
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Thanks, Tanya, for leaving such a thoughtful comment and for your prayers.
This is a sweet relish and very tasty. Next year I want to experiment with dill flavoring. We really never did anything with our green tomatoes. Grandpa picked them all and put them in the drawers of an old dresser, keeping them there until they ripened. In fact, it wasn’t until several years ago that I first tried fried green tomatoes. Mom cooked many things, green tomatoes just wasn’t among them. 🙂
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Love the squirrel story…great plan. Those jars of relish look wonderful. I’m very lazy in the relish making business and always hope passing friends will drop off a jar of their home made pickles for me to “test”:)
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Thanks, Roger. We’ll see how great the plan is next year. Squirrels aren’t known for respecting treaties and the like. A friend gave me a jar of pickles years ago and it spurred me to making my own. Mine were always refrigerator pickles, though. It wasn’t for a number of years before I tried canning things. Now, I’m hooked. It’s a slippery slope, I’m afraid.
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Back in Texas, my problem with tomatoes were the darned birds. They would peck every single tomato, it was so frustrating. I read somewhere that if you hung CDs, they were distracted by the shiny discs, so we hung CDs and netted the whole area where the containers were placed. That seemed to help. What’s crazy is that they even ate jalapeños. I guess they were Texan birds after all!
I have never tried green tomato relish. We have Indian style chutneys and such, but your flavours are intriguing. Maybe I’ll try this next summer. It looks really good and bet it tastes great with that hotdog!
I also agree with your frustration with recipes on the net. I don’t understand why people who post recipes don’t understand that not everything is uniform! My personal pet peeve is when they don’t specify a cake pan size. Come on!! Baking is a a precise science and we’re supposed to throw it any size pan and hope for the best?? ANYWAY, rant aside, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with plenty of good food and good company. Can’t wait to see your quince recipe, most of the time I don’t know what to do with them.
Nazneen xx
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I think every garden has its own pest, Nazneen.. Mine is Squirrel, yours is birds. I’ve never had a bird problem, not in the slightest. I can certainly appreciate your situation, though. You’re right about this relish. It seems like it was meant to be served on a hotdog. They really do go well together.
I so agree with your thoughts about recipes on the web. The cake pan/dish size is a pet peeve of mine, as well. I ran into the number of fruit problem again in this week’s post dealing with quince. The recipe I found not only dealt with that but gave me a 2nd recipe to prepare, as well. Now, that person knows how to post a recipe! 🙂
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Hope this isn’t a duplicate comment – I think the ether ate the last one. Anyway, I haven’t made green tomato relish for years. So long ago I forget which recipe I used. So next time I’ll use yours. 😉 We had major squirrel trouble with our tomatoes, too. I finally bought some “bird” netting from Amazon that I draped over the tomato plants. It worked, but it’s really flimsy stuff – just thin nylon. And I’m sure the squirrels will eventually figure out they can chew through it. So next year I’m going to get some of that white pvc pipe from Home Depot and build a cage that I can put over the tomato beds, and wrap it with chicken wire. Light enough that I can easily move it. Hope that works! Anyway, good post – thanks.
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For some reason, your prior comment was flagged, waiting for my approval. I wish I knew why it happened because this isn’t the first time.
Although I like this relish, it is the first homemade that I’ve tried. I’ve really nothing with which to compare it. Next year I’d like to try making one with dill, too. My yard is so small, John, that even the tomato “cages” are a nuisance. I’d be afraid of the amount of space your PVC cage would take up. Still, if the treaty is broken — and I’ve no reason to think it won’t be — I may be left with little choice but to follow your lead. Thanks for the tip and for taking time to comment twice. 🙂
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I feel for you when it comes to those varmints! It is so insulting to walk into my garden and seeing a bite out of a ripe tomato, a pomegranate or cactus fruit. Instead of taking it with them, those varmints leave it all behind after just one bite. They are toying with the gardener! But I do feel better when talking to someone with the same problem. Again, you have recipes that I would love to try. I am already missing my tomato plants. I haven’t made my own sausage since childhood. Somewhere in my life is my mom’s meat grinder. It’s the kind that requires muscle!
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Yes, knowing that others are being pestered by these rodents is comforting, in an odd sort of way. Thanks, for commiserating. My Squirrel loves to drop his bitten tomatoes just outside my back door, adding insult to injury! It is a sad day for me when I have to pull my tomato plants. I don’t enjoy it at all and, like you, I miss them. I’ve Mom’s meat grinder, too, as well as one I bought for my stand mixer. I very rarely buy ground meat now. Everything from burgers to sauces are much better now.
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“My kitchen smelled like a condiment station at Wrigley Field” – hahaha. I love tomatoes. I’d love to try this! Happy Thanksgiving.
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It’s a good relish, Mary Frances. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Thanksgiving was a good one and I hope yours was wonderful, too.
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Ooh that relish looks gorgeous! Happy Thanksgiving John!
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Thanks, Eleni, for both the compliment and well-wishes. I hope you enjoyed the holiday, too. 🙂
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Lovely way to deal with the squirrels and hopefully they will indeed remember the truce next year.
The relish looks great. I love the combination of all flavors and the addition of spiciness.
Looking forward to your post about quince. I’ve just bought a couple and they are cooking happily for tomorrow’s dinner. Such a lovely fruit they are! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Ronit. I can only hope that Squirrel will honor our truce next year. Fingers crossed …
Since I like to add hot peppers on my burgers, hotdogs, and sausages, I thought a little spice would be nice. It worked, though it’s not overpowering.
i hope you’ll post your quince recipe. i know little about them and would love to experiment with them 🙂
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I only have photos of one of many recipes, but will be happy to post it soon. 🙂
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That’s great! Thank you.
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This looks delicious!
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Thanks, Felicia. Everyone loves it that’s tried it. I hope you’ll try it and feel the same way. 🙂
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This is not a recipe I expect to make, but I love the story about the squirrel 🙂 You’ve also reminded me that I should try the Bartolini sausage recipe, which has been on my to cook list forever.
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Admittedly, Stefan, relish is not a condiment for everyone. WIth all the dishes you prepare and experiments you perform, it’s a wonder you have time to include others’ recipes. No matter when you find the time, we’ll be honored when you do try our recipe — just as we always are. 🙂
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Well, I have never made nor eaten this either ~ yes, most of us Down Under learned about green tomatoes from ‘that’ film methinks!! But I have to admit that I like all the ingredients you have used, so may just halve your recipe when tomatoes come round again and try 🙂 ! Have been lucky with possums so far . . . do live amidst parkland as you know and have certainly seen them: one even tried to live rentfree in my roofspace . . . perhaps they simply don’t access pots and all of my ‘harvest’ does grow in such! Hope you do have a very happy Thanksgiving John and are able to get together with family members or friends 🙂 !
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To be honest, Eha, I’d not heard about green tomatoes until That Movie, too. They just weren’t a part of my family’s diet. I wanted to give this relish a try because I give gifts of ketchup and mustard at Christmas and thought a jar of relish would complete the “condiment package”. I sure do like it, though, and I’m sure they will, too.
I’ve possums here, as well, but they leave my tomatoes alone. I’ve also skunks, raccoons, and rabbits but none bother my plants. They cause other problems, though, and I have to be careful before I let Max into the yard at night. He’s had one run-in with a skunk and that was more than enough. 🙂
Thanks, Eha. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with friends and, from what I’ve heard, my family in Michigan had a great time together, as well. Just as it should be.
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Happy Thanksgving John, to you and the Bartolini family! I love that you sorted out your squirrel problem by giving him an offering of the fallen tomatoes. We’ve had to net all of our veggie beds and pots to keep our possum friends from decimating the small amount we manage to grow.
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I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving, too, Margot. We’ve possum, too, but they don’t bother my few tomato plants. Raccoons were a problem a few years ago but now they, too, leave the plants alone. Now, it’s only Squirrel that plunders my crop. I just mentioned to another commenter that if the truce doesn’t hold next year, I’ll have to do something more like netting or building a larger cage system. Squirrel has to learn that you don’t mess with a Bartolini’s tomatoes! 🙂
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Love your tomato relish! I used a new recipe this year and wasn’t very happy with it. I’ll be giving yours a try next. And you’re right – a great relish for hotdog or sausage dogs in my case. (Not a fan of hotdogs. :)) Great story about the squirrel and tomatoes. Hope it works for you again next year. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
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Thanks, MJ. we had a fantastic Thanksgiving and I hope you and yours can say the same. I’m not familiar at all with other green tomato relishes but I do like this one. It is really good on any kind of sausage. I’d like to find a dill recipe, just for comparison’t sale. I’ve got plenty of time. My garden won’t be seeing green tomatoes until sometime in July.
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This so makes me want a hot dog and I gave those up a long time ago! I did make some bacon jam for Thanksgiving and think these two would be a perfect match! I would love to feed my turkey but am more worried about feeding the squirrels, who would think the corn was for them. I’m pinning this recipe for future reference John! And have a fabulous Thanksgiving!
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Thank you, Abbe, and I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying Hanukkah.
I, too, rarely eat hotdogs now, though I just can’t give them up ompletely. That was a nice benefit of writing this post. I had to eat a dog or two – OK four — so that I could tasted and photograph the relish. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. I was given a bird feeder as a gift, about 15 years ago. I’ve yet to put it up because I cannot find a safe, squirrel-free spot. If he respects the truce next year, maybe I can give the bird feeder a try. How’s that for optimism? 🙂
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It’s wonderful that your lapse of attention to the tomatoes turned into a kind gesture into a detente between you and Squirrel.
Green tomato relish takes me backto my childhood in the country when home made relsih abounded, and added to a cheese or meat sandwich – white bread and proper butter back then. It was a simple perfect lunch, or a plate was required for be taken to an occasion there were the same sandwiches but more, cut into triangles. It was the relish that made the sandwiches memorable.
In miscellaneous news, I found Burrata (at Salts Meats Cheese in Alexandria for anyone reading in Sydney that is interested) and added it to our dinner of organic penne and home made meat sauce – yum, and it got a tick of approval from the G.O. And, just turned up on my desk this afternoon a birthday gift from my Melbourne resident sister, Preserving The Italian Way by Pietro DeMaio – her partner is of Italian descent and the book comes well recommended. One of the bets presents ever.
Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
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We’ll see next year whether I’ve a true truce with Squirrel. He could be lulling me into a false sense of security. He’s a crafty one, EllaDee.
This is my first experience with homemade relish. I’ve really nothing with which to compare it. It’s good, though, that’s for sure. I’m going to include some in this year’s gift baskets. it will go nicely with the ketchup and brown mustard. It will be a condiment Christmas … well, I’ll be including some homemade liqueur, too. 🙂
Glad you were able to find burrata. It’s really something, isn’t it? What a great birthday gift! I bet it’s chock full of great recipes.
Thanks, EllaDee. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you had a great weekend, too.
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love your pest control methods in the garden! That relish looks gooooood and I’m not even a fan. Made me think of being at a baseball game.
Happy Thanksgiving to the Bartolini Kitchens and Chicago John 😀 (Max, too 😉 )
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Thanks, Liz. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!
You’re so right about this relish. It belongs in a ball park. Its scent transports me to Wrigley Field, If only the Cubs were playing better. I wouldn’t mind the trip so much. 🙂
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sei una persona molto speciale, e sono molto contenta di leggerti e di seguirti
buona giornata a te e ai tuoi pomodori 🙂
you’re a very special person, and I’m very glad to read and follow you
good day to you and your tomatoes
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You are very kind, Ventis. Thank you so much. 🙂
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I love the captions on your photos, John. You gave me a good chuckle with “Relish, we are your father.” 🙂 I am delighted with this recipe because every year I, too, get “stuck” at the end with all the green tomatoes, and sadly, I haven’t done much with them at all. I do love fried green tomatoes, but wisdom prevents me from getting carried away with that tasty dish! And i never thought of a green relish. I am certain this would be so tasty, particularly since I really do enjoy green tomatoes. Your squirrel story is so interesting, and I wonder why, with all the squirrels I have in my yard, I’ve never found them interested in the tomatoes. That would be so infuriating. I hope that giving them a peace offering will just continue to work well in the future. My very best to you and Max for a lovely Thanksgiving, John. It is probably a good day to stay indoors and dream of next season’s bountiful crop of tomatoes. 🙂
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Thanks, Debra. I, too, like fried green tomatoes but only “discovered them a few years ago and have never made them. I, also, love relish and on those rare occasions where I have a hot dog, this is the relish to use.
If my friend’s theory is correct, your squirrels don’t need to pilfer tomatoes for a drink. They can sip from your yard’s water feature. They probably think it’s nice of you to maintain the oasis for them. 🙂
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Debra, and I hope you and your family shared the same.
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Your kitchen smelled like a condiment station at Wrigley Field??? Smiles across my face. I’ll take two dogs fully loaded sir.
Also I’m sorry to hear about your family’s loss of Uncle Leo. Never an easy thing.
Have a very Happy Turkey my friend. Eat, Drink, and Live Well!
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Thanks, Jed, for everything.
I wasn’t joking about the scent in my kitchen that night. It was still there the next morning, too. Next time I make relish, I’ll do it when it’s warm enough to keep the windows open. It’s either that or have some hot dogs readily available. 🙂
I hope you and Liz had a fantastic Thanksgiving, Jed.
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the green tomato recipe was great. Looked so good on the hotdog. My husband dearly loves fried green tomatoes. Found a less caloric recipe than frying. Slice green tomatoes and dry them off with paper towels. Dip in Italian dressing covering each piece. Then dredge in mixture of cornmeal, parmasean and Panko bread crumbs. Bake till lightly brown and crusty. Tomatoes. All ways is my motto. Happy Thanksgiving. Sue
Womenlivinglifeafter50.com
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Thanks, Sue. I don;t eat hot dogs much any more. Having to take photos for the post was as good excuse as any to have one. OK, 4 over 2 days may have been a bit much but I wasn’t quite satisfied with the early photos.
I’ve not cooked green tomatoes but do like the sound of yours, especially the part about baking instead of frying. If my treaty with Squirrel holds next year, I’ll be sure to give your recipe a try. I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving, as was mine. 🙂
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Happy Thanksgiving John! I’ve never thought to use green tomatoes in a relish but what a good idea. No worries about being absent from the blogosphere, at least where I’m concerned. I totally get how life takes precedence sometimes and we can only achieve so much. I hope you are in touch with your family/friends today and are able to have a relaxed and enjoyable Thanksgiving day. Looking forward to your quince post!
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Thanks, Laura, for your understanding and well-wishes. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you and your family did too. It’s been a very busy few weeks and once I fall behind with my blogging duties, it is very hard to get caught up again, especially when I haven’t much time to spare. This, too, shall pass … 🙂
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I am sure the squirrel did not expect you to be such a hardy opponent, lol! I am glad you got a bountiful harvest John, and the relish looks delightful.
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Thanks, Minnie. With a garden, there’s always some pest or condition to fight. Squirrel is probably the worst of the lot. He taunts Max and I!! I just hope the truce holds next season. Having seen a good crop return to my garden, I don’t feel much like sharing any with that barbarian! 🙂
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Ciao John! 🙂 you’re killin’ me again, young man… 🙂 do you have any French origins, too?… 😉
Tomatoes have been my favourite vegetables(well, I do know they’re fruits!) since my childhood… speakin’ of that sausage(s), guess what: we find the same one here, it’s called “saucisse de Toulouse”, we have it grilled and we serve it with “flageolets” – green kidney beans or lentils cooked in duck fat… total yummy! 🙂 Last but not least: 2 days ago, I prepared quinces with maple syrup and cinnamon, it’s a winter fruit by definition and by excellence, ’cause we can have it with a white meat(filet mignon, veal or turkey) or as a dessert… 🙂 Bon appétit & buona notte! bonus: friendly hugs! 🙂
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Thank you, Melanie, for leaving such a great comment and lovely sentiments. Part of my Grandmother’s family moved to France after WWI. They lived near Nance. Our families lost contact years ago and I’ve no very little about them.
Your sausage dish, cooked in duck fat, sounds delicious. It sounds perfect for a Winter’s meal. Buona notte!
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Buono sera John! Those pesky little squirrels. You know it is all of them against you. I am glad they left you a few green ones on the plants to let you make this delicious relish. I like my dogs loaded too. I can’t wait for you to start making your own homemade sausage. Wishing you a delightful holiday weekend. Take care, BAM
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Buona sera, BAM! Although there are many squirrels in the neighborhood, I’ve only got one in my yard, my nemesis, Squirrel. He chases all of the others away. He knows a good thing when he sees it. 🙂 That dog was only partly loaded. If I “decorated” it like normal, no one would have seen the relish! Not to worry. Once I was done with the pictures, I loaded it up proper. Yum!
I had a fantastic Thanksgiving, BAM, and hope you and your family did, too.
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why, oh why can’t I just reach over and inhale a few!?!
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Wouldn’t smell-a-blog be great? None of us would get any work done, though. 🙂
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We might try this for some teacher’s gifts- thanks for the idea!
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You’re very welcome. I plan on giving this away, as well. It will go well with the mustard and ketchup I’m making. 🙂
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Oh boy. Now I’m craving a hot dog, thanks to your photo.
I’ve never made green relish, so when I saw your recipe I thought, “That’s it?!” I’m looking forward to trying it out.
Also, I loved the tale about the squirrel and how you left tomatoes out – the classic bait & switch! Brilliant! I didn’t know squirrels raid tomatoes for moisturizing purposes, and I’ll pass that info along to my parents.
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Thanks, Ruth. I, too, was surprised that making this relish was so easy. The only really hard part is the chopping. My knife skills are not nearly good enough to get a fine dice like store-bought relish. I’ve convinced myself that it’s more rustic this way. 🙂
I’d no idea about the squirrels needing moisture but it does seem plausible, especially when none of the tomatoes are eaten. Each does have a single puncture wound though. Could squirrels be somehow related to vampires? Hmmm … 🙂
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This year the tomato crop was so bad I am not going to grow them next year. As to your squirrel problem. I thought that if I tossed the fruit I didn’t want to the birds they would leave the netted fruit alone, none of it. I wouldn’t mind the odd one or two but they strip the whole lot. Your Tomato relish recipe is lovely and I shall keep and use it. Thank you John.
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Thanks, Maria. I can so identify with your wanting to quit planting tomatoes. Last year, I was ready to give up in July. I bought new containers in the off-season, thinking that if my tomatoes did no better this year, I’d use the planters for flowers. Well, they did so much better this year. Still, even though he raids my plants daily, Squirrel doesn’t take everything. I, too, would get mighty discouraged if he — or birds — stripped the plants clean. I don’t have the room to construct some sort of structure over my plants and if netting didn’t work, I’d be out of luck, too. I wish I could be of more help. Sorry.
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I think tomatoes are not as easy to grow as they used to be! As to my thieving blackbirds. I feed them well, yet they still feel the need to help themselves to more. My worry is that even with the most careful netting there is always one of them that gets trapped and I hate that. I would rather they had the wretched fruit than die caught in my netting. Next year I have a new plan of keeping them out. I shall be burying the ends of the nets. I did that with the figs this year and I could see Mr Blackbird bouncing on the top, hoping to break through! Those figs tasted so good!!
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Oh, fresh figs from the yard! Truly a bit of heaven on earth. My neighbor has a fig tree in his yard but the figs never ripen. Our climate is just too harsh, I believe.
I’ll be anxious to see if your new method works. I’ll gladly try it because I’ve no faith that Squirrel will live up to his end of the truce and, like you, I do not wish to walk into my yard and find something dead in the netting. I hope yor way works for you next year. Good luck!
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I have got to keep this recipe handy for next year’s tomato season! Pretty sure I would fall in love with this relish!
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Welcome, Pamela. If you’re a fan of hot dogs or sausages, this relish is for you. It’s meant to be on a bun with a wurst.
Thanks for the visit and for taking the time to comment.
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So sorry to hear about your squirrel issues John. We are having problems with them as well, only they are chewing away at our house (it’s made of wood shingles and recently stained)! I’m relieved that I don’t have any vegetables out in the backyard, it would have pist me off greatly. On the bright side, your green tomato relish look amazing and I love the color. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. Have a great week!
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Thanks, Anne. Friends had the same problem with squirrels as to you. They lived on the top floor and squirrels had chewed through the building’s trim, gaining entrance to a crawl space just above their home. My friend bought a trap and caught them, one-by-one, releasing each in a park some distance away. Apparently, squirrels will travel up to 5 miles to get back “home.” The hole was patched and the squirrels haven’t returned. I hope your squirrel tale has a similar happy ending. Good luck!
Have a great week!
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Mom loved fried green tomatoes but that Chicago dog there? I’ll take one, please 🙂
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Thanks, Teri. That dog wasn’t even fully loaded. I had to stop after the relish and mustard otherwise no one would have seen the relish. Rest assured. There were plenty of fixins added after the “photo shoot.” 🙂
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Happy belated Thanksgiving John. I hope that you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Your relish sounds like it would be right up Mike and Mr. N’s alleys. And I can certainly think of worse things for a kitchen to smell like than the condiment cart at Wrigley. That must bring about lovely thoughts of summer. 🙂
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Thank you, Kristy. I did have a nice Thanksgiving and I certainly hope you and your loving family did, too. The scent was quite nice, initially, I must admit. When I woke the next morning, though, and my kitchen still smelt like hotdogs, I had had enough. Next year I’ll make it in warmer weather so that I can air out the kitchen.
If your SousChefs like hotdogs — and what child doesn’t — they will love this. It’s a sweet relish and is is such an easy recipe to follow. The hardest part of it is the chopping. i don’t have the knife skills to chop that many tomatoes in a fine dice. My relish is rather chunky. I call it rustic. 🙂
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What great looking relish & homemade. I guess I’ve never thought about making relish and figured it only came in jars from supermarkets. Perfect use of green tomatoes although it did remind me of a movie from a while back – Fried Green Tomatoes.
Now about your squirrel…I’ll send Lola out to help you with that. Berners HATE squirrels! Somehow my first Berner, Clancy used to catch them & swing them around by the tail. He never deliberately killed them but they just didn’t hold up to the twirling game very well. Lola can’t catch them but she sure gives them a run for their money.
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I’ve always bought relish, too, Diane, mainly because I don’t use that much of it and a jar will last me quite a while,even though I love the stuff. Now, I’ve got 5.5 pints. That’s a lot of relish! Thankfully, Christmas is coming. 🙂
Lola can team up with Max. He hates Squirrel, too. The darn thing sits on the window ledge right where Max peers into the yard., often with a tomato in its thieving little paws. Both Max and I get upset in one move. He’s evil, I tell you! Still, I doubt if he’s a match for Max AND Lola! I’ll let you know if he doesn’t fulfill his end of the truce next season. 🙂
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Have you ever heard those squirrels? I think the dogs understand exactly what the little buggers are saying & it’s not nice.
Right now I’m having a war with a woodpecker. Every morning he starts on the side of the house where the bedroom is & I start pounding, Lola starts barking well, I guess at that point it’s time to get up.
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Squirrel has a spot, where the power lines attach to the building, where he sits and cackles at Max and me. We’ve no woodpeckers to wake me. Max does that on his own at sun up, no matter what. Some warm nights in Summer, though, if we’re lucky, a skunk will spray beneath my bedroom windows. Now that’s a great way to go to sleep. 🙂
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John perhaps you can scoop me some of that relish? I shall be having a hotdog for lunch today, LOL. I admire and respect farmers. Here you are being frustrated by a squirrel and cracked containers-can you imagine what the real farmers go through? When I was young I wanted to be a farmer, but as the years rolled by and I heard about the plights of farmers, the world over, I knew I could never make one. I am glad I didn’t’ You remember the proverb “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. I see you learnt very fast that you need to spread your losses by having more than one variety. The result? BLT, quarts of tomato sauce and even “how to keep the squirrel off you tomato container” It certainly pays to be a good student and to put the lessons learned into use. We have great sunshine in Ontario today. What a beautiful day. I hope yours is to. Wish you a fabulous week. Is Max still circling the containers? and by the way the riddle of 24 large tomatoes. Get the weight of one large tomato, multiply by 24 and that gives the total weight of 24 large tomatoes which you can apply to your varied sized tomatoes. I do that all the time, Have a pleasant day John. Best wishes!
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Thanks, Liz. You know, I thought the same thing about farmers. My “problem” is minuscule compared to what they must battle everyday. These few plants are my hobby not my livelihood. That’s a big difference if your family’s well-being is dependent upon the fields. Thanks for the tip about weighing one tomato and using that as a guide for the rest of what’s needed. You’ll see that I ran into the same problem with my quince post.
Our weather has been in the 40s but gray skied and drizzly. Into the 50s tomorrow with more rain and then Winter returns with a vengeance on Thursday and Friday. I hope that doesn’t include snow. I’m not ready for that yet. I hope you have a great week, Liz. Send some of that sunshine our way, please. 🙂
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Sunshine is now long gone. i have to go out there and shovel right now. It’s not a lot of snow but it does need shovelling. I am not too enthusiastic about snow this year…I guess I just have to get used to it. You have challenged me to make Jam. I shall not forget the challenge. Best wishes, John.
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Once I finish my coffee, I, too, will be heading out. We’ve only about 3 to 4 inches and I’ve a small blower. My neighbors are all retirees and I do their front walks, too. I’ll be done in a half hour — so long as the blower starts. I guess I should have tried it yesterday. 🙂
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I wish I was your neighbour. I would never shovel snow again, ever. It’s kind of you to help all those neighbours, John. I am sure they are all so grateful to have a kind neighbour like you. I am still procrastinating about shovelling but I’ll do it soon. Have a lovely day! Hugs to Max!
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Oh John, I was so sorry to hear about both of your Uncles. It’s always so difficult to lose people you love. Your family, especially, seems so close and for that you are blessed.
This tomato relish looks mouthwateringly delicious, and that hotdog…it’s lunchtime here and I am now officially craving a really good hotdog with some of that relish slathered on. Great photos! Good luck with your home improvements and with the squirrel. Take care.
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Thank you, Geni, for your sympathies and compassion. You’re right. We with close families are blessed.
I don’t eat hotdogs very much anymore — too much processed meat — so this post was a real joy. I just had to eat hotdogs again and again until I got a good photo. What we don’t do for our blogs. 😉
The rebuild is almost completed. I hope they’ll be gone Thursday afternoon.Soon after, Max will regain his yard and I’ll have some peace and quiet. Christmas came early! 🙂
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Dear John, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family.
All the best,
Stefano
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Thank you, Stefano, my Thanksgiving was quite nice and I hope you can say the same.
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I never seem to have that many green tomatoes, but this year was an exception. Summer was cool enough that we had a second harvest for the first time ever. I pinned this so I won’t forget it. Fingers crossed for next year.
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I remember you talking about still having tomatoes in August. That has to be a first. If my memory is correct, by that time you’ve pulled them and planted something else. Okra? You picked a good year to inaugurate your new raised bed. 🙂
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Your relish is really fresh and different sounding John, it’s making me hungry for a sausage with all the fixings! I’m sad to say that this is the first year I neglected to make my favourite green tomato chutney; it wasn’t for a lack of green tomatoes, just energy/motivation at the time – all my tomatoes ripened before I could get to them and ended up in other dishes.
Sorry to hear of your squirrel woes, that’s always a pain. When we moved out to the country it meant saying good-bye to squirrels, we just don’t have any round where we live. It’s still odd not to ever see a squirrel apart from in town.
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Thank you. This relish is meant for sausages and hot dogs. This was my first attempt making it and, I must say, I’m very pleased with the results. Next year, I’d like to try a batch with dill seasoning.
This squirrel is the bane of all of our gardens. You should hear my neighbors and I talk about him. You’d think he was some 6 foot beast! I hadn’t really thought about it before but there are no squirrels back home in rural Michigan. There are a few ground squirrels but none like those around here. You’re right. It is odd not to see them around. 🙂
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What a lovely homemade relish! Hope you had/are having a wonderful holiday season!
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Thanks, Amber. I hoe you and your family are enjoying a memorable holiday season, too. 🙂
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Love it, makes me want to make it !
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If you or a family member loves hot dogs, this relish is for you. It really does go well with a dog. 🙂
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Reblogged this on global_food.
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This is so nice of you. Thanks.
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