Garden Tomato Relish

By littlefish

What a great way to use your garden harvest—and have a tasty relish on hand for hotdogs, hamburgers and other dishes. Why not share a jar with a friend or neighbor? —Kelly Martel, Tillsonburg, Onario

Ingredients

• 10 pounds tomatoes
• 3 large sweet onions, finely chopped
• 2 medium sweet red peppers, finely chopped
• 2 medium green peppers, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 4-1/2 cups white vinegar
• 2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons canning salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Details

Servings 160

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add tomatoes, a few at a time; boil for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately place tomatoes in ice water. Drain and pat dry; peel and finely chop. Place in a stockpot. Add onions and peppers.
Place mustard and celery seed on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add spice bag and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 60-70 minutes or until slightly thickened. Discard spice bag.
Carefully ladle relish into hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in boiling-water canner for 20 minutes. Yield: 10 pints.
Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.


Nutrition Facts: 2 tablespoons equals 20 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 136 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein