Annie's Hot Chop Relish

While discussing what to do with an abundance of garden produce at this time of year, my friend Annie gave me her recipe for what she called her "hot chop concoction."  She cooks and cans it, but suggested it could also be frozen.  It's one of those recipes you "eye ball."

Annie said it's a family favorite that they mostly use on fried eggs, hamburgers, and hot dogs. She explained that there's no set recipe, but it's just something she concocted years ago, and that her son has also paid her to make it for him so he could give it out as holiday gifts for friends and neighbors.

So if your garden is abundant or you can't resist the good sales at farmer's markets at this time of year, considering making a batch of Annie's Hot Chop Relish.

I don't have "bushels" of produce like Annie, so adjusted the recipe for a smaller batch. I used 2 cups of combined chopped jalapeno peppers and green bell peppers,  2 cups of chopped tomatoes, 1 large onion and several cloves of diced garlic.  I started with a cup of vinegar and small handfuls of sugar and salt, then taste adjusted as directed. The cooking time on a medium simmer was about 40 minutes.
Here's her directions:
"Use half tomatoes and half Hungarian Wax Peppers.  In other words, a half bushel tomatoes *peeled and chopped and a half bushel hot peppers cut in thin rings.  (I don't bother to seed them).  

If you don't like that much heat, add less peppers.  I add a couple chopped green peppers, a couple large chopped onions and about a quarter cup of chopped garlic.   

Add at least 2 cups of vinegar  (I just glug it in), a handful of salt and handful of sugar, and then start cooking it down.  Taste it occasionally and add more vinegar, salt or sugar if you feel it needs more of one of them.  After it cooks down a couple hours, put in hot sterilized pint jars and seal with hot lids." 

* to easily peel tomatoes, blanch in boiling water until skins break, a minute or two, then plunge in ice cold water to easily remove skins.

My small batch cooked down to a pint and a half. I've used it on burgers, and served with scrambled eggs and omelets.  It's very much like a salsa, but cooked into a sweet/sour relish.

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