Recipe(tried): Doll's Picalili (Green Tomato Relish - Chowchow)

Like you, my mom and I searched everywhere for a favored relish known to us years ago. The search was made harder by the fact that people in different areas of the country use the same name for entirely different recipes. If anyone ever comes across a definitive answer for what the difference is between Picalli(or various spelling), Chowchow and Green Tomato Relish, I'd love to hear from them. I am attaching a tested (we loved it) recipe Mom and I developed last summer. It tastes sooooo close to the one our beloved Mrs. Doll made for us in the 50's. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

DOLL'S PICCALILLI
Makes 6 pints

FOR THE VEGETABLES:
5 pounds green tomatoes, cored and ground or finely minced
1 pound (2 green and 1 red) bell peppers, ground or finely minced
1 pound (about 3 average) onions, ground or finely minced
1 or 2 fresh hot peppers, such as jalape o (optional)
1/2 cup pure salt

FOR THE PICKLING SOLUTION:
4 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) mustard seeds
1 tablespoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons pickling spice tied into cheesecloth bag

Grind (we used a food processor, but mom said in the old days they used a hand grinder hooked to the kitchen table).

Mix all the vegetables together and sprinkle with the salt. Allow to sit for 3 or 4 hours, and then drain well in a colander, squeezing all the excess moisture out of the mixture.

Simmer the pickling ingredients for 15 minutes. Removed spice bag.

Add the vegetable mixture, bring to a boil, and place into warm sterilized jars. Seal with warm lids.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.