I did not know cabbage was in sweet relish!  Hunh……..

Have suffered under, perhaps, the delusion that the term "relish" covers a whole lot of things.  Could include chutneys, piccalilly, chow chow, and a host of others.  Never did know just exactly what the differences are, and whether it is entirely a regional thing.

This DOES sound good, whatever it includes or what someone else might want to call it!  Also, this looks like one of those things that a hand chopper would help with.

Mim said:

OK -  get me out of the dark…. What is BWB 10″??

OH SO SORRY I meant to change that! Habit from the canning group shorthand!

BWB = Boiling Water Bath

PC =   Pressure Can

BBB = Ball Blue Book (aka the canning 'bible' lol)

and " means minutes not inches <G>

so BWB 10" is short for "process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes"

dede

Mim said:

thanks for the info…. my son (27) was looking at your recipes with me and he is very interested in the canning process for #1- FOOD & #2 the science behind the process of preserving food.

Good for him! I had canned before years before I really started learning the science of canning (which is much easier for me than the science/chemistry of BAKING lol).

High acid foods vs. low acid and the reasons we process each differently is one of the best things to learn in my opinion.

dede

I am so glad you like it! I am not big into using food coloring but sometimes for eye appeal it's worth a drop or two. And there is a little bonus to that recipe, as well as some of the others I post – it's low sodium

I don't state that, because it turns many people off from trying the recipe. Weird, but true!

dede

CindyP said:

The low sodium is why I'm excited about canning — it's more controlled!!!!  The low sodium canned items in the store puts a huge dent in the food budget!!!!!

The stuff in the store is also pretty awful LOL. In Feb. 2004, at 46, it was accidentally discovered that my BP was 240/100. I was rushed to CCU and spent 4 days all told in the hospital on the cardiac floor – feeling just fine throughout the whole thing (the silent killer, yes). After ruling out the usual suspects (blocked carotids, kidney issues, etc.) I was diagnosed with Essential Hypertension and spent a few months putting up with meds that gave me chest pains and other fun symptoms. Finally hit a good combo of three that I still take daily. Through all this, severe sodium restriction was not a choice – it was a HAVE to or my feet and ankles would swell so bad I could barely walk.

THIS is what pushed me back into big time canning and I haven't looked back.

You do not need to use salt in canning, except for pickling.

I love(d) Picante V8, so I worked until I made an acceptable (to me) sub for that and have some on hand always.  I canned with a calculator nearby and only added salt if I could keep the sodium below 250 mg./1/2 cup. I still have jars with the sodium content of the whole jar written on the lid :)

You don't need to add any salt to veggies – others can add if they can have it when they eat it.

Meat, same thing. Easy Peasy LOL.

Home canned foods are a sodium restricted person's friend. Nearly everything in the store is NOT and fast food? OMG. I couldn't believe what sodium bombs biscuits and other baked goods are. Cottage cheese to.

Here's my fav go-to list:

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onl…..s/4059.htm

Well, that's more than u wanted to know I am sure LOL.

Dede

who happily can tolerate a bit more sodium these days

kathy said:

Quick question about your relish. It may be a dumb question, but when you say leave overnight, you do mean in the refrigerator don't you? Also, does this recipe have to set awhile the way dill or bread and butter type pickles do, to develope their flavor? Many thanks. K

No question is dumb except those not asked :)

No, doesn't need to be in a refrigerator as long as you have a cool spot to leave it overnight. Back porch, garage, basement…. it's in salt water which helps.

And I have eaten it just a few days later and it was very good. I think being in tiny pieces makes a difference – no dense pieces for the flavors to need time to penetrate. Well, that's my theory hehe.

Dede