Writing last week’s DYK made me think of the tomato chow-chow recipe I use and the story behind it . . .

How It Began

Several years ago, an older friend gave me a jar of her cousin’s tomato chow-chow. (More like a sweet tomato relish, really.) After tasting it, I immediately asked if she could get me the recipe. (If it’s not obvious, I like sweets.) Her cousin, in his early eighties at the time, had been making it for his family and friends for years. He told her he’d be glad to share the recipe, except . . . there was no written recipe to share. But he didn’t let that stop him. He went to work. He made several batches, measuring ingredients and writing them down until he felt he had the measurements “right.”

Finally, the call came, and my friend and I drove way out in the boonies so I could meet her cousin and collect his newly documented recipe. He was a colorful character, country through and through, and thrilled at my interest in his chow-chow.

Around Tennessee, many old-timers have their own special recipes, especially for things like chow-chow. Usually, the recipes are passed to the next generation. I got the idea that hadn’t happened in his family. Whether no one had cared enough to ask for the recipe or learn how to make it, I don’t know. Maybe it was simply: There were no younger family members left. Whatever the case, he couldn’t have been happier I’d liked it enough to ask for the recipe.

Final Thoughts

My friend and her cousin have now both passed on—he died a year or so after I met him. Sad to think his recipe might have been lost forever had he not written it down for me. (You may remember, I addressed this problem in Did You Know Recipes are Like Puzzles? back in January 2021.) The recipes your family used are a part of your family history. Don’t lose it. Make sure your family recipes are preserved for future generations.

 

His yummy Tomato Chow-Chow is great on a variety of foods, especially beef. To get the recipe, click here. And if you make it, be sure to let me know what you think.