The Smell of Chow Chow || Hard Work & Family Favorites || August 2025

Today we’re gathering up fresh ingredients for my famous chow chow and making our family’s favorite cowboy candy pickled eggs. In between the kitchen work, you’ll also see some of our daily farm chores—feeding the newly weaned calves and milking the cow. While I cook, I share a little about what folks don’t always see when they say, “it must be nice.” The truth is, every good thing here comes with a lot of hard work. I also talk about how the smell of chow chow stirs up memories of times and people that will never come again—reminders of why these traditions matter so much to us. I hope you’ll feel right at home with us here at True Grit: Appalachian Ways. 💛 Chow Chow 1 medium cabbage head 4-5 green tomatoes (4 cups) 3-4 Jalapeños 6-7 green bell peppers 4 yellow and/or red peppers 4 cups onions 4 cups vinegar 5-6 cups sugar 2 cups water 1/2 cup salt (remember, use what you have and just get as close to the recipe as your can, replace what you want!) -Chop all veggies, place in glass container and cover in salt - Let sit in fridge over night or for 8-12 hours -Next day add remaining ingredients, boil 5 minutes -Place in jars, water bath for 10 minutes and store The longer it sits the better it gets! Cowboy Candy Pickled Eggs (I decreased this recipe for the video) This recipe makes about 1 gallon -Roughly 3-18 packs of eggs (boiled and peeled) -2 cups ACV -1 cup white sugar -1 cup brown sugar -1 tsp tumeric -1 tsp garlic powder -1/2 tsp cayenne pepper -1/2-1 cup sliced peppers Place peeled eggs in a glass container. Combine all the above ingredients except the eggs, simmer until sugar is melted. Pour over eggs in container, this will not fill the gallon container. Top off the gallon container with white vinegar. Slowly shake to combine. Refrigerate. Pickled eggs are best if you allow them to sit in the brine for at least 1 month, the longer they sit the better they are. Enjoy! We are excited to be apart of the great fall garden festival coming up on Sept 20, 2025! https://www.justdigitfarms.com/the-great-fall-garden-festival Follow us on our official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/share/CJ5AgCV613gVgAbJ/?mibextid=LQQJ4d Join our Facebook community group!: https://www.facebook.com/groups/639624823908914 Shop our favorites here! https://truegritappalachianways.com/shop-my-favorites/ The best way to support the channel: please share this video and watch more below! Thank you! Food Preservation Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnKpaj6ZJDIoSXiNrrwyoS6v2nsZEv0a8 Farm Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnKpaj6ZJDIpq-1DgHxz_-ZOsk7MWaOxA Gardening Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnKpaj6ZJDIowwC1Refr3PX28dOT3I1Yq Cooking Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnKpaj6ZJDIrhfM0GAMF2KDhNhHZTyJpw Follow us on our official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/share/CJ5AgCV613gVgAbJ/?mibextid=LQQJ4d Join our Facebook community group!: https://www.facebook.com/groups/639624823908914 Instagram: https://instagram.com/truegrit_appalachianways?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Contact us: truegritappalachianways@gmail.com Please allow us at least 2 weeks to get back to you, thank you! Write us: P.O. Box 138 Lawsonville, NC 27022 🛑 Canning Safety Disclaimer: Please remember to always follow up-to-date, tested, and approved methods when home canning. We share how we do things here on our homestead, but we encourage you to reference trusted sources like the USDA, Ball, or your local extension office for safe preserving guidelines — especially when it comes to acidity levels and processing times. Your family’s safety always comes first! #ChowChow #PickledEggs #CowboyCandy #AppalachianCooking #HomesteadLife #FromGardenToTable #FarmhouseKitchen #CanningTraditions #AppalachianLiving #HomesteadCooking #HomesteadChores #CookingWithTradition #PreservingTheHarvest #CountryLiving