Sweet Tomato Relish

Our friend, Marshall, was kind enough to share with us his late crop of tomatoes. It is a real treat to have tomatoes in October. Since there were more tomatoes than we could possibly eat, I decided to try my hand at making a tomato relish. My first batch didn't include peppers. For the second batch, I used the few remaining sweet banana peppers from the garden. The result was 18 jars of a wonderful, sweet, spicy relish to serve with peas and greens. Thanks ,Marshall!

Sweet Tomato Relish #1

8 pounds tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 pounds onions, finely minced

3 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or until the mixture has thickened. Pour into sterilized canning jars. Wipe rims with a damp cloth. Adjust prepared lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 12 half-pint jars.

Sweet Tomato Relish #2

4 pounds tomatoes, peeled and diced

1 pound onions, finely minced

8 ounces banana peppers, seeded removed and finely minced

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons salt

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or until the mixture has thickened. Pour into sterilized canning jars. Wipe rims with a damp cloth. Adjust prepared lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 6 half-pint jars.