0g Net Carbs
This sugar free chow chow keeps the sharp sweet-tangy Southern flavor while dropping the massive sugar content found in traditional recipes. It swaps tomatillo and chayote in for green tomatoes, since real green tomatoes are hard to find outside a short summer window, and leans on strong pickling spices to deliver the same bold relish flavor people expect from chow chow. Nothing about the finished jar tastes like a compromise; the sugar is simply gone.
Table of Contents
Green Tomatoes vs Tomatillos and Chayote
Green tomatoes are still the traditional gold standard for chow chow and remain slightly better if they can be found fresh during harvest season, usually in late summer and fall. Unfortunately they are often difficult to locate consistently, which is exactly why this low-carb chow chow was rebuilt around more reliable ingredients.
Tomatillo and chayote work surprisingly well because the overnight salt-curing process dramatically changes the vegetables before they ever reach the pickling liquid. After salting, draining, rinsing, squeezing, and simmering in the heavily spiced vinegar brine, much of the original raw vegetable identity fades into the background while texture and acidity become more important than exact flavor matching. Both vegetables hold their shape through the salting and pickling process the same way green tomatoes do, which is really what makes this sugar free chow chow work as a genuine substitute rather than a workaround.
The strong pickling liquid, mustard seed, turmeric, vinegar, and spice blend ultimately become the dominant flavor profile, which allows tomatillos and chayote to recreate the classic chow chow experience remarkably well. By the time the jar has rested a day or two in the fridge, the base vegetable is mostly a texture carrier for that spice blend, which is exactly how traditional chow chow works too.
If green tomatoes are available, they can absolutely be substituted directly for the tomatillo and chayote. If tomatillo or chayote are difficult to find, additional cabbage works perfectly fine and still produces excellent chow chow.
Sugar Free Chow Chow Flavor Profile
This low-carb chow chow stays true to classic Southern relish flavor:
- Tangy vinegar bite
- Mustard seed warmth
- Turmeric color
- Sweet-spiced pickling flavor
- Chunky spoonable texture
The small amount of blackstrap molasses helps recreate the deeper cooked flavor that old recipes got from several cups of sugar. Alongside allulose, which the FDA excludes from added-sugar counts on nutrition labels. A little goes a long way here, so the total carb impact stays negligible while still rounding out the sharper vinegar and mustard notes.
Serving Ideas
Low-carb chow chow is excellent on:
- Hot dogs
- Hamburgers
- Pinto beans
- Black-eyed peas
- Barbecue plates
- Smoked sausage
- Pulled ham
- Brisket
Storing Sugar Free Chow Chow
Flavor improves noticeably after the first 24–48 hours in the refrigerator as vegetables absorb the pickling liquid and spices. This version is intended for refrigerated storage, but shelf-stable canning may also be used. Properly sealed and refrigerated, this sugar free chow chow holds its texture and color for weeks without turning mushy or losing its bite.
Every sweetened recipe on this site draws from the same short list of substitutes, allulose leading the way here too. What else made that list, and why, is laid out on the Low Carb Ingredient Substitutes guide.
Chow Chow, Low-Carb
Ingredients
Chop, Salt & Rest:
- 2 lb tomatillo, husk, rinse
- 1 lb chayote, peel, seed
- 2 lb cabbage
- 2 green bell pepper
- 1 lb onion
- 4 jalapeño, seed
- ¼ cup pickling salt
Pickling Liquid:
- 4 cup white vinegar
- 1½ cup brown allulose
- ½ cup allulose
- 1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
Pickling Liquid Spices:
- 1 Tbsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp celery seed
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp whole peppercorn
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
Optional:
- 3 drops green food color
Instructions
Chop, Salt & Rest:
- Coarse chop tomatillo, chayote, cabbage, bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño.
- Combine vegetables with pickling salt in a large bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
Drain and Prep:
- Drain vegetables well.
- Rinse throughly.
- Squeeze out excess liquid firmly in batches.
- Taste a piece; it should be pleasantly salty, not bland.
- If vegetables taste too salty after rinsing, rinse again more thoroughly in cold water before draining.
Cook:
- Combine Pickling Liquid Ingredients and Spices in a large pot.
- Bring to simmer.
- Add prepared vegetables.
- Simmer about 15 min until vegetables soften slightly but still hold texture.
Rest and Store:
- Cool completely.
- Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
- Flavor continues to improve over days and weeks.
Notes
If tomatillo or chayote are unavailable, substitute additional cabbage. Chow chow doesn’t turn green on its own — cooking and vinegar dull vegetables to olive-tan. A few drops of green food coloring gives the classic look. Start with 2 drops; you can always add. Quart plastic storage containers with tight lids work fine for refrigerator storage. Glass jars work too and won’t hold the turmeric stain — plastic will yellow permanently. Leave a little headspace and make sure vegetables stay submerged in liquid.