Kate's Easy German Chow-Chow Sauerkraut Relish (No Canning)

Delicious on top of beans and greens, black-eyed peas, bratwursts, meat or fish. Simmering it low and slow blends flavors. I fell in love with hearty German cuisine while living in Germany. My dad likes this relish so much that he eats it straight by itself.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 5 mins
• Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

• 2 (16 ounce) cans sauerkraut, not drained (without vinegar, I use Silver Floss Barrel Cured Shredded Sauerkraut)
• 1  large green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1  large red onions or 1  large  sweet  vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 4  stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 6  tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
•  water, to cover

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine sauerkraut including canning liquid, bell pepper, onion, celery, vinegar, sugar, and water.
2. Bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 3 hours (3 hours is best) while occasionally stirring to prevent sticking. Add more water as needed to keep from drying out but not too much because relish should not be watery. Note: do not inhale steam from relish while cooking it because boiling vinegar can take one's breath away and is really painful (I learned this the hard way) lol.
3. Can be eaten right way. Tastes even better the next day. Store in refrigerator.