The Seasonal Gourmet

Corn relish preserves a taste of summer

Every summer when I was a kid, my mom would make homemade pickles. By the end of August it became a ritual and her amazing dills, bread-and-butters, chow-chow and sweet pickles would last us through the winter.  It was quite a production and the house would smell of spices and vinegar before everything was sealed into mason jars and put into the cold room for the winter.

Preserving has become a bit trendy in the past few years as people re-discover how delicious and economical homemade pickles and jams can be.  I’ve been wanting to try it but unfortunately I don’t have anywhere to store the finished product. However, this week I had some leftover corn on the cob and decided to try my hand at making some corn relish.  I worked out a recipe that produces a small batch so I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to store it.  However, if you’d like to make a larger batch for canning, the recipe can be multiplied (see below for a link about safe canning procedures).  This relish is especially delicious on grilled sausages and hot dogs.

Corn Relish

(VEGETARIAN)

Makes about 4 cups

• 1-1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons prepared (yellow) mustard
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cups raw corn kernels, cut from about 5 cobs
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 small or 1/2 large red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1/2 a large pepper)
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 3 Tablespoons cold water

1. In a large sauce pot, add vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, prepared mustard, dry mustard, celery salt, turmeric and red pepper flakes.  Whisk together and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat.
2. Once the vinegar mixture has come to a simmer, add the corn, celery, onion and diced peppers.  Stir to combine and reduce heat to medium-low.  Gently simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In a glass mixing cup or mug, whisk together flour and water until fully combined and free of lumps.  Pour flour mixture into the relish mixture and whisk well.  Turn the heat to medium-high and simmer the mixture until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
4. Let the relish cool and place into jars.  It will keep in the fridge for about a week. If you want to can the jars to store, you can follow these instructions for safe canning procedures: Canning Pickles.

Bon Appétit and Enjoy!