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BEST Corn Relish

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This homemade Corn Relish recipe is superbly delicious, fabulously versatile, and comes together in a snap!ย  We provide canning instructions so you can preserve the taste of summer corn all year long!

corn relish recipe best homemade canning preserving sweet

One of the things I love about canning is that it enables you to enjoy the fresh flavors of Summer produce long after the growing season is over. ย It’s also a great way to make use of sales when you can buy in bulk for a good price and especially if you have your own garden or fruit trees. ย And of course there are few things as satisfying as walking into your pantry or out to your garage shelf and seeing jars and jars of homemade goods ready for your family to enjoy.ย  And seeing jars of homemade sweet corn relish is something I get especially excited about!

This year we celebrated our first harvest of homegrown sweet corn and let me tell you, what a celebration it was!ย  The ears of heirloom sweet corn couldn’t have been more picture perfect and the flavor was as good as the best corn we’ve had anywhere.ย  We harvest just shy of 200 ears of corn, shucked them all, blanched and froze a lot of cobs and froze the rest of creamed corn.ย  But not before setting some aside to make our favorite sweet corn relish!

corn field the daring gourmet

fresh corn

How Long Does Corn Relish Keep?

If you follow the canning directions and keep the jars stored in a cool, dark place the corn relish will keep for a year.ย  Once opened keep the jars in the fridge and use within 2 months.

How to Use Corn Relish

Corn relish can be used in a variety of ways to add a tangy and sweet flavor to your dishes.ย  Here are a few ways to use corn relish:

  • Topping for Grilled Meat, Chicken, Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Seafood
  • Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas
  • Salads:ย  It’s great in both leafy green salads and pasta salads
  • Sandwiches and Wraps
  • A dip for tortilla chips
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Bruschetta
  • Scrambled Eggs or Omelets
  • Rice and Grain Bowls

corn

Something that isn’t remotely necessary but that I’m kind of anal about it getting all the veggies chopped uniformly. ย You can chop by hand or use a food processor but appearance-wise relishes just look so much nicer when the veggies are all uniform in size and shape. ย A gadget that my mother-in-law got me as a gift a few years ago and that I love to use for purposes like this is the Vidalia Chop Wizard, which doesn’t appear to be available anymore, but this vegetable chopper does the same thing plus has a lot of additional features.ย  It enables you to chop your veggies in perfectly uniform sizes.

Corn Relish Recipe

Let’s get started!

Finely chop the onions.

chopped onions in pot

Do the same withย the red and green bell peppers and the celery ribs.

chopping peppers

Remove the husks and silk from the corn and cut the kernels off the cobs.

shucking corn

Put everything in a pot.

vegetables in pot

Add all remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

add sugar and spices

Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

simmering the veggies

Spoon the mixture into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space and seal with lids. ย Place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Here is the canner I use (I have an older model) and it comes with all the accessories: ย Granite Ware Enamel-on-Steel Canning Kit

ladling relish into jars

Wait a week or two before eating the relish to allow time for the vinegar to mellow out.

Keep the jars stored in a cool dark place. ย They’ll keep for at least a year. ย Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 2 months.

Enjoy!

corn relish recipe best homemade sweet canning preserving

For more delicious pickling recipes be sure to try our:

BEST Corn Relish

Enjoy this delicious and versatile relish on hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fish, served with roasted chicken, in a cheese omelet, pasta or tuna salad, sprinkled over tacos or in burritos, or mix it with black beans/tomatoes/onions/cilantro for a summer salad (just for example)!
4.95 from 99 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course condiment
Cuisine American
Servings 128
Calories 21 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 10 fresh ears of sweet yellow corn , husks and silk removed, slice kernels off the cob with a sharp knife
  • 2 large red bell peppers , cored, and finely chopped
  • 2 large green bell peppers , cored and finely chopped
  • 8 ribs celery , finely chopped
  • 1 large yellow or sweet onion , finely chopped
  • 4 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground mustard
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 4 whole allspice berries

Instructions
 

  • Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  • Ladle the relish into hot sterilized jars and seal with lids. Process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes.
  • Keep stored in a dark, cool place. Will keep at least one year. Once opened, store in the fridge for up to two months.
    Makes approximately 8 pints
    Note: Wait a week or two before eating the relish to allow time for the vinegar to mellow out.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 21kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gSodium: 56mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword Corn Relish, Sweet Corn Relish
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 19, 2015

 

 

 

 

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, Iโ€™m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.95 from 99 votes (84 ratings without comment)

169 Comments

  1. This is a great recipe…I’m making it tomorrow!
    I was reading in the comments that some people have never heard of or can’t find allspice berries. I think the word “berries ” can be confusing. In most supermarket spice sections it is referred to simply as whole allspice. I fear using the word berry is causing some people to think of a fresh berry rather than the dried ripe allspice that resembles a peppercorn.

    1. Hi Joann, thanks for that feedback. Whether they’re referred to as whole allspice or allspice berries strictly depends on the brand and how they choose to label it. There are as many brands that label them as “berries” as there are that label them “whole.” They’re one and the same: whole allspice is a berry that’s been dried and they’re not even available fresh.

  2. I am excited to make this tomorrow. A couple questions Can I double it? Also can I chop the peppers, celery and onion the night before? Thank you.

  3. I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! I’m pretty sure I used Splenda before instead of sugar. Gonna make a lot more this year! It is great with EVERYTHING!

  4. The recipe is great, tastes good, the only issue is that I don’t find it thick enough, it’s a bit too soupy for me, I don’t want to over cook the ingredients by boiling them too long, the recipe says “until sugar is dissolved, then turn down to a medium heat for 20 minutes until ingredients are tender”, this is the part that when cooled down to be canned I find too soupy. By adding a couple tablespoons of corn starch (mix together the cornstarch with some of the liquid from the relish in a jar until completely dissolved then pour mixture in the boiling relish and mix it thoroughly in the relish) to the boiling process thickens up the relish

    1. Hi Ray, thanks for the feedback. As noted this relish needs to sit for at least a week or two before eating, not only for the flavors to develop but for the veggies to absorb more of the liquid and to thicken.

  5. I have been making this corn relish along with your dill pickle relish for 7 years. Both of them have become staples in our home. I make a couple of batches of each of them every year and extra to give away. Our family loves them both as does everyone that give them to as gifts.

  6. Hi!I’m excited to try this. I’m using home-grown corn which is much smaller than store bought. Do you have an estimate of how many cups 10 ears of corn is? Thank you.

    1. Hi Stacie, the estimates out there are kind of all over the map but the general consensus seems to be that a medium ear equals 3/4 cups of corn kernels. That would mean about 9 cups. The good news is that these measurements don’t have to be exact.