BEST Corn Relish
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This homemade Corn Relish recipe is superbly delicious, fabulously versatile, and comes together in a snap! We provide canning instructions so you can preserve the taste of summer corn all year long!
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. 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. 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. 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! 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. 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. But not before setting some aside to make our favorite sweet corn relish!
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. 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. Here are a few ways to use corn relish:
- Topping for Grilled Meat, Chicken, Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Seafood
- Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas
- Salads: 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 Relish Recipe
Let’s get started!
Something that isn’t remotely necessary but that I’m kind of OCD about it getting all the veggies chopped uniformly. 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. 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. It enables you to chop your veggies in perfectly uniform sizes.
Finely chop the onions.
Do the same with the red and green bell peppers and the celery ribs.
Remove the husks and silk from the corn and cut the kernels off the cobs.
Put everything in a pot.
Add all remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Spoon the mixture into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space and seal with lids. 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: Granite Ware Enamel-on-Steel Canning Kit
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. They’ll keep for at least a year. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 2 months.
Enjoy!
For more delicious pickled vegetable recipes be sure to try my:
- Giardiniera
- Pickled Carrots
- Dill Pickle Relish
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish
- Pickled Onions
- Pickled Pepperoncini Peppers
- Pickled Jalapenos
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Pickled Green Beans
- Pickled Okra
- Pickled Asparagus
- Pickled Turnips
- Pickled Peppers
- Pickled Beets
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BEST Corn Relish
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 pintsNote: Wait a week or two before eating the relish to allow time for the vinegar to mellow out.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 19, 2015
Hi, I’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!
does the relish thicken after going into the jars or should it be thick before adding to jars? Thanks
Hi Nancy, it will thicken up after it’s been in the jars for a while.
Can I cut the recipe in half and still can it safely?
Sincerely
Kathi Jarabek
Hi Kathi, yes that’s no problem. Processing time will remain the same.
I made the Homemade Sweet Corn Relish with most of the ingredients minus the allspice berries. Never knew they existed.
Anyways the relish came out well. Just letting you know I will be enjoying for quite some time.
Thank you for the feedback, Daniel, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Well, I made it yesterday and you had recommend letting it set for a week or two. My wife and I were taste testing it yesterday while canning. She thought it had an Amish flavor because years ago we had some when we went on a vacation thru Pennsylvania.
So we will definitely enjoy it. What exactly did allspice do to the flavor.?
Great, Daniel, I hope you guys enjoy it! Yes, the flavors will continue to develop and get better over the next couple of weeks. The allspice adds a nice touch of complexity and heightens the overall flavor.
Can I make this corn relish without sterilizing them and keeping them for a while and it dark place I slam make some can I keep some in the refrigerator for a little bit I’m not gonna make all that corn I just want half a recipe what do I do
If you’re storing the jars outside of the fridge we strongly recommended sterilizing the jars and following the water bath method for canning them. If you’re storingt the jars in the fridge the relish should keep for up to two months.
trying this now what an i use if i dont hae the berries
Hi Cindy, you can leave the allspice berries out. Happy canning!
Thanks dear for sharing your wonderful recepes. Your corn relish is exceptional, and l always have a jar handy in my fridge. Thanks for sharing and stay blessed with 🙏🌹
Thanks so much, Patsy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this recipe yesterday during the signs of the Farmer’s Almanac. The next days towards the end of the month. I doubled the recipe so I could share with my older sisters. We are all widowed and try to help each other do things. I also made 8 quarts of Kraut and may put down more when the next signs are right. Want to make some tomato salsa with the tomatoes that are continuing to ripen that I picked before the freeze hits. I wrapped them in newspaper and stuck under the bed. Hope to get pears to do the same thing to. Still cleaning cabbage up off of counter and table so better close and get busy. Love this website and your recipes. Hope to try many more this next season.
Thanks so much, Sandra. I have a lot of green tomatoes left as well and need to remove them to let them ripen indoors.
Good Morning…..I’m not to sure what is the water bath method. what is water bath?
Hi Dianna, it’s the method for preparing high acid foods in jars for long-term canning. If you do an online search for “water bath canning” you’ll find lots of information about it.
Good morning…i’m Looking at the corn relish recipe. I think this is same one my gram always made. The issue is…my husband is allergic to most things in the celery family. Is it possible to omit the celery and bulk it up with an extra pepper. Thank you.
Hi Ellen, absolutely, you can do either – simply omit it or substitute it with something else like more peppers. Happy canning!
Hi Kimberly! How much corn should I use if I’m not using fresh cobs? And if I don’t put it in a water bath, how long will it keep, or is that step essential? Thank you.
Hi Rose, it depends on the size of the corn but generally one ear is the equivalent of 3/4 cup kernels, so you’ll need roughly 7 1/2 cups of corn. The water bath method is if you want to preserve the relish long-term (it stays good for up to a year and doesn’t need to be refrigerated). If you don’t use the water bath and simply refrigerate the relish, it will keep for up to 2 months in the fridge. Happy canning!
I made 10 jars of this corn relish this weekend. It was easier to make than I thought it would be. Next time I make it I think I’m going to use frozen corn instead of corn on the cob to cut down on the mess.
You’ve been busy, Susan! Yes, you can definitely use frozen if you prefer.
In the future, maybe refrain from using the word anal in your recipe?
The definition of anal as used in my post: “of, relating to, characterized by, or being personality traits such as parsimony, meticulousness, etc.” Though granted, I could have used another synonym. Sorry if it offends you.
My corn relish is on the stove simmering. The colors are so pretty. I add two jalapeños for a kick. Can’t wait to see it in the jars and to savor it when it is done. Thank you!
Wonderful, Mary, I hope you enjoy it!
Hi, I remember loving my grandmother’s corn relish and never had any luck finding the recipe she used. I think yours is very close and am anxious to try it. The one thing I am hesitant on is I am sure she froze hers. Her house was small and shelf space was limited. She used small pint size plastic boxes. Can your recipe adapt to the freezer?
Also, have you ever heard of freezer slaw? It was a vinegar based cole slaw she made that was safe to freeze. She would make it late summer when cabbage was plentiful and then would call her sons to come get what they wanted for their families. I know freezing was required because we couldn’t eat it until it had “cured” in the freezer for several weeks. But guaranteed we had it for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners!
Hi Kim! Yes, this relish can be frozen, no alterations to the ingredients needed. Freezer slaw, yes! In fact, I really need to post my recipe for it, thanks for the reminder :)
Hi Rita:. Being diabetic, I gave up sweet corn relish. Is it possible to use a sweetener and sugar mix in order to make my relish delicous and healthy for a diabetic diet? Tim
Hi Tim, yes you can use an alternative sweetener but you won’t be able to can relish for long-term storage. Not enough research has been done on alternative sweeteners and canning, including using a mixture of sugar and an alternative sweetener. You can however store it in your fridge for several weeks.