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!
Can you add jalapenos and cilantro when canning this recipe?
Hi Tgo, official canning guidelines always advise against adding any additional veggies and they also advise against using fresh herbs, only dried. That said, personally I would feel comfortable adding a minimal amount of jalapenos, but you’ll need to make that decision for yourself.
Why is my relish cloudy?
starch from the corn or hard water.
My mom made this when I was a kid, I’d eat it by the jar!
so disapointed way too much vinegar.
Hi Teresa, as the recipe notes, it’s important to wait “at least” a week, preferably two, before eating it to allow the vinegar to mellow out.
I tried this recipe! Tastes great, but it’s really runny, what can I do next time to thicken it?
Hi Cheryl, be sure to pack the jars as tightly as you can with the veggies and then only add enough liquid to immerse them within the jar. Also, a lot of the liquid will absorb into the veggies over time.
One lady already asked my question but I didn’t see the answer. I made this this morning exactly. My question is it suppose to be watery. I thought it would congeal
Hi Donna, no it won’t congeal because there are no thickening agents/additives in it. It’s normal for it to be that watery initially though. After it has sat for a couple of weeks some of the liquid will be absorbed by the veggies and the relish will become “thicker.” The longer the relish sits the more liquid will be absorbed. But I’d recommend two weeks as the minimum anyway from a flavor standpoint.
Hello, this recipe looks amazing! I really want to try it. Question: I’m new to canning and I just want to double check on the water bath method. I’ve mostly read that low acidic vegetables should be pressure canned. Since you’ve already stated that it could make the veggies mushy, does adding the vinegar raise the acidic content of the vegetables?
Hi Ruthy, correct, foods that are low in acid must be pressure canned, but that does not apply to this corn relish. The inclusion of the vinegar and sugar both raise the acidity level sufficiently to make it safe for using the water bath method. So no need to pressure can. Happy canning!
is it supposed to congeal afterwards because I have a lot of liquid even with the amounts given in the recipe
I made this last fall and it was a hit. I will be making 2 batches this year. I to omitted the allspice berries because I couldn’t find them,it still tastes great. 🙂
Thank you, John, I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
I see what appears to be brown sugar in a picture? It is not in recipe? Or is that ground mustard yet it says to use mustard seed. Also can I use corn starch to thicken if I have to?
Hi Janet, thanks for catching that, it should read ground mustard. You can thicken it as long as you’re not canning it. Thickening agents are generally not considered safe for canning, plus they’ll also make the brine cloudy.
I can’t find allspice berries , how much cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper do I use in this recipe,
Hi Connie, I would not add any of those spices to the corn relish. If you can’t find allspice berries I would simply omit them. The relish will still taste good.
What is whole allspice bertied
Hi Connie, allspice is reminiscent of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. You can buy it either ground or whole and this recipe calls for whole allspice, known as allspice berries.
you can get them at any bulk store they are just little red berries
l have been making corn relish for over 30 years and l never have added them
I was curious about the 3 teaspoons of salt , is that pickling , kosher or table salt for this recipe. Thanks.
Hi Steve, I recommend either pickling or kosher salt. You “can” use table salt but because of the additives in it, it can change the color of the relish and make it aesthetically less pleasing.
How long would I cook this recipe in a pressurized canner
If you pressure can your veggies will be mushy. Water bath is better for crispness.
About how many jars will I need for this recipe?
I boiled the peppers, celery and onions with the vinegar and other ingredients for 10 minutes before adding the fresh corn off the cob (much better than frozen). Since I preferred more crunch to the corn, I only boiled it for the last ten minutes before the hot water bath. Yield: Seven pint jars and one 1/2 pint jar. Delicious!
Hi i am wondering with this recipe if you can just use normal vinegar and is it the same amount as apple cider vinegar. Thank you am really looking forward to trying this.
Hi Tammy, yes you can (same amount) but it will have a “harsher” flavor as apple cider vinegar is fruitier.