Homestyle Corn Relish - Canned
Indiana is pretty well-known for its corn, and for good reason! Our hot and humid summers tend to produce the perfect conditions for sweet, juicy, delicious corn. During the summer as a kid, I had a daily ritual of going down to the garden and popping off a fresh ear of corn, shucking it, and eating it right there in the garden. Corn here grows sweet, juicy, and plump enough to eat raw!
Once I've had my fill of raw corn, boiled corn, grilled corn, and corn ice cream, I start thinking about ways to preserve corn to eat all year long. Freezing is one of the best ways to keep corn fresh-tasting and ready-to-eat at anytime, but one of my other favorite ways to use up a surplus of corn is to can some corn relish.
Corn relish is an amazingly versatile dish. You can use it in place of regular cucumber relish on hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats, but it also works as a salsa, mixed in with pasta, or just as a side dish on its own.
The thing I love the most about corn relish though is how stupendously easy it is. Especially for first-time canners. It's a great small-batch dish to get down the basics of canning. I know a lot of folks start with jams and jellies, but I think more savory dishes (like this relish or pickles) are a better way to start. No worries about additives or sugar levels. Just cook it, can it, and process it! Easy. Peasy.
If you are afraid of canning, I promise you have no reason to be! Canning is actually remarkably simple and incredibly rewarding. Trust me, the most satisfying sound in the world is the sound of a jar popping to seal after processing. You will feel so proud of yourself! And you get to eat delicious healthy food all year round.
Before I dig into the recipe, here are a few tips that'll help make the whole process go a lot more smoothly:
- To get the kernels off the corn cob, simply place a small bowl upside down in a larger bowl. Shuck the corn and then rest the corn on the small bowl. Run your knife along the corn cob and let the kernels fall into the big bowl. You can also just use a Bundt pan in the same way (but I don't have one!). See photos of this process in this post.
- Have all of your canning supplies-jars, lids, funnel, ladle, jar basket, jar lifter tong things, etc.-washed, clean, and ready to go before you start cooking.
- Before you twist the lids on the jars, run a damp washcloth along the top to remove any relish. That'll help the cans seal properly.
Alrighty, now onto the recipe. Happy corn season. Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Homestyle Corn Relish - Canned
Ingredients
- 8 ears of corn kernels only
- 1 ½ cups diced bell peppers green, yellow, red, etc.
- ½ cup diced celery
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 ½ tablespoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups vinegar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Wash and sterilize jars, rings, lids and all utensils. Prepare a water bath canner by filling a large pot with water and bringing it to a simmer.
- To make the corn relish, combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Ladle the hot relish into sterilized half-pint jars. Wipe the tops of the jars using a clean towel. Put on the lids and rings and tighten by hand.
- Process the jars in the prepared water bath for 20 minutes. Remove the jars from the bath and let them cool at room temperature. As the jars cool, check the seals by pressing down on top of the lids. If they still “pop,” they are not preserved and need to be refrigerated and used within the next few days. If they don’t move, they can be labeled and stored in a cool, dark pantry.
Nutrition
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Yum, your corn relish looks delicious! I have yet to try "real" canning on my own, but I've done several batches of freezer jam with fresh, local berries/fruits. I think I would use the jars to can homemade salsa, as I love making it fresh and to my own taste! Plus we love salsa on just about anything! Love your blog and thanks for a great giveaway!
I have never canned and have always wanted to! I think since I have jelly on my English muffin EVERY morning I would start with a jelly or jam (even though you make the savory look so good!).
I would can appleasauce and apple pie mix.
I have wanted to start canning for a couple of years now and I think this would be the perfect opportunity! I have had my eye on a peach salsa recipe that would be great to can for the wintertime 🙂
I'd definitely make some quince preserves. So delicious!
I think I would can some jalapeno jelly. The kind at the store is always too mild for my husband's and friends' tastes. It'd be great to give at Christmas time.
I also wanted to give a tip about cutting corn off the husk. When you start cutting at the top of the standing up ear, you should be at the base of your knife and then you slice through by pulling down and back. So, when you are at the bottom of the ear, you should be near the tip of your knife. This works much better (and safer) then trying to push straight down.
Salsa! My hubby can never find a salsa hot enough for him (that isn't habanero), so I'd like to make my own for him.
I would can salsa, and pickled ANYTHING! I have never canned before, and I think it's high time I learned!
I have to start canning! My mother always makes the best strawberry jam and cans it and sends it our way once she's made a large batch. I would love to get my hands on her recipe and finally can some of my own!
I would use these jars to can my family's homemade salsa!
Hmmm...I think I'd use these for green beans. We usually put up over 100 quarts for our family of 7 for the year. This year...we live in Indiana...it's so dry that I'm not sure we're going to have very many. So maybe I'll use them for spaghetti sauce!
Every year I tell myself I need to learn to can, and every year I get intimidated. THIS year I am going to start. We have great sweet corn here and I am going to make this recipe! Thanks for the inspiration, the recipe and the giveaway!
I'd preserve some blackberry jam!!
Like a previous commenter said, I love glass jars for bringing my breakfast smoothies with me to work (and I'm also dying to try "salad parfait" but I have no jars the right size), but if I were to start canning, I think I would really want to make some jam. I know it's cliche, but I really want to try making jam, especially since I find storebought jam too sweet.
Though this recipe looks good too!
How funny that you posted this recipe, because tomorrow my cousin and I are getting together tomorrow for a marathon canning day and one of things we are making is corn relish! If I had time still this summer, I'd use the cans for making Dilly Beans. Thanks for hosting such a fun giveaway!
I think I would stick to jams. The idea of canning still makes me uneasy. That's why I use my ball jars for drinking sweet tea.
I would do my grandmother's pickled carrots as well as her strawberry jam!
I'd do cardamom peach jam
my fiance and i go berry picking every summer - so berry dishes is what i would most love to preserve!
I have been dying to get a set of jars because I love making smoothies and juices in them! But I would definitely preserve some kimchi in them. Thanks so much for this opportunity!