I had a realization yesterday. It dawned on me that I am what you call a volume canner.
I always thought, “I do a fair amount of canning.” and was fine with that. But when I posted a picture of a small portion of what I had taken advantage of the long holiday weekend to preserve, folks’ reactions made me consider it a little more deeply.
“Wow!!” “Woah!!!” “Holy moly!” Er, what?
Oh, I guess not everyone fills five hundred jars in an average summer? (Duh, Rebecca.)
Obsessed? Yeah, quite possibly… but here’s the thing.
I fill jars with items that are delicious, versatile, and NOT PURCHASABLE. Okay, maybe some of the items can be bought in a store, but the majority of them are unattainable unless you make them yourself or are friends with an obsessive canner (like me) who likes to share the proverbial or literal fruits of their labor.
(Like me. Alright. The truth is that if you walk in my house in canning season, you’re likely to find yourself cornered with a spoon full of something pushed toward your face and the phrase, “Try this and tell me what you think!” uttered earnestly.)
And the items that can (pun alert) be bought? I like to think my version tastes a little fresher, is a little better for you, and has a little more romance to it. I’m looking your way concord grape jelly made from grapes I picked with my kids.
I have about five items I make in quantities that give even me pause when I contemplate the numbers. Smoky Roasted Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa (at least 86 pints each summer), Candied Jalapenos (in excess of 100 jars annually between what we eat and what we give for gifts), and Garlic Dill Pickles (anywhere between 76 and 96 quarts).
I also make Homemade Unsweetened Fruit Juice (apple, Concord grape, Niagara grape about 60 quarts of concentrate), and the good stuff you see in that picture above (this year, I have about 50 pints and I’m still planning on another couple of batches!) What you’re looking at is Zesty Corn Relish.
Zesty Corn Relish is the combined adaptation of a recipe from ‘The Joy of Pickling’ by my little sister, Jessamine, and I. Jess and I share the canning madness and when the weather cools, we often swap our goods.
A while back, Jess passed a jar of her version of the corn relish my way. It sat on my shelves among my other canned goods for a while waiting for the right moment.
That moment came one night when we had Pulled Pork Tacos (made with this recipe!) on deck and I realized I had forgotten to make any goodies to serve on top. The jar of Jessie’s corn relish came up from the basement and disappeared instantly amidst indecent noises of approval and joy. We knew that was getting made in abundance at that moment.
Jess shared her alterations to the recipe with me, and I decided to add a little more heat to the party by adding jalapeños. The result is a jar of FRESH corn taste (you know corn never tastes as good as when it’s fresh from the field, right?
This gets pretty darned close and is a heckuva lot closer than any frozen or canned corn you can buy at the store in February!) that has a surprising chameleon quality. It goes with e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
Tacos, chili, beans and rice, pot roast (this use comes straight from my Grandma and it is glorious, let me tell you!), grilled or broiled chicken, pork, or fish, sausage… Put it on or in just about anything, stir it into jarred salsa for extra texture or serve it alone with tortilla chips as a stand alone salsa.
My sis serves it as a side salad sometimes! Trust me. Once you’ve tried this, you’re going to want shelves lined with crunchy, savoury, sweet, zippy, Zesty Corn Relish.
Zesty Corn Relish | Canning
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 18 ears of fresh sweet corn on the cob
- 2 cups diced red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cups diced green bell pepper *See Notes
- 1/2 cup minced fresh jalapeno **See Notes
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons coarse Kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons dried mustard powder
- 4 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Sterilize at least 10 pint jars (you may only use 6, but it's better to have too many jars ready than to have to sterilize more jars while your relish waits!) If you need help learning how to do this, follow these instructions.
- Shuck the corn and carefully remove the silks. Stand each ear of corn sturdily on its end on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to remove the kernels. Discard the cobs (or use in Corn Stock
- In a large stainless steel or other nonreactive pot, stir together all of the ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Ladle the hot corn relish into sterile jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace in the jar. Remove air bubbles, adjust corn and liquid level if necessary to maintain the 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe and clean the rim of the jars with a paper towel moistened with vinegar. Fix new two piece lids in place and screw the rings to fingertip tightness.
- Put the filled, lidded jars in a canner, ensure they are covered by at least an inch of hot water, bring to a boil, and process for 15 minutes at a full boil, covered. When the 15 minutes are up, turn off the heat, remove the lid and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack or a clean towel lined counter top.
- Let them cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When they are completely cool, carefully remove the rings, wipe the jars clean, label (with sharpie or sticker), and store on a shelf in a place out of direct sunlight for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reader's Thoughts...
Diane says
Hello! I made your recipe to the exact speciications … however it seems that there is too little liquid in my jars after canning. Left 1/2 inch at top of jar and liquid covered the top of the corn at the time it was lidded. I am sure there was no siphoning as there was nothing in the canning water or on the cooling towels to show it. Perhaps my ears of corn were larger than average? Do you have a measure of how many cups of kernels your 18 ears should translate to? Maybe that would work better given the variety of sizes of ears. It’s not horrible, just some corn above the liquid which now sits about at the shoulder of the jar. Does corn absorb some of it? Also do you think it is safe then to eat? Just checked all the seals and they are good. Would appreciate your thoughts! (PS the leftover bit of corn relish is a hit … can’t wait to try the rest.)
Rebecca says
Hi Diane- I always go by ears rather than cups. A little bit of corn poking its head above the brine should be fine- I’ve always found it absorbed a little in the cooking process. If you’d like, you could increase the amount of brine by a little to cover it, though. 🙂
Cheryl says
Could you pasteurize this recipe in sous vide? I have been experimenting with other pickles, the sous vide leaves them crisper.
Rebecca says
Hi Cheryl- I’m not sure, honestly. So far as I know, the FDA has not vetted sous vide for any at-home canning.
Cheryl says
Thanks Rebecca! I may experiment. If I get them to 180 degree for an hour, I think I maybe ok. Love your recipes BTW!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much, Cheryl! Let me know how it goes!
Donna says
Do you have to use the mustard powder in this recipe?
Rebecca says
Hi Donna- It’s not obligatory for food safety, but I do think it adds an important element to the finished flavour. 🙂
Vickie Newton says
Could you add black beans to this?
Rebecca says
Hi Vickie- While that sounds delicious, I’d recommend stirring in black beans when you open the jars to serve them. This recipe is not tested for safety with black beans added before canning. 🙂
Brittany says
I’ve been making and canning this since 2020 and it has become a household staple. I often make 3 batches so that I have enough to give away during the holidays. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Brittany! I do appreciate it!
Angoe says
We absolutely love this relish! Instead of going by ears of corn I measure around 12 or 13 cups. We like things spicy so I leave seeds and ribs in and if I don’t have enough jalapeno I substitute cayenne. I have used banana peppers if low on bell peppers. I always keep my peppers at 4 cups total. We use it on nachos, any Tex Mex dinner and as a side dish. Thank you for sharing. I have made 2 runs so far this season and am planning on at least one more! *we grew Ambrosia corn and it is perfect for this: not too sweet
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Angie! I love the sounds of your tweaks to it, too!
Kate says
Could you add onion to this recipe or would that mess with the Ph?
Rebecca says
Hi Kate! It does mess with the balance a bit. Have you tried it as is without the onion? I’m not usually the gal to say this because onions are a major food group for me, but I kind of prefer it without! If you do opt to go for the onion, you’ll need to swap out an equal amount of one of the other vegetables in it. I do recommend trying a batch (or a half or quarter batch if you wish!) as is before altering it, though!