Mum’s Famous Delectable Corn Relish
by Danica Waters
The recipe for Mum’s Famous Delectable Corn Relish comes from my Mother-In-Law. (I affectionately refer to her as “Mum”; she’s a nicer, Scottish version of Martha Stewart, an artist, a savvy but unassuming perfectionist, and an absolute wonder at everything she touches.) I will never forget the year she sent this relish in a care package, because I’ve never seen anything disappear so fast in my entire life.
We put it on ham sandwiches. I’d never tasted anything so over-the-top delicious. We put in on turkey sandwiches. Truly knocked our socks off. Then Mum mentioned that one of her friends put the relish in a foil package with some wild-caught salmon and a bit of olive oil and threw the whole lot on the grill. It blew the taste buds off of everyone at her dinner party. Of course we tried it; it was magnificent.
This recipe yielded nine half-pint jars of corn relish. Yes, it involves a lot of chopping. It is worth every minute.
Enjoy!
Mum’s Famous Delectable Corn Relish
(adapted from the Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving)
7 ears fresh corn
1-1/2 C chopped celery
1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
1 small sweet green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/4 C sugar
2 tsp celery seed
3 C white vinegar
2 Tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp turmeric
1-1/2 C water
Remove husks and silks from the corn, trim the ends. Place ears in a large kettle of boiling water and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove corn and immediately plunge into cold water to stop cooking process. When corn has cooled, cut kernels from the cob. You should have about 4-5 cups of corn.
Fill canner with water. Place nine clean half-pint jars in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and keep water hot until you need to fill the jars.
In a large saucepan (stainless steel or enamel work best) combine corn, celery, peppers,onion, sugar, celery seed and vinegar. Cover the pan and bring to a boil; remove cover and boil 5 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the top.
Combine mustard and turmeric with water. Stir into vegetable mixture and return to a boil. Boil uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Place lids in hot but not boiling water to soften sealing compound. Keep hot until ready to use.
Remove hot jars to a surface lined with clean kitchen towels. Ladle hot relish into the hot jars, taking care to maintain ½ inch head space. Using a non-metallic spatula, remove air bubbles from jars by sliding spatula between glass and relish; readjust to fill to the ½ ‘ headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean damp cloth to remove any stickiness. Center lids on jars, screw on rings just until fingertip tight.
Replace jars into hot water bath in canner; bring to a boil. Process jars 15 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft.
when pressed, the seal is not good, and the contents must be refrigerated immediately and used promptly. If center remains depressed, label and store for up to a year in a cool, dark pantry area.
For best flavor, allow jars to sit in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks before using. For even better texture, refrigerate prior to serving.
Be sure to keep refrigerated after opening.