I came across a tiny produce stand at an Amish farm outside of Clare, Michigan the other day (more photos and stories from Clare in the days ahead, so stay tuned). This stand had a selection of items that I don't often come across: homemade home-canned soups, broths, pie fillings, and plenty of produce grown within a stone's throw of the stand. They also had jars of homemade corn relish for sale.
That piqued my interest, so I bought a jar for $3. Corn relish recipes have appeared in The Amish Cook column at various times over the years, especially when Lovina's Mom was still writing. Corn relish is an old, tried and true staple in Amish kitchens and I think I had tried some before, but I was thrilled to be reacquainted! The corn crop has taken a beating in most areas of the country this year, but in mid-Michigan the dry spell hasn't been quite as bad so Amish farmers are reporting an okay crop, at least the small-scale farmers. So I also picked up some ears of sweet corn which I think are on our dinner menu tonight. I just spooned some corn relish on Club crackers (really, what DOESN'T taste good on Club crackers:) and I must say this corn concoction is delicious!
I think corn relish is now my favorite Amish food:) Was nice to buy and try something that wasn't a baked good for a change! The corn relish was a neat fusion of sweet and sour, crunchy and soft. and I tasted a hint of hot. I spotted a few jalapeno pieces in there, again illustrating the inroads that Tex-Mex has made in even the most conservative Amish communities....I could dip chips in that or spoon it on crackers all day long, I wish I had bought 10 jars of it from the stand!:) Would you like to try making corn relish? This is the original Amish Cook's recipe. Looks easy enough and mirrors closely the recipe of the kind that appears in this photo. I am sure you can experiment and try adding some other veggies to the mix. Enjoy!
CORN RELISH FOR CANNING
The following is a handy recipe to use some of those garden goodies :
- Kernels from 12 ears of sweet corn
- 1 head of green cabbage, shredded
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and finely diced ¼ cup salt
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 pint of vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of celery seed
- PREP TIME: 1 hour
- Mix together in a large nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook 30 minutes. Put into sterilized jars and store in a cool place.
Oh wow, that looks fab and I wish I had some right now!! I bet it's great with Fritos, but you're right, what doesn't taste good on Club Crackers?? YUM.
Is the corn cooked first?? Everything else raw?? Sounds good and very easy to do.
Very timely...I just did 2 bushels of corn. I made creamed corn,plain canned corn,and corn relish!! All together,I got almost 30 qts. The relish recipe that you posted is the same as I use. I use the one my Mom did,but I'm not sure where she got it. I can eat the relish right from the jar!!It is good stuff,indeed!!
My hubby just corrected me..we had nearly 3 bushel of corn. It's just alot to cut from the cobs!!!!
How long does this keep, since it's not water bath canned? Does it need to be stored in the fridge instead or? Thanks! Looks good 🙂
Nancy, I water bath mine for 15 minutes. As a rule of thumb,for every cup of corn,figure 1more of relish..if you had 5 c. corn,it would be 6 relish. Not sure if it was you,but whoever asked about the corn being cooked,it isn't. Hope this helps!!
And how much does this make?
Oh, this is my favorite Amish dish except maybe Sho Fly Pie !!!! I will have to go to one the Farmers Markets until I find someone that sells it. I hadn't thought about it until I saw the picture. I HAVE to have that. Is this what they call chow chow?
Marilyn