The Amish Cook shares a recipe for corn salsa this week, which reminded me of another favorite this time of year: corn relish. Last summer I stumbled across a tiny produce stand at an Amish farm outside of Clare, Michigan.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 been doing much better in most areas of the country this year. I also picked up some ears of sweet corn which were delish!
As for the corn relish, I just spooned some 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
Kernels from 12 ears of sweet corn
1 head of green cabbage, shredded
6 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 or chill and serve immediately.
Kris Reich
Try corn relish on a hot dog. YUMMMMM
Mary
Is this already shelf stable or does it need to be processed in a canner first?
Kevin
I do not think it needs to be in a canner, Mary, shelf-stable as is.