Spicy Corn Relish Recipe
Prepare This Tasty Condiment as a Flavorful Accompaniment to Meat
Aug 5, 2007
Corn has been cultivated for over seven thousand years and is both a grain and a vegetable. Corn can be eaten at nearly every stage of the growing season, from when the ear is a few inches long to when the kernels are hardened and dry. However, the sweet-corn season lasts for only a few months, typically from late June to the beginning of October, depending on your area.
The secret to choosing the sweetest-tasting sweet corn is freshness. Corn should really be eaten as soon as it is picked from the stalk. As soon as corn is picked, the natural sugars in the corn begin turning to starch. Be sure to select ears with husks that are moist, not dried out. When you look at the color of the kernels, you'll notice some that are yellow, some that are white, and some that are a mix of both yellow and white. Color has nothing to do with the sweetness of the corn; the variety of corn alone determines its sweetness. Bicolored sweet corn (some people refer to this as butter-and-sugar corn) is the preferred corn in the Northeast and West of the United States. Down South, white is the corn of choice, while those in the Midwest favor yellow kernels.
Preparing fresh corn is quite simple: Corn really only needs about two minutes cooking in boiling water. The youngest, sweetest ears of corn may only need a few seconds. When cooking corn, do not put any salt in the water: Salt tends to toughen the kernels, and that's not what you want. You can, if you like, add about 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar to the cooking water. Sweet corn is best eaten plain right off the cob, but you can add flavorings to unsalted butter to enhance the flavor. Try adding fresh herbs, ancho chiles ground up, cayenne pepper, garlic or lime juice to melted butter.
Corn is also great in a spicy condiment such as Corn Relish. Below, you'll find an easy recipe for a spicy relish that greatly complements a variety of meats on the grill.
Corn Relish Recipe
Makes 8 Cups
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 6 whole black peppercorns (optional)
- 10 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
- 2 small red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
Method:
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a chef's knife to cut off the kernels from the ears of corn. Try to remove only the kernels, leaving the tough cob intact. Once the kernels have been removed from the ears, gently scrape the back of the knife up and down the cob to release the milky juice into the bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, thyme, celery seed, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and peppercorns (if using). Bring to a boil. Add the corn, bell peppers and onion. Return the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook just until the corn of the corn turns bright, about 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Ladle the relish into clean canning jars (pint jars work best). Cover, and refrigerate until cold. The corn relish will keep refrigerated for up to 1 month.
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