Zesty Corn Relish {Recipe ReDux}

Make this zesty Corn Relish with a hint of Southwestern sass for your next BBQ. It’s a perfect accompaniment to any meat and delicious as an add on to salads, burritos or just about anything to which you’d like to add a little tangy goodness.

This month’s Recipe ReDux is an interesting one:

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DIY Kitchen Essentials: What favorite kitchen staples do you now make from scratch – but in the past you purchased? Show us your best DIY recipe for keeping cupboards, fridge or freezer stocked with healthy basics. Think homemade frozen waffles, salad dressing, broth or other kitchen essentials.

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Even before I began writing the blog, I made a lot of stuff from scratch, more for entertainment than anything else. I’ve learned to pick and choose what’s worth the effort.

For example, ketchup. I’ve made it from scratch a couple different ways and am usually pleased with the result. Everyone else can take it or leave it. Mayonnaise is another example. I love the flavor of homemade mayo and aioli, but is it a substitute for Duke’s or Sauer’s in my potato salad? N-O.

On the other hand, almost all of my salad dressings are homemade now and when I do bake, it’s from scratch. While we’re speaking of baked goods, I haven’t bought a store bought pita or flatbread since I learned how to make them. It’s easier to make a small batch at home as I need them. That’s not always the case with tortillas. I enjoy it when I do make them, but the store bought ones make life easier.

There are two areas I would say I am consistent in always making a homemade version. One is soups of all kinds. When we have the fixings I will make broth to have on hand for soup. When we don’t have homemade broth, I’ll use a good quality store bought broth or soup base. We eat soup at least twice a week, more frequently in the winter, especially if you count a bowl of beans as soup.

Relishes and sauces comprise the other area I prefer to make myself. Small batches (no more than a quart) work best for the two of us. What can’t be frozen– like pesto or basic tomato sauce-– can be stored in the fridge in jars. Just about any relish or chutney you like can be made as a small batch. They’re great for using up small amounts of fruit and vegetables. As long as you’re storing the results in the fridge you should be ok. If you want to make a batch for long term storage you’ll need to use tested recipes such as those found in these two books.

I own both of these books and today’s recipe for Zesty Corn Relish comes from Small Batch Preserving which is also the source for a delicious zucchini relish I make frequently.

NOTE: This recipe is for a REFRIGERATED relish. If you want to preserve it, I encourage you to purchase one of the suggested books to learn how to can food. Home preserving isn’t difficult, but it’s necessary to follow sterile techniques and use tested recipes in order to avoid food poisoning.

Zesty Corn Relish

This can be easily scaled down if you have less corn available.

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Course: condiment

Cuisine: American, Southwestern

Servings: 4 cups

Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

• 4 cups corn kernels cut from the cob or frozen
• 1 jalapeno or other hot pepper seeded and chopped small
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup red onion chopped small
• 1/2 cup bell pepper any color; red looks nice
• 1/2 cup green onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients except the chopped cilantro in a large sauce pan or dutch oven (preferably one that won't react with the vinegar). There should be enough liquid to just cover the corn. You can add more vinegar or water if needed.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• The syrup will reduce as the vegetables cook.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
• When cool, ladle into clean jars and store in the fridge for a month or more.

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Try zesty corn relish on grilled sausages for a tangy change of pace. It’s good as a taco topping, too. I’ve used it in broth based soup to add a hint of sour. I’ve also used it to make a chowder type soup that nobody liked. I haven’t tried it, but it may be interesting as a corn dip. Nothing ventured, right?

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