Some people look forward to strawberry season. Others can’t wait for hodge-podge. Me, I love fresh corn. We are so fortunate to be able to get it so fresh. It’s worth picking the corn threads out of the cob (and some find their way between my teeth) to enjoy a good corn boil.
The requirements for traditionally cooking corn on the cob are a large pot, like the Meyer 14L Confederation Stock Pot. The corn cooks to a golden yellow after 3-5 minutes in boiling water, and is piled on platters ready for butter. The rest of the tools include a pair of tongs (Good Grips or Fox Run), a platter, butter spreaders (Norpro has a nifty one), and a bunch of corn holders (Good Grips or Outset) to protect your fingers from the heat.
Corn is an easy summer vegetable to pickle. Stripping the corn from the cob is the tricky bit. There are several gadgets to help with this. Most involved standing the cob on its end, then pushing a round blade (Fox Run & RSVP have flexible blades to accommodate a variety of cob sizes) down the length. This cuts the kernels off so each one is perfect. If you find the corn cob wobbles, pound a 3” nail into the center of an 8” square board, all the way through, flip it over and carefully slide the cob onto the nail to hold it steady. Or use the ‘peeler’ style, such as the one from Good Grips, which strips kernels the way you peel a carrot. Now you can freeze it or make some relish.
Corn relish is so good, and so easy to make. Here’s a recipe from https://larderlove.com/sweetcorn-relish/ which I’ve used. All you need are canning jars, and a canning kit if you want to process the relish for longer shelf life.
You need 4-5 corn cobs, 2 red peppers, 2 red chillies (if you like some heat), 1 small onion, 1 stalk of celery, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tbsp salt, 200g of sugar, 400ml of white wine vinegar (or regular), and 1 tbsp ea of fresh coriander and basil.
Strip the kernels from the cobs until you have approximately 4 cups. Chop the peppers, chillies, onion and celery into fine pieces (1/4”). Throw all the vegetables, including garlic, into a heavy deep pan and add your vinegar, salt and sugar. Heat slowly to dissolve the sugar, stirring often. The mixture should be lightly bubbling. Cook for about 35 minutes then stir in your finely chopped herbs. Remove from heat, ladle ino hot sterilized jars and screw on the lids. You can hot water bath the jars for winter enjoyment or keep them in the fridge.
The relish needs a week or more to allow the flavours to meld. Use withing 2 weeks of opening.
Summer is full of deliciousness. With a few key tools, you can enjoy the bounty all year long.
Did you know? There are four main types of relish; pickle (most well known), piccalilli (sour), chutney (spicy) and chow-chow (mustard). Nearly every county has some sort of relish or pickle as part of their cuisine.
Cathy