I am blessed to live in an area of the South populated by many food writers who have graciously shared recipes for this book. Among them is Sheri Castle, author of the The New Southern Garden Cookbook (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011). Sheri is known for teaching classes at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, a local institution that has made an effort to teach its customers how to preserve food. This is a recipe from one of Sheri’s popular classes. Sheri uses this relish as a side dish, a dip for tortilla chips, a sauce for grilled meats, or a topping for black beans or fish tacos.
4 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pickling salt or iodine-free kosher salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
8 cups corn kernels
4 cups finely diced onion
4 1/2 cups finely diced sweet bell pepper, any color
2 tablespoons ClearJel or 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water (don’t use the water if you use the ClearJel), optional
In a large pot, bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, celery seeds, turmeric, cayenne, and coriander seeds to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Gradually add the corn, onion, and bell pepper and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If using, add the ClearJel or dissolved cornstarch and cook until the mixture is thick and bubbly and will mound on a spoon, about 2 minutes more.
Ladle the relish into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Follow the instructions for boiling-water canning on page 10. Process the jars for 15 minutes.