BLUE RIBBON CORN RELISH

SET THIS SUMMERY RELISH OUT ON A MAKE-YOUR-OWN SANDWICH BUFFET.

PREP: 1 HOUR COOK: 25 MINUTES PROCESS: 15 MINUTES MAKES: 5 PINTS PHOTO

16 to 20 ears of corn
2 cups water
3 cups chopped celery (6 stalks)
1½ cups chopped red sweet peppers (2 medium)
1½ cups chopped green sweet peppers (2 medium)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
2½ cups vinegar
1¾ cups sugar
4 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1. Remove husks from ears of corn. Scrub with a stiff brush to remove silks; rinse. Cut kernels from cobs; do not scrape. Measure 8 cups kernels.

2. In an 8- to 10-quart stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick heavy pot combine the 8 cups corn kernels and the 2 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until corn is nearly tender; drain.

3. In the same pot combine corn, celery, sweet peppers, and onion. Stir in vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, pickling salt, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Ladle hot relish into hot sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a ½ -inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.

5. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.

CUMIN-POBLANO CORN RELISH: Prepare as directed, except substitute 1½ cups chopped fresh poblano chile peppers (see tip) for the green sweet peppers. Reduce vinegar to 2 cups and add ½ cup lime juice. Substitute 1 tablespoon ground cumin for the celery seeds and turmeric.

PER 2 TABLESPOONS BLUE RIBBON OR CUMIN-POBLANO CORN RELISH: 44 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 64 mg sodium, 10 g carb., 1 g fiber, 1 g pro.

OLIVE-CORN RELISH: Prepare as directed, except add 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives and 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives with the celery, sweet peppers, and onion.

PER 2 TABLESPOONS: 40 cal., 1 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 90 mg sodium, 0 g carb., 1 g fiber, 1 g pro.