Quick Pickled Corn

By Ann Fulton

Quick Pickled Corn -- an easy-to-make condiment that will perk up burgers, tacos, and salads...and it tastes great by the spoonful, too!
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Quick Pickled Corn is an easy-to-make condiment that will perk up burgers, tacos, and salads…and it tastes great by the spoonful, too!

 

 

 

 

Corn on the cob is the quintessential summer vegetable.  Who doesn’t love biting into a hot, buttery ear on a warm summer night?  It’s a little package of perfection that requires very little to make it truly shine.

As if that first bite isn’t enough, leftovers can be turned into light, healthy, mouth-watering salads in short order. ⇩⇩⇩

 

Of course, fresh corn can also be frozen for a taste of summer all winter long.  And now this…

Quick Pickled Corn!🌽🌽🌽

 

When I saw this idea from Grant Melton via Food 52.  I was eager to try it–and did in short order.  There’s hardly a vegetable that my family doesn’t enjoy in a pickled state, yet I hadn’t tried pickling corn and couldn’t ignore the utter ease of this recipe.

Now every time we buy a dozen, I pick out a few ears and whip up a fresh batch of this simple recipe, which will perk up burgers, tacos, and salads (pasta, potato, macaroni, basic green are all fair game).  It’s pretty awesome by the spoonful, too, so I’ve doled out small servings as a delightful, impromptu side dish.  (Try it with grilled meats and fish!)

Since this is a new-this-summer recipe, I’ve just started to play around with the ratios and add-ins.  I’ve found that, like every good pickle recipe, it’s endlessly adaptable.  For example, you could go up or down on the sweetness scale according to personal preference.  We enjoy the ratio of vinegar to sugar as the recipe is written, because the light sweetness provides a lovely counterpoint to the heat of the hot pepper.  Even if you don’t like things spicy, I encourage you to add just a few slices of jalapeño pepper (seeds and all!) and see what you think.

 

Quick Pickled Corn -- an easy-to-make condiment that will perk up burgers, tacos, and salads...and it tastes great by the spoonful, too!

I reduced the amount of salt in the original recipe and replaced the white wine vinegar with rice vinegar, which I so love in these Pickled Red Onions. (Feel free to use what you have on hand.)

For further tweaking, we enjoy the addition of red pepper, which I chop to a similar size as the corn kernels.  The color provides added visual appeal and makes this condiment more versatile in a relish-y sort of way. That said, you could use a green, yellow, or orange bell pepper or omit it entirely.

So far I’ve always sliced the hot peppers, since some people like to eat them whole and some prefer to avoid them. The slices add a pretty pop of green, too.  But I’m finding most of the people I cook for these days enjoy the heat, so I might mince them next time for more even heat throughout.  I’ve used jalapeños and serranos–and most recently a fresh sriracha pepper, a new treat from our garden this summer.

Notably, I have made this recipe with both fresh and cooked kernels.  My preference is to use fresh as the texture is crisper and the corn flavor shines through just a bit more. (One friend who enjoyed the pickled corn over an impromptu lunch mentioned that the cooked corn likely absorbs less brine.)  If you find yourself with a few leftover ears of cooked corn, however, it would be worth trying.  The smoky flavor from grilled corn could play well with the sweet and spicy elements.

The pickled corn will taste good after a 24-hour rest, but after three to four days, the flavors come together and really shine.  So, if possible, try to wait.😀

Quick Pickled Corn -- an easy-to-make condiment that will perk up burgers, tacos, and salads...and it tastes great by the spoonful, too!

Quick Pickled Corn
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: one 16-ounce jar or two 8-ounce jars (recipe may easily be halved or doubled)
Quick Pickled Corn is an easy-to-make condiment that will perk up burgers, tacos, salads, and more!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh corn
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper, seeded and minced (optional; may substitute color of choice)
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, sliced or halved lengthwise
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) rice vinegar (not the sweetened variety; could substitute white wine vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water
  • 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions

Place the corn kernels, optional bell pepper, jalapeño slices or halves, and bay leaf into a 16-ounce jar.  (If you’re using two 8-ounce jars, break the bay leaf in half, and divide everything evenly.) Set aside.

In a small pot, stir together the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat, stir to make sure the sugar and salt are completely dissolved, and pour the hot liquid into the jar(s) to cover the corn. Discard any remaining pickling liquid you may have left.

Carefully place the lid on top of the jar(s) and let sit until cool to the touch. Once cool,  refrigerate overnight. Corn will have good flavor after 24 hours but will truly shine after 3-4 days.

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Comments

  1. Carolyn Post author

    I made a batch three days ago and it tastes better with each day…and I loved it from the beginning. Will make again and again!

    Reply
        1. Ann Post author

          Hi Valerie, I have not canned these myself but I believe the acidity is such that they could be canned with the hot water bath method.

          Reply