Corn Relish

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
I may have posted this earlier, but it is an amazingly simple recipe that has been passed down through the generations of my family since at least the 1800's. It is really good and needs to be brought up again as our gardens start to close down.

My grandmother learned this recipe from her Grandmother, Identa Rausch (who was actually English, but quickly learned the German recipes from her mother-in-law).. No idea where she got it from, but she probably learned it from her grandmother. The family settled in the Virginia Military District after the American Revolution (Great-great-great-great-grandfather Michael was a General in the war). They flowed down the Ohio to land in Manchester, the 1st settlement in the Virginia Military District (southern Ohio, north Ohio was Connecticut territory--the Western Reserve), and where I graduated from high school. My grandmother said they were still speaking German in the family when she was a little girl back in the 20's.

Great-great Grandother Identa's Corn Relish:

12 large ears of corn cut off the cob, pick that morning in the garden

1 head of green cabbage, shredded

5 onions, chopped

2 green mangoes, chopped (this is what my family called bell peppers)

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons of mustard seed

2 teaspoons of celery seed

Salt to taste.

Place the ingredients into a large pot. Cover with white vinegar. Cook 15 minutes. (and my grandmother's instruction: Seal in jars).

I make a reduced version and put it in the fridge. It's a pickle. It keeps forever.

This stuff is legendary. People just inhale it. Tim says: "when are you making your grandmother's corn relish again???"

 
A couple of questions...

Does the recipe call for green bell peppers? (green mangoes?)

Do you use distilled white vinegar? I've never found one I didn't find unduly harsh. Is one brand a favorite of yours?

 
I lOVE corn relish. I'm sure it is greeen bell peppers. Red are good in it also. I wouldn't think

you would find this harsh--there is a LOT of sugar in German relishes like this and it creates a sweet sour flavor that is so good.
I have made one similar without any cabbage also.

 
Right, they are bell peppers. That is what the old timers called them..

I just use any kind of white vinegar. The sugar does tame it down.

 
Back
Top