It’s Sweet Corn Festival Time…..

…And we are in full sweet corn mode. Sweet corn is an almost nightly summer treat at our house. We love trying sweet corn from around the state and decided WE WANT MORE and we want it all year long.
Canning wasn’t in the cards so we opted for a simpler approach at preserving those golden kernels and enlisted the pro I know, my mother in law, Donita. Freezing corn has been a long time family affair. An entire day with all hands on deck was spent “putting up” corn for their family of 8 each summer. Her simple recipe is a great way to reserve those yummy kernels to be used in any recipe you wish throughout the year. And as you can see, Dave is a pro. In full disclosure this day in the kitchen was all about my husband. I served as his sous chef and official gopher.

Who knew you could get everything for canning(minus the lemon) at Menards? ( the tomato is farmers market fresh for another summer favorite dish–cukes and tomatoes)

Simple Freezer Corn
Husk and clean corn
Blanch corn on the cob (about 6 minutes)
Cool in ice water bath
Cut kernels from the cob (we opt for an electric knife)
Bag 2C or 3C servings into freezer bags
Flatten bags and freeze
Heat and Eat Freezer Corn
If you want a quick ready to serve option (my favorite) try this method
Cut the kernels from the cobs before cooking.
In a large stock pot add:
12 c corn
1 1/2 t salt
1T sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter
Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, let cool, bag and freeze.

​Waste not, want not! I couldn’t help but think I could do something with the dozens of left over cobs and boy was I right. Did you know corn cobs make great veggie stock, fire-starter’s, and potpourri? And, if you are so inclined you can even try making corn cob wine. Our favorite suggestion is delicious. A corn cob jelly recipe that tastes like honey, and is easy to make!

Corn Cob Jelly
12 large ears of corn with kernels removed
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
sugar
Add cobs to 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil for 30 minutes
Remove the cobs and strain with a cheesecloth or strainer. You can opt to leave the bits if you wish.
Measure the remaining liquid
Return liquid to a large pot.
Stir in lemon juice and pectin. (Add a dab of butter to prevent foaming)
Bring to a boil.
Add sugar cup per cup to match the measure of your corn liquid. Stir to dissolve sugar.
Bring pot to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Ladle hot corn cob jelly into hot jars. Adjust lids and bands.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

I admit when we tried this the first time I was skeptical. The process doesn’t look at all appetizing.

But the end result is so pretty! Delish too!

I can promise you it really does taste like honey! Now that you have all this deliciousness on hand. What to do? What to do?  The possibilities are endless but here are just of our family favorites.

1. Glaze a ham with the jelly.
2. Serve on hot biscuits, toast or English muffins.
3. Add variety to your corn bread muffins and serve with a warm bowl of Ham and Bean soup this winter.
4. When making the jelly add a bit of jalapeno. It tastes just like jalapeno honey.
5. Or using a sauce pan add diced jalapeno's and lightly soften with a few drops of canola oil. Add a jar (4oz.) of jelly and reduce to liquid. The liquid can then be used in place of honey. It’s amazing with shrimp. Imagine glazed shrimp stir fry.
6. Honey roasted chicken? Imagine Corn Cob jelly roasted chicken…Yum!

Personally, being an Iowa girl I intend to make small gift baskets as hostess gifts when visiting out of town guests. A bottle of local Penoach wine made right here in Adel, an Iowa Christmas ornament from Restoration Harmony coupled with a jar of corn cob jelly with a loaf of homemade French bread and BOOM an adorable and thoughtful gift at the ready for your last minute invite to a party! For more gift basket ideas check out pins from our favorite pinners under GIFTS on our Restoration Harmony Pinterest board.

As always we love to hear your ideas, so please share them with us. We are always looking for a new recipe, a new idea, or just a shout out to say “Hi”. 
Cheers, Angela