Bryant's Sweet Corn Relish

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Bryant Terry’s sweet corn relish is summer in a jar. This recipe is inspired by the relish his maternal grandmother would make with corn bought at local farm stands. His version preserves corn, peppers and tomatoes in a sweet and tangy brine of rice wine vinegar, sugar and spices like mustard seeds, cumin, peppercorns and turmeric.

Originally, Bryant developed this recipe as a topping for crispy potatoes (you can find that recipe in his book Vegetable Kingdom, highly recommended!), but this relish has become a use-on-everything condiment in his house. His family loves tucking it into tacos, spooning it over bowls of beans and simply sautéing the relish for an effortless side. We love it as a generous garnish for smoky rounds of grilled sweet potatoes (pictured above), combined with some extra virgin olive and spooned over thick slices of tomatoes and, to be honest, we adore eating this relish straight out of the jar.

Ingredients

3 large ears sweet corn, husk and silks removed
12 ripe cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño
2 garlic cloves, peeled with ends cut off
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1 tablespoon brown or Bindu Black Mustard seeds
2 teaspoons Jodhana Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon whole Aranya Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Pragati Turmeric

Methods

Sterilize two 1-pint canning jars and their lids and rings and set aside.
Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the corn, bring the water back to a boil, and blanch for 1 minute. Drain the corn in a colander and immediately transfer it to the ice water for 5 minutes. Drain the corn and slice the kernels from the ears.
Evenly divide the corn kernels, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic between the canning jars and set aside.
In the pot you used for the corn, combine the vinegar, 1/4 cup water, the sugar, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, salt, Aranya pepper, and Pragati turmeric and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the liquid is hot to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Divide the liquid evenly between the canning jars and let cool. Seal the jars and refrigerate the relish at least one day to develop the flavor. The relish will keep in the fridge for up to 1 year.