Saving Summer is the theme of our #SundaySupper today and it’s something that’s pretty near and dear to my heart. My garden is constantly over flowing with fruits and veggies that I can’t use up fast enough. Last year we had an over abundance of banana peppers and blueberries. This year it has been strawberries, blueberries and corn. Yes, corn. Welcome to my world. I live in Missouri and it’s pretty abundant here.
I actually remember the first time I told Isabel, our fearless leader, that I actually grow corn in my garden. She laughed and laughed. I guess that does seem kinda strange to someone from Florida but here it’s a household staple. It’s everywhere. You don’t even have to go far from my house to find corn field after corn field. No really. Less than 5 minutes.
Since I have such an abundance of corn this year, I thought it only fitting to make that the subject of my #SundaySupper post. We made Corn Cob Jelly. This delicious Corn Cob Jelly is light, sweet and tastes a whole lot like honey. I saw this recipe last year from my friend Pam from Blueberries and Blessings and set about making it nearly immediately.
The first time we tried making Corn Cob Jelly, it never did firm up all the way. At first, I was disappointed but then realized it had turned into a delicious, thick syrup for waffles and pancakes. It was great, but it definitely lacked the jelly consistency that I was looking for. At least I now know how to make Corn Cob Syrup and yes I have made a few batches.
However what I wanted was Jelly, and I was determined to get some Corn Cob Jelly this year. So I tweaked the recipe, mixing it with a few others after doing some research. It all related to the sugar amount. The less sugar I used, the more syrupy my liquid would be, and no amount of letting it sit in the fridge or anywhere was changing that. The balance seems to be the amount of cups of water should equal the amount of cups of sugar added. That seems to work pretty well. I seem to get about 3 1/2 cups of liquid after straining each time I make this, so that’s what I used in sugar. This held true whether I used regular fruit pectin or it’s low sugar counterpart. So use whichever you prefer.
While I certainly have an over abundance of corn growing, it isn’t generally ready all at the same time. So, my other trick is to freeze the corn cobs after removing the kernels for other uses. I might only pull 2 or 3 a day, so I pop them in a freezer bag after I’ve removed the kernels. When I am ready to whip up a batch of Corn Cob Jelly, I just allow a little more time when I am boiling to let the flavor into the water. I’ve had no problems doing this, so if you’re like me and don’t typically have 12 corn cobs all at the same time, freezing works.
Oh and one more fun little trick. When I remove the corn cobs from the water, I allow them to dry out completely. They make AWESOME fire starters for those fall campfires or fire pits. Well, either that or you can share it with any small rodents you have living in your house.
The Corn Cob Jelly is excellent on:
- toast
- English muffins
- toast
- pancakes
- waffles
- pork chops
- steaks
- anywhere you would add jelly or even honey
Easy Canning Recipe: Corn Cob Jelly
Ingredients
- 12 corn cobs kernels removed
- 1 package 1-3/4 ounces powdered fruit pectin
- 3 1/2-4 cups sugar
- a drop or two of yellow food coloring
- 3 1/2-4 cups of water from boiling the corn cobs.
Instructions
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Remove corn kernels from cobs and save for another recipe or use as a side dish for dinner.
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In a large pot, drop corncobs with about 6-8 cups of water; bring to a boil.
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Boil uncovered for about 10 minutes.
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Throw away the cobs and strain the liquid to remove extra pieces, etc.
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Reserve 3 1/2 cups of liquid. You can throw out the rest.
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Place the corn cob water back into the large pot and stir in the pectin. Bring to a strong boil.
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Add the sugar and bring back to a boil.
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Skim the foam off the top and add a few drops of yellow food coloring if you'd like.
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Ladle the liquid into jelly jars, leaving about 1/2 to 1 inch head-space
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Place the seal and rings on the jar and process the jelly in a water bath for about 10-15 minutes.
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Remove and set aside. As they cool, listen for the jars to pop.
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If for some reason they do not pop, just put that jar into the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks.
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Shelf life (for popped jars) is 1-2 years
Have you ever made or tried Corn Cob Jelly? You really must!
Besides this great Corn Cob Jelly, here are MORE ways to Save Summer!
Learn how to …
- Dry Fruit – No-Dehydrator-Needed from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Freeze Cherries from Pies and Plots
- Freeze Herbs from Rhubarb and Honey
- Make Freezer Harvest Soup Kits from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Make Pesto Cubes from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Make and Freeze Rosemary Butter from Momma’s Meals
- Make Ready to Blend Smoothie Packs for Your Freezer from The Educators’ Spin On It
- Oven Dry Cherries from The Redhead Baker
Sip sunny cocktails and smoothies
- Blueberry, Peaches and Cream Green Smoothies from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Green Tea and Chocolate Saketini from Ninja Baking
- Sangria from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Scoop up special salsas and sauces
- Blueberry Ketchup from The Foodie Army Wife
- Classic Freezer Tomato Sauce from Noshing With The Nolands
- Peach Salsa from The Texan New Yorker
- Pico de Gallo from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Spicy Apple – Carrot Chutney from What Smells So Good?
- Spring Conserve from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Jump into jellies, jams and preserves
- Apricot Habanero Jam from Food Lust People Love
- Corn Cob Jelly from Daily Dish Recipes
- Fig Preserves with Sherry from Olives and Figs Chronicles
- Hot Pepper Jelly from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- No Pectin Apricot Jam from Curious Cuisiniere
- Peach Preserves from Delaware Girl Eats
- Pineapple Mango Moscato Jam from Seduction in the Kitchen
- Red Pepper Jam from The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Raw Raspberry-Vanilla Chia Jam from Shockingly Delicious
- Savory Fig and Sweet Onion Freezer Jam from Peaceful Cooking
- Spicy Ginger Tomato Jam with Coconut Sugar from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Pucker up for pickles
- Bread and Butter Pickles from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Garlic-Dill Pickles from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
- Pickled Beets and Onions from Kudos Kitchen by Renée
- Pickled Cherries from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Pickled Green Tomatoes from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Pickled Purple Cabbage from Simply Healthy Family
- Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños with Herbs from Magnolia Days
- Refrigerator Pickled Radish and Turnips from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Refrigerator Pickles from Webicurean
- Sweet Pickled Cauliflower from Because I Like Chocolate
Slurp and spoon soup and a side dish
- Easy Garden Fresh Tomato Basil Soup from Neighborfood
- Savory Summer Kimchi from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
Dive into divine desserts
- Easy (no machine) Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Mama Bee Does
- Freeze ’em For Later Peach Berry Hand Pies from eating in instead
- Frozen Yogurt Covered Blueberries from Peanut Butter and Pepper
- Lemon and Blackberry Meringue Cakes from Happy Baking Days
- Lemon Curd Coffee Crumb Cake with Vanilla Drizzle from Wallflour Girl
- Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream from Killer Bunnies, Inc
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Stacy says
I remember Pam’s post from last year, Nicole, and I was so intrigued because I had never heard of corncob jelly before! I never got around to making it but this is the reminder I needed. I’ll definitely be throwing my summer cobs in the freezer and trying this as soon as I have enough.
Also, great tip on drying the boiled cobs out to use as fire starters!
Nicole Cook says
That was what happened to me Stacy, I was so incredibly intrigued and I needed to know what it tasted like. It’s actually super light and really does taste just like honey. It’s kinda amazing.
Amanda Boyarshinov says
I’m intrigued with the idea of corn cob jelly. We like jelly and we like corn on the cob – so this may be a fun recipe for our family to try.
Nicole Cook says
lol Amanda, when I first heard of it I thought … hmmm.. But always one to try something new, we went for it and now we can’t get enough! Hope your family loves it too!
Renee says
We have lots of corn fields here in Georgia too. I’ve never tried corn cob jelly though. Sounds interesting.
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
I would have never thought of this. This is such a great idea! I can’t wait to try your recipe. Going to get some corn today.
Nicole Cook says
You will love it Jennifer! It’s absolutely fantastic and we make it a lot!
Tara says
Man, I could sure go for that on a slice of toast right now. Never had that before but it looks so good. Love the gorgeous color!!!
Liz says
Wow, I grew up in the heart of corn country and I’ve never heard of this!!! What a fun recipe to try!
PS…I cannot believe I didn’t get a chance to say hi or give you a hug at the F&W conference! 🙁
Family Foodie says
Ha! I can remember you telling me you were growing corn and I was like — what? I have never heard of such a thing.
The joke is on me – this recipe looks fantastic!
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
Corn jelly? What?! This is genius! I am so going to make this, I love corn!
Deanna Samaan says
I remember reading somewhere that the corn cob holds all the sweetness of corn 🙂 This sounds good I love to try it!
susan @ the wimpy vegetarian says
I’ve heard of corn ice cream, but never corn cob jelly! I love how it sounds, and great tips on using the cobs. I always keep a bunch of cobs in the freezer for corn cob broth, and now I have another use for them. I’d never thought to use dried out ones for fire starters either. Genius!
Katy says
I would never have thought to use corn to make jam, but what a great idea! It looks like sunshine in a jar!
Hezzi-D says
This looks great! I made some last year and agree…it tastes just like honey!
Shaina says
I’ve never canned anything before, but today’s theme is really making me antsy to try it!
Sarah says
I have a bunch of cobs waiting to go, but only “jam sugar” with pectin already added to use. Definitely going to give it a go though after seeing your success!
Kimberly says
Oh my … I have never had corn cob jelly … I am so intrigued by it … especially since it tastes like honey!
I’m definitely going to have to give this recipe a try!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
This is so incredibly unique and fabulous. I would never have thought of corn cob jelly…ever! Then again, I do not have miles and miles of field inspiration near me!
Christy @ Confessions of a Culinary Diva says
Wow! That sounds amazing – I bet you could use it over or in ice cream too.
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
I was so intrigued by the idea of corn cob jelly I couldn’t wait to see this! We are surrounded by sweet corn here in this part of PA too. I want to taste this on some fresh bread!
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere says
What a great way to make use of every part of the corn. I would never have thought about making a corn jelly, but this sounds delicious!
Alice Mizer says
I love the idea of savory pairings with this! I’m going to have to make this one, I’m totally intrigued!!
Rebecca says
Interesting. Never heard if it before but I will try it. I am growing corn this year for the first time. Thanks!
Rick says
Corn is at its peak here now and I’m going to try canning it for the first time. Since I’ll have all of those cobs left over and the kitchen already heated up the jam just seems to be a natural step. Thanks for the post.
I was interested in your description of the syrup stage of the experiments as I can see that being a very useful product too. Can you remember how much water would give the consistency of honey?
Elaine Atticks says
Mine isn’t a reply, its a question. Can you make this with sugar substitute or sugar free pectin?
Kathleen says
Everyone thought I was crazy for trying this recipe. I have 11 jars cooling and popping as I type! This stuff REALLY does taste like honey!!! I can’t wait for my skeptics to receive a jar ?