Corn rules in my side-dish kingdom. Chewy, sweet, creamy, golden and flavorful — what’s not to like? You can bake it, grill it, roast it, grind it and eat it right off of the cob, but today I’m going to honor this native grain as an indispensable condiment. (Move over ketchup and mustard.) Corn relish is my favorite savory sidekick to make and preserve (next to bread and butter pickles).

Corn relish celebrates summer with a medley of garden greats from fresh sweet corn to onions to roasted peppers. The recipe acts as a framework. Add what you like, and spice it up as you see fit, or as hot as your taste buds can tolerate.

Easy to make and can, corn relish takes minimal cooking time and corrals the flavors of summer as a must-have and at-your-disposal pantry item just chomping at the bit to be enjoyed all year and in any dish you so choose: from salads to hot dogs, omelets to stir fry, cornbread to tacos.

Sunny Corn Relish

Ingredients

10-12 ears of corn

4 sweet peppers roasted and chopped

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard (dry or Dijon-type)

3 cups white vinegar (5-6% acidity)

3 onions (finely chopped)

Directions

Step 1

Boil water. Add ears of corn; cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes

Step 2

Cool corn, and then slice kernels from the cob; reserve corn kernels in a stock pot or Dutch oven.

(Roasting or grilling corn ears is a great option too, adding a charred, smokey flavor.)

Step 3

Roast peppers in oven at 500 degrees, until charred. Cool, remove skin and seeds, chop into bitesize pieces, add to corn.

Step 4

Mix sugar, flour, salt, mustard and turmeric. Add vinegar.

Step 5

Heat mixture to a simmer, whisk until fully incorporated.

Step 6

Add mixture to corn and stir and heat to simmer.

Step 7

Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes until relish thickens a bit.

Step 8

Add mixture to sterilized jars, leaving ¼ headspace. Seal and process in water bath for 15 minutes.

Step 9

Cool, and test lids by making sure they are tight and inverted in the middle.

Then enjoy a taste of summer all year long.