Quick pickled grilled corn

A great small-batch way to preserve a favourite taste of summer!

Sweet farm-fresh corn has to be one of the quintessential tastes of summer. I try to eat as much of it as I can when it’s in season and am always a little sad when I cannot get my hands on the local stuff anymore. This year, I decided to try pickling some corn and the results were absolutely delicious. I chose to grill the corn first because I wanted that extra smoky element but you could easily boil the ears of corn instead. You can serve the pickled corn as a condiment, or combine it with a jar of black beans for a super quick and nutritious salad – be sure to drizzle the beans with a little olive oil and then add a bit of the pickling brine to the mixture as well. Note that with quick pickling, you don’t need to process the jars in a hot water bath after you’ve filled them, because they’re stored in the fridge rather than at room temperature. Happy pickling!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) seeded, thinly sliced fresh hot pepper (red long, Thai chili or jalapeno)
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) thinly sliced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 cups (500 mL) corn kernels (from about 3 ears)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup (185 mL) water
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Method

• Preheat barbeque (or broiler) to medium.
• Husk corn, removing as much silk as possible, and cook on grill or under broiler for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Corn should have slight charring and kernels be somewhat tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Let sit for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.

• While corn is cooking, prepare brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, sugar and pepper in a small non-reactive saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar and reduce heat but keep warm.
• With a sharp knife, remove cooked kernels from corn cobs.
• Put corn in two 1 cup (250 mL) very clean canning jars, dividing hot pepper, onion garlic and cilantro evenly between the two jars and layering between the corn kernels. Pack the jars so they are full but still have room for brine.
• Pour brine over corn and vegetables, filling jar to 1/4 inch (.6 mm) from the top. If you don’t have quite enough brine add a tablespoon or two of water.
• Wipe the rims and place lids on top. Let cool at room temperature for several hours then refrigerate for up to a month.

Makes two 1 cup (250 mL) jars.