# Corn Cob Jelly?



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

Has anyone ever made it? What does it taste like?

I'll be harvesting my first planting of corn this week. Thought I'd try a batch of this.

I've googled recipes - it seems like you boil the cobs, measure out 3 cups of "corn cob" tea, add a box of pectin and 3 cups of sugar. I would then BWB for 10 minutes.


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Unlike fruits which are naturally high in acid, corn, and especially the cobs, is a very low acid vegetable at a PH of over 6.0 and it is also ranked in the top 5 sources of botulism spores because of the encased environment in which it grows.

So it requires pressure canning to be safe for consumption. There isn't even any added acid in your recipe as there is in many fruit based jelly recipes. In truth there is nothing at all in the recipe that would make it even close to safe for processing in a BWB no matter how long you processed it.

So is the risk associated with this really worth it to you?


----------



## Stuckyjean (Aug 15, 2009)

This is my favorite jelly! We have been making this for over 100 years! The recipe I have is from my great great grandmother and is dated 1884. (I keep it in my safe so it doesn't get ruined!). Tastes like honey from a corn field. Toast, melted butter, corn cob jelly - yummy~!!! Also good on German Pancakes!


----------



## blacksmithtech (Oct 11, 2007)

how about a recipe?


----------



## Speckledpup (Dec 3, 2004)

Here's the recipe I used last year as well as the note I added to the end today that it is not safe to BWB needs to be PC. 

Maybe Judylou will tell us how long we need to PC for it to be safe.


CORN COB JELLY

Ingredients
12 sweet corn cobs, corn removed 
4 cups water 
4 cups sugar 
1 box fruit pectin 

Directions
Bring water with cobs to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. (boiled mine for 20 minutes)
Measure 3 cups and strain thru wet cheesecloth. 
Pour into a large saucepan with pectin and bring to a rolling boil. 
Add sugar. 
Bring back to a boil and boil for 3 min. 
Skim foam off top. Put in jars, wipe rim with a damp cloth and cap.
Boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Add food coloring if you want. (Be careful of color, if using yellow it can and will turn out looking like urine)

Tastes like a cross between apple and honey.


Notes: Later learned that with no acid added in this recipe, that it is not safe to boiling water bath, needs to be pressure canned.


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

I don't see how you could pressure can it as that would break the jell and you'd end up with liquid. Plus there is no way to know how long would be needed other than just guessing. I suppose you could pressure cook the cobs in water before adding the pectin and use the 3 cups of of that pressure cooked liquid but that is just a guess too.

Instead, if it were me, I would stick with the BWB but I would add some lemon juice or citric acid to it just like you have to do with those few low-acid fruits like figs, melons, and windfall apples. To the 3 cups of corn juice I'd add 1 T of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 tsp. of citric acid and then strain it. The lemon juice would give it a hint of added lemony flavor or the citric acid wouldn't add any flavor.

Another option might be to use Pomona pectin in it instead since it is a citrus-based (acid) pectin. But that is just my opinion.


----------



## DW (May 10, 2002)

In one recipe I have it says you can add lemon juice...after reading above, I bet that's why. I've made it for yrs...the unsafe way...WB. I use low sugar pectin and don't add as much sugar.


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

*judylou* Thanks for the comment about adding the lemon juice. 

I've been wondering about all those people who make mint jelly, other herb jellies, dandelion jelly, violet jelly, queen annes lace jelly, etc. I can't even find published ph levels of half of those things.


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

Someone recently pointed out to me that NCHFP has a recipe for corn cob jelly on their site. No added lemon juice. So apparently there isn't a botulism concern - even if it is made of corn.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/corncob_jelly.html


----------

