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Corn cob jelly is a perfect example of the “waste not, want not” spirit of our ancestors who knew how to use everything, and I mean everything. Most of us are accustomed to tossing corn cobs in the trash or the compost pile, but there are actually many, many ways to utilize them. Corn cob jelly is one of the tastiest. Here’s a short list of other ideas.
10 Ways to Use Corn Cobs:
1. Give it to the animals. Chickens and donkeys love to peck and chew every bit of sweetness out of a cob.
2. Make a corn cob doll.
3. Make a corn cob pipe. (If you’re handy and into that.)
4. Stick a nail or hook in one end of the cob. Slather cob with peanut butter and seeds–tie on a tree branch as a bird feeder.
5. Boil down for vegetable soup stock. (Similar to the method I outline below for making corn cob jelly–use the corn liquid as soup stock instead.)
6. Potpourri–slice cobs in thin pieces, dry, then sprinkle with scented oil. Makes a very pretty addition to a potpourri bowl!
7. Dry for firestarters.
8. In the old days, dried, they were used as pot scrubbers.
9. Poke a long nail in each end of a dried cob and use as a paint roller to make a neat pattern. (Also can use corn cobs held upright as a brush, or cut in half to use the even, cut edge to stamp patterns.)
10. Corn cob wine!
And so on. (Can you add to the list?) You should never throw a corn cob away again!
Back to corn cob jelly. In Kerrie’s post about dandelion jelly on Farm Bell Recipes the other day, corn cob jelly was mentioned in the comments. It’s still corn time, so I’ve been going through two to three dozen ears of corn a week putting up corn for the winter. I hadn’t thought about corn cob jelly! I got a hankering to try it right away.
Corn cob jelly is an old-fashioned idea and you can find recipes by the handfuls all over the internet. Even when printed at reputable websites, most of these recipes have not been updated to today’s food safety standards. Yes, we know our grandmas and great-grandmas ladled jelly into the jars and simply turned them upside down to seal them. Please don’t do that. We understand much more about food safety today. Preserving food in jars by either boiling water bath or steam pressure canning are the only two proven and recommended methods to destroy yeast, molds, bacteria, and enzymes and keep foods safe.
You can use any kind of corn in this recipe. Traditionally, (red) field corn was often used. The corn you plan to serve for supper will also make a delicious jelly, so use whatever you have on hand. Many recipes I saw recommend the addition of food coloring, either red or yellow, one to two drops. I have no idea why as the jelly turns out beautifully without it and it’s an unnecessary additive. I didn’t use food coloring–the lovely, clear, light amber of the jelly in my photos is the natural color.
After examining numerous corn cob jelly recipes, I created my own. This recipe sets up really well and tastes wonderful.
Don’t know how to can in a boiling water bath? See my tutorial here.
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How to make Corn Cob Jelly:
12 large ears of corn
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
sugar
Cook corn; cut kernels from cobs and store for another use. Measure 2 quarts water into a large pot; add corn cobs.
Bring to a boil; boil hard for 30 minutes. (If you had the pot covered when you brought it to a boil, take the lid off now. Boil it down uncovered for a more concentrated result.) Turn off heat and remove cobs. Strain corn liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer–if desired. (I prefer to leave the corn bits in there! I didn’t strain it. Up to you!)
Measure remaining corn liquid. I get a little over 3 1/2 cups corn liquid after it boils down. Return liquid to the large pot. Stir in lemon juice and pectin. (Add a dab of butter to prevent foaming.) Bring to a boil. Add sugar cup per cup to match the measure of your corn liquid. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring pot to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle hot corn cob jelly into hot jars. Adjust lids and bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Makes 5 half-pints.
What I read about this jelly, over and over, was that it tastes like honey. Well, here’s the crazy thing–IT DOES. It tastes just like honey. Odd. But delicious. I’m planning to make another batch soon, maybe a couple more batches. Think what a unique holiday gift it would be! Make lots!
See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.
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Give the cobs to the chickens, or maybe the larger animals. Please not the dogs!
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Another common old use for corncobs is to cut them in 2″ lengths and use them as corks for jugs of homemade wine or moonshine. Cut them in small pieces and thread them on string with popcorn in between as a decoration for the Christmas tree. I’ve also seen dolls made out of corncobs. Mom and Dad used to throw fresh corncobs to the pigs. I’ve seen corncobs in the outhouse before but wow, you’d have to be pretty stalwart to use one! Not me!
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When we cut the corn off the cob..we then turn over our knife blade and scrape the germ or heart out,(my Mother said tha was the “health” of the corn)and it makes the corn creamier…so there is rarely a bite left for the birds but they love to peck it anyways…sometimes I leave a few kernals on the end to give the cat a cob or two he loves it! I’ve never made corn cob jelly but my mother did…
Darts were made by poking chicken/duck feathers in the end of the cob..and tossing at a target…usually a circle on the ground…
My Father said the dart was one of the few homemade farm toys he had to play with…when the kids had a chance to play, as they worked all the time…LOL
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I love your blog…it’s one of the first posts I read every day. Keep up the good work!
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http://chickensintheroad.com/blog/2010/06/13/fried-bologna-sandwiches/
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I do remember grandma and mom warning me over and over about what could be preserved with a hot water bath and what needed pressure canning. In the past, I even canned the salmon than my ex-husband and I used to catch.
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Its delicious! my daughter brought a pb and CCj to school for lunch today
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we’ve lived in the country for four years and i love being the recipient of free farm fresh produce! my enthusiasm for the task of husking, boiling, stripping and freezing a bounty of those delicious yellow gems was only tempered by the fact that i have a highly active three year old and a beautiful baby girl that is a marathon nurser and gives me scant snippets of day to actually indulge in any of my culinary fancies (although i must say, many a breastfeeding minutes have been past surfing on CITR and planning future baking, canning, and cooking adventures)
i woke up this morning, rising to the task….i could do this, i could do this….and if i did it, i would reward myself by making a batch of this wonderful looking jelly. and so i did. i nursed, i husked. i did celebration dances with my potty training preschooler, i boiled. i went to the store to stock up on canning goods, i stripped cobs and piled kernels into freezer bags. i even made my husband a pot roast dinner, somewhere in there.
and then i got the three year old off to bed. i got my baby girl nursed to sleep. i got all my canning supplies sterilized and ingredients measured. i added the water to the cobs and i boiled.
for half an hour, not a minute more. with the lid off, as specified. and when i poured the corn liquid into a expectant four cup pyrex measure, i was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DASHED OF ALL HOPE…..
a scant 2/3 cups of liquid! the very tired 9 PM me could not overrule the desires of the 9 AM me this morning and if i hadn’t thrown all the other cobs in the compost already…and i wasn’t so busy filling my poor masons jars that were left at the alter with my tears, i might be willing to try again as the night ticks away and the baby’s next feeding nears….but maybe this nice farmer will give me another dozen cobs…..
i know i measured the water right and i took boiled hard to mean at the highest setting on my element. should i have turned it down? i guess maybe i should have watched to see how the liquid evaporated…..or any other advice if i am brave enough to try again?
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and thank you for all the wonderful baking and cooking and canning ideas you share with us daily. my mom and i both follow this site quite closely and wish you would put out a cookbook:)
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http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/corn-cob-jelly/
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