No Pressure - Corn and Green Bean Relishes

While low-acid vegetables must be canned in a pressure canner to destroy bacterial spores that cause botulism, there are some recipes using vegetables that can be safely processed in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. Let’s take a look at a few of the popular summer vegetables that fall into that category.

Corn

Plain whole kernel corn or cream-style corn must be processed in a pressure canner for 55 or 85 minutes, depending upon style and jar size. Making that corn into a relish reduces the processing time to 15 minutes in a boiling water or atmospheric steam canner. Why the difference? Plain corn is a low-acid food and must be pressure canned to reach temperatures capable of destroying Clostridium botulinum spores that can reproduce in a sealed jar at room temperature and produce the deadly botulism toxin. Corn relish, however, contains adequate vinegar to lower the pH, making it a high acid food that is safe to process in boiling water or atmospheric steam. Botulism spores cannot reproduce in an acidic environment.

Here is a recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation for Pickled Corn Relish that is safe to can. 

• You may use fresh corn or frozen corn. The fresh corn will need to be boiled for 5 minutes like blanching it and chilled before cutting the whole kernels off the cob. 
• Do not scrape the cob as you do for cream-style corn. 
• The recipe allows you to use frozen whole kernel corn that has been thawed. The kernels of the fresh corn are usually more tender than bought corn. However, commercially frozen whole kernel corn is a quick substitute and is available year-round, allowing you to make this tasty relish later in the year.

Green Beans

Green beans must be pressure canned for the same reason that corn is pressure canned. However, the addition of vinegar pickles the beans, and they can be processed in a water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 5 minutes (Dilled Beans) or 15 minutes (Three Bean Salad).

Dilled Beans

• Garlic and red pepper flakes are optional in this recipe, but they will give the beans an extra bit of flavor. 
• One teaspoon of cayenne can be substituted for the red pepper flakes.
• One teaspoon of dill seed can be substituted for a fresh head of dill. Use fresh dill when available for the best flavor.
• When the pickled beans are removed from the canner, the beans may appear shriveled and wrinkled. This is normal because the salt in the pickling solution has drawn moisture out of the bean. As the Dilled Beans sit in storage, the beans absorb the pickling solution and plump up again.

Pickled Three Bean Salad

• This recipe contains a small amount of oil which goes against most canning directions. This is a scientifically tested recipe, and it is safe to use the oil if the recipe is followed exactly.
• Do not decrease the amount of vinegar and bottled lemon juice in the recipe. Both are needed to control acidity.
• Drain and rinse the kidney beans to remove starch that will interfere with heat penetration in the jar.
• Be sure that all the marinating ingredients are evenly distributed between each jar. Oil tends to float to the top of liquids, making it possible that one jar would get more oil and not enough of the acidic ingredients.
• Use a wide-mouth funnel to direct ingredients into jars. This will reduce the opportunity for oil to settle on the rim of the jar and interfere with the sealing of the lid.
• Remember to wipe the rim of the jar with a clean damp paper towel. It can be dipped in white vinegar to cut any grease from the oil.

Here are recipes for other vegetable pickles from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

• Pickled Beets  
• Pickled Carrots  
• Pickled Bread-and-Butter Zucchini 

Now that you have discovered some new methods of preserving garden produce, you can add these special treats to meals!

References

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) Pickled Corn Relish

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) Dilled Beans. University of Georgia.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) Pickled Three Bean Salad. University of Georgia.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) Pickled Beets. University of Georgia.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) Pickled Carrots. University of Georgia.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) Pickled Bread-and-Butter Zucchini. University of Georgia.