Tomatillo Corn Relish ~ Simple, easy, seasonally fresh, and utterly versatile, this relish is light and has an unexpected secret ingredient.

Any one else melting in this summer heat?

I love summer. I love that light lasts until around 10 pm. I love the idea of carefree days for my child.

But this summer has been sweltering. Heat and air quality so bad that children can’t play outside like they should (under a gallon of sunscreen of course).

But one thing this heat has been great for is THE PRODUCE!

Oh my, we have had our veggies come in a whole month early, it’s fantastic.

My friends and I put in a garden and now we’re getting to enjoy the bounty.

All the fresh produce from both our garden and from my local farmer’s market worked out perfectly for the Burger of the Month Club I just recently joined from GirlCarnivore. (I have participated in her annual Burger Month challenge in May for the last two years with a Frisco Burger and a Chicken Tikka Masala Burger).

This month’s challenge ingredients were salmon, corn, tomatillos, and Old Bay Seasoning.

Now, you might have noticed I don’t have much seafood on this site. Nor do you actually see a burger recipe in this post.

For the last year, I have been working with Alaska Select Seafood in various capacities and for the last few months, I have been developing recipes for them. You can see those recipes here.

What Else to Use Tomatillo Corn Relish With

When the challenge ingredients came in, I knew I’d make a recipe for Alaska Select instead of on here. However, when I was making this Tomatillo Corn Relish, I knew I had to share it here. It’s so delicious and works on so much more than the Tomatillo Corn Salmon Sandwich.

Since making it, I have had it with tortilla chips like a salsa (but there’s no heat, as I wasn’t aiming for a salsa), I have put it on Skillet Mexican Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs and Roasted Green Chile Black Beans (both recipes coming soon). It’s also been great on hot dogs and carne asada.

How to Make Tomatillo Corn Relish

This recipe is pretty easy. There are a few steps but it’s not really overwhelming. The great thing is you can double this, can it, and have it all year long.

To start, I did a quick boil of the corn, just about 3 minutes to soften the kernels and allow them to come off the cob easily. While the corn is boiling, soak the tomatillos in very warm but not hot water to loosen the husks.

After boiling the corn, I toss them in an ice water bath to stop them from cooking any more. This forces a faster cool down time. I’d recommend NOT skipping this step unless you’re seeking to burn off your finger tips when cutting the kernels off the cob.

Most relishes have some sugar added to make them a bit sweeter. I did not use any because there was a natural sweetness already with both the corn and the apple cider vinegar. However, if this is made using frozen or canned corn, you might want to add a tiny bit if your tastes lean towards the sweet. Also, if using frozen or canned corn, you’d be able to skip the quick boil and add directly to the pan when ready to simmer it all.

Old Bay Seasoning was part of my challenge and my first batch of the relish, I didn’t use it, but did in the second batch. WOWZERS! That Old Bay provided a level of flavor I wasn’t expecting, so don’t omit it…use it!

The directions say to taste this and adjust for salt. I provided a guideline on how much, but salt is such a personal thing, adapt it for your needs. Also, when tasting for that salt, and then after the lime juice is added, IT WILL NOT TASTE THE WAY IT WILL AFTER REFRIGERATION. It’s tasty while still warm, but the lime juice was powerful tasting to me, but I knew I needed to allow it time to chill out, literally, before fully judging the final taste.

It’s ‘edible’ after 2 hours in the fridge, but honestly, give it a full day, you’ll be happy you did. This is one of those items that just gets better with age…like some wines.

Tomatillo Corn Relish

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American Fusion

Keyword: Gluten Free, Relish, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 8

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Simple, easy, seasonally fresh, and utterly versatile, this relish is light and has an unexpected secret ingredient.

Ingredients

water, salt, pinch of sugar for boiling corn
4 ears corn on the cob; kernels removed
4-6 tomatillos (about 5-6 oz); finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion; finely diced
2 jalapeños; diced
3 cloves garlic; minced grated (1 1/2 tsp)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp fresh cilantro; chopped finely
1/2 tsp black pepper; +/- to taste
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4-1/2 tsp salt; +/- to taste

Instructions

Remove husks and silks from the corn while bringing a large pot of water to boil.
Once the water is boiling, add some salt and a pinch of sugar then add the corn; boil for 3 minutes.
Remove the corn from boiling water and immediately place them in an ice water bath to stop cooking and cool them down.
Soak the tomatillos in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes to loosen the husks for easy removal.
Remove the husks from the tomatillos and clean the skins to remove the sticky residue.
Cut the kernels off the corn by inverting a small bowl into a larger one, allowing the kernels to fall into the bowl.
Dice the tomatillos, add to the corn bowl.
Dice the onion, add to the mixture.
Dice the jalapeños, to reduce the heat, remove seeds and veins, then add to the veggies.
Heat a medium-size sauce pan over medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the oil, swirl it around to fully coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the corn, tomatillos, onions, and jalapeños, stir well can sauté for about 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the vinegar, cilantro, black pepper, and Old Bay seasoning; bring it to a high simmer.
Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes then reduce heat to medium low for 15 minutes.
At the 10 minute mark, taste for seasoning, add more salt as needed (1/4-1/2 teaspoon).
Resume the low simmer for the 5 remaining minutes. Taste again, adjust salt if needed.
Remove from heat, stir in the fresh lime juice.
Allow to completely cool, then place in a sealable container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but the longer the better.
Use on every and anything; store in a sealed jar/container for up to two weeks.