barbecued corn relish

[helen jackson]

I make the following recipe which is great, however I would like to modify it so it has a longer refrigerator life. Any suggestions?

Corn and capsicum salsa

2 cobs corn, barbecued and then kernels removed

1 red capsicum, grilled, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

Mix all together in a bowl.

thanks

Helen

[Suzanne F]

Looks as though that makes maybe a cup and a half, right? My first thought is, how do you have any left after the first time you serve it? It looks so great!

Seriously, though: how much do you use at a time, and how long does it last now?

[Dave the Cook]

You've got two pretty powerful preservatives there in the chile and vinegar. I'm guessing that the problem is not so much spoilage as it is flavor development/deterioration. Is this correct, or is it really spoliage?

[snowangel]

If spoilage is the reason, I would suspect the sugar in the corn.

[helen jackson]

Yes it does all get eaten straight away but I wondered about increasing quantities and make something that if covered would last say a week refrigerated.

Would adding say pureed canned tomatoes and maybe some more vinegar help with this?

[helen jackson]

Looks as though that makes maybe a cup and a half, right?  My first thought is, how do you have any left after the first time you serve it?  It looks so great!

Seriously, though: how much do you use at a time, and how long does it last now?

I love making this with freshly picked corn and so far have never had great success in keeping it more than a day.

Although it tastes great as it is I wondered about changing some proportions and maybe ingredients and making something that would last longer.

I don't really understand the science of preserving too well and would hate to end up with a fizzing mixture or worse make someone sick.

[Dave the Cook]

...have never had great success in keeping it more than a day. 

What happens after a day that makes it seem bad? Off taste? Color change? Smell? Texture?

For Yanks, 'capsicum' could mean a lot of different peppers. Is this what we would call a bell pepper, or is it more like a jalapeno? In my experience, different peppers 'age' differently once they are chopped up, so this might be significant.

snowangel might also be on to something, especially since you are using fresh corn. How fresh is it? Do you grow your own, or is this from the market, and is it local or imported?

[sladeums]

The coriander (cilantro) deteriorates pretty quickly...anything more than a day would probably leave an off taste.

In addition to whatever else you try, I might suggest omitting the cilantro in the prep and add to taste when serving...I do that when making any type of salsa or other sauce with cilantro in it.

Wet, soggy cilantro is not a good thing.

[Suzanne F]

Okay: I went into my library and found a similar recipe that makes 4 cups and is said to keep 4 to 5 days in the fridge. The proportions are a bit different: 3 ears of corn, 3 capsicums (red peppers, to those of us non-kiwis or similar ), parsley instead of cilantro, a couple of teaspoons of chopped garlic, and a quarter-cup each of olive oil and lemon juice.

As you see, lots more oil and acid. That's part of the key, I think. I see no problem with using balsamic vinegar instead of the lemon juice here (or some of each to make up the 1/4 cup). And, as sladeums says, only add the cilantro at serving time.

I would not add a tomato product, since it will change the look and taste drastically. And THAT's one of the ingredients most likely to go off, anyway. Hope this helps.

[helen jackson]

thanks so much that helps enormously.

Yes we call bell peppers by the name of capsicum - well we use both really either pepper or capsicum.

I do grow my own corn or buy it from a road side stall where it has been picked that morning.

I do appreciate the help and research so thanks.

Helen

[Dave the Cook]

I think there's enough acid in the original recipe to keep anything from going bad, but if you're game to modify the recipe according to Suzanne's research, I say 'why not?'

But I think there are two other vectors to consider, one significant and the other less so.

First, you're using pretty fresh corn. Unless you've planted a pretty advanced hybrid, meaning one not usually available to the home gardener, the sugar in your corn will convert to starch at a rapid rate. According to McGee, 40% of the sugar in an ear of corn will convert to starch in six hours at room temperature. This has no effect on wholesomeness. However, it is possible that this is likely to mute the flavor of the relish in pretty short order. The best preventive I can think of is to get the corn (and the finished dish) under refrigeration as soon as possible. And rather than make one big batch of relish, prep the ingredients for multiple batches, and freeze the corn that you're not going to use immediately until ready for assembly.

The second is more speculative, as I have only anecdotal evidence to support it. My observation is that bell peppers tend to sour somewhat within a day or so of being cut. The effect is more pronounced when heat is applied, and it seems to affect green peppers more than red, but I am backed up by Paul Prudhomme, who notes the phenomenon in Louisiana Kitchen.

So, to sum up:

- reserve cilantro until ready to serve

- experiment with additional acid, in the form of more balsamic, lemon juice (though now that i think about it, lime seems more appropriate), or a combination

- consider adding garlic to the recipe; it has preservative potential

- if you want to make additional servings, prep the necessary corn ahead of time and freeze until ready to use; time is of the essence

- note the effect of refrigerating cut capsicum; it may be souring while it is stored, though this is far from certain

- consider adding a touch of honey to compensate for additional acidity of lemon/lime juice and loss of sugar in corn; honey is also a preservative

hope this helps!