FERMENTED SWEETCORN RELISH

What can I say, where have the last two months gone? I have been neglecting my blog and I do apologise! 
But I have been having so much fun fermenting stuff and working on my workshops, which are going from strength to strength! This is seriously addictive, I have been researching, buying books, joining Facebook Groups and experimenting like a mad scientist, in the kitchen! Well I actually am a scientist and some folks would say I am mad, especially my family, who have to live with me and all my weird concoctions!
My fridge is full of jars of ferments, sourdough starters, kefir, kefir cheese, whey and coconut kefir and numerous bottles of kombucha!
I have a scoby hotel with spare kombucha scobies ( you will have to come to a workshop to find out more about these amazing cultures, they look a bit like slimy aliens but they create the most delicious, probiotic, health affirming drink! 
Kefir grains are similar microbial and bacterial cultures but they look like wee mini cauliflowers and magically convert organic milk into one of the most probiotic foods on the planet. Home made is way superior to anything you can buy and its so much cheaper, once you have the cultures, they just keep on growing! 
So I think I am justified in calling  myself a Fermentista..., someone who ferments things! I rather like that!
So for my first blog post in quite some time, and since we are in BBQ season I thought I'd share a really simple recipe for Sweetcorn Relish but this isn't standard run of the mill, full of refined sugar relish you buy from the shops! Oh no this is totally different and actually has no added sugar at all and its fermented so its packed with beneficial probiotics too!
You can use frozen or fresh sweetcorn but if you are using fresh try and use the freshest you can. The longer corn sits on the shelves after harvesting the more the natural sugar turns to starch and the big appeal of sweetcorn for most of us is the delicious natural sweetness!
Frozen sweetcorn is generally frozen directly after harvesting, as are peas, so the majority of the vitamins are preserved and the sugars should be relatively intact!
Aldi and Lidl stock delicious supersweet frozen corn, which is a great price too. I always have a bag in the freezer! There is less waste since you just use what you need, rather than opening a tin and only using half of it.
Anyway back to this delicious summer relish! It incorporates a rainbow of colours from red onion, red pepper, courgette and fresh green coriander as well as vibrant yellow corn! 
Every colour contains different phytochemicals all with amazing power to heal us and keep us well. 
The process of fermenting harnesses the power of the natural lactobacillus bacteria (LAB for short), present on all fresh fruit and vegetables and these guys are among the toughest bacteria out there! Given the right conditions they will destroy any pathogenic or harmful bacteria  leaving a fantastically powerful ferment full of these health affirming wee guys!

Magic happens when you ferment foods, problem compounds are broken down, vitamins are made more bio available meaning they are easier to digest, vitamins are formed especially B vitamins and Vitamin K essential for strong bones!

These probiotic foods are so powerful, we should all be including them in our diets.

The main thing to remember with fermenting veggies is to keep the veggies submerged in the brine solution. This creates the perfect environment for the lactobaccillus bacteria to work their magic and keeps moulds and yeast at bay! So wee mantra to remember when fermenting veggies
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                                                      Under the brine and all is fine!!

The easiest way to do this is to use a small ziplock bag, press it down onto the top of your ferment then fill it with water or brine solution (2tsp salt per 500ml water) to act as a weight to keep the veggies under the brine. If you use brine solution, if your bag leaks, the salinity of your ferment won't be compromised! Remember to put a plate or bowl under your ferment to catch any leaking brine. As the fermentation progresses, carbon dioxide is produced which can build up if not released, so don't tightly screw the lid on your jar. Just seal the ziplock bag and cover loosely with the lid. Also its important to leave a bit of headspace in your jar so don't fill it right to the top. You need room for the ziplock bag! All the supermarkets, Aldi, Lidl, Home Bargains sell Kilner jars which are perfect for fermenting but any large glass jar will do. We save all our jars, especially large ones, olives and coconut oil are our favourites for fermenting. Once your relish is ready, you can transfer it to smaller jars where it will keep in the fridge for around a month.

So go have some fun and impress everyone at your next BBQ with your homemade, refined sugar free, probiotic relish!!

​ So here is the simple recipe..
​Fermented Sweetcorn Relish
Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen sweetcorn 
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• ½ cup finely diced courgette
• 1 red chilli, finely diced or 1/2 to 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon raw honey to be added after the ferment (optional)

Method

1. Combine the corn, pepper, onion, courgette, and coriander. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of the salt, working it in with your hands. There should be some liquid building at the bottom. If you don’t have enough liquid then add  the extra half teaspoon of salt and some lemon or lime juice. Add the chilli or chilli flakes. If using frozen corn then let it defrost a bit before you use it.
2. Press the mixture into a jar or crock. More brine will release at this stage and you should see brine above the veggies. Top the ferment with a zip lock bag. Press the plastic down onto the top of the ferment, fill it with water or brine (2 tsp salt per 500ml water) and seal.
3. Set aside on a plate to ferment, out of direct sunlight and cool, for 3 or 4 days.
4. Check daily to make sure the veggies are submerged, pressing down as needed to bring the brine to the surface.
5. You can start to test the ferment on day 3. It’s ready when it tastes slightly sour but still retains some of the sweetness of the corn.
6. When it’s ready add the raw honey, if using.
7. Store in the fridge for up to a month.