It may be similar to a salt brine cure pickle. Once fermented and completed the curing, they cannot be home canned or processed, but instead would reqire a cool storage, or be refrgerated. I make half sour pickles with very fresh dill, cukes, garlic and of course salt and water. They sit out only a few days (thats why they are half sours), and then get placed in the fridge in the same brine. I also add a small amount of vinegar to slow down any further fermetation. I still have a half gallon jar from last summers pickles, and they keep quite well in the fridge. If any are left by summertime, they usually get tossed in favor of new, fresh pickling cukes. There is also a very small corn type that is used in oriental stir fry, and these are very small and quite tender.

Here is a follow-up post from an email I got from this poster. Her questions/comments:

Thank you so much for sharing information with me. I have been looking forever for a gardening friend that I can ask questions, especially canning questions (since I am new to it). My grandmother was from Kentucky and boy I just loved her canned tomatoes and pickles and pickled corn. Her tomatoes were always nice and rich with a thick broth, mine look watery and seperate in the jar. I guess I'm just not a canner, but I love to try. I'll try my luck at the pickled corn and hope that it turns out. I'd love to have a piece of my childhood back. You don't know how much I appreciate your taking the time out to read and answer my question, your an angel.

My reply:
The reason the tomato sauce is watery is probably because the tomatoes were not the right kinds to use. Usually for a thick sauce, you would use meaty plum types and even some Oxhearts. These are quite meaty with very little watery liquid inside. I use a Villaware food strainer and cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters, dig out most of the seeds and liquid, and then strain them through the Villaware (Roma, Victorio, are all the same). This machine is inexpensive and gets all the meat and goodness out, and pushes the skins and seeds out the end of the conical strainer. Then, they should be boiled for a while. To can, you MUST add extra acid, like a half teaspoon of citric acid. This ensure that they will be safe enough for home canning. Most of today's home canning is very strict due to so many illnesses caused by improper home canning methods. I also like using Mrs. Wages or Ball pickle mixes, as they have salt and spices, which are a good starting flavor. I add more spices and embellish on the flavors which give me unique tastes. I also taste the brines before they are added to the canning, as if they are flavored wrong or are too salty, you can correct that very easily. Pickle Crisp is also a fairly new additive for making pickles. It buffer's the acid in the vinegar and helps to slow down the natural breaking down of the pickles while in high vinegar pickle juices. In the future, be sure to post questions on the garden and harvest forums as there would be many more people like yourself who would want to learn, and its a bit difficult if we don't share our experiences with others. Been canning for well over 35 years now, and my mom and dad did it before I started in.

"I remember as a child sneaking in our outside building, where Mom kept her crock. She would always yell, 'It's not ready.' It tasted ready to me."

She wrote: "I am from Spencer, W.Va. My mom made pickled corn and green beans when we were growing up. I had to find the recipe, since my mom passed away in 1994.

"I think this is the recipe and I hope it helps Carol Kendrick. I have kept jars of pickled corn for several years this way. Distilled water is used because most city tap waters contain chemicals that hinder the process."

Pickled Corn on the Cob

10 small ears fresh corn

1 cup canning salt

1 gallon distilled water

Husk and silk corn and boil about 5 minutes. Cool in ice water until cold.

Put ears of corn in large, wide-mouth jars. Mix salt with distilled water.

Pour over corn until covered. Screw lids on loosely.

Pickling should take about 2 weeks. Add more brine if necessary. After 2 weeks, tighten lids. Makes 10 servings.

Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "My biggest problem in making this very easy recipe was finding jars that were big enough. I consulted several books and learned that you can cut the corncobs into short lengths (or even take the corn kernels right off the cob and brine just the kernels) if it helps you to fit them in the jars.

"The resulting corn can be eaten cold or at room temperature. It is still crisp and tooth-resistant, with a nice sweet-salty flavor. I might also add a tablespoon of white distilled vinegar to each jar to give it a more 'pickly' character."

Per serving: 83 calories; 3 grams protein; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams fiber; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 787 milligrams sodium.

I am from WV and I make pickled corn on the cob the way My mom taught me ... shuck and clean the corn ... lay in 3 or 4 ears per row and then alternate the direction ... a hand full of pickling salt tossed in on each layer of corn fill the crock up as much as you can but leave room for the plate and rock hold down wt. ... cover with water and the a dish towel ... about 3 or 4 weeks and it's done.....
I use a big stainless steel turkey fryer pot for mine because it is lighter and crocks brake too easy ... DO NOT USE ALUMINUM POT!! .... if your corn spoils then you had too little salt and if it don't do anything then you had too much salt .... when it is done scrape the mold to one side and pull corn out from under the plate ... reset the plate and recover the pot/crock ... rinse and eat .... enjoy

I was so excited to see this recipe. It has been so long since I've eaten pickled corn. But I'll be making it tomorrow!

I grew up in WV, after it had furminted my Mom cut it off the cob and canned it in sealed jars., it keeps for years.

when it is done scrape the mold to one side and pull corn out from under the plate

If mold is growing, couldn't other things grow as well? With no added acid such as vinegar, and no processing, how can you assure safety? (I know, this is an old thread, but I'm still curious).

The confusion comes from calling this "pickled" corn when it is actually fermented corn and it is the fermenting process, when done properly, that provides the safety Lucille.

However, "scraping the mold to the side" isn't proper fermentation. It is actually yeast and bacteria scum not mold and with properly done fermentation it shouldn't develop with the container is kept correctly sealed so air can't get in. And if it does develop it should be skimmed off and out frequently, not left in the jar or whatever.

Dave

Per NCHFP:Scum on the brine surfaces while curing cucumbers.1. Wild yeasts and bacteria that feed on the acid thus reducing the concentration if allowed to accumulate.1. Remove scum as often as needed.

As long as you understand up front that your method described above does not meet the safety guidelines and that a higher quality end result could be attained by following those safety guidelines then the choice is yours. We each have our own level of acceptable risk.

However the claim "I've been making pickled corn for years using this method and I'm still alive and well" in no way justifies advocating your method to others when well-proven safer methods also exist.

Dave

Off thread and probably off topic too. My paternal grandmother grew up in Tennessee near the Mississippi in the 1890s. She 'pickled' several vegetables in crocks and she always had a designated crock for each vegetable. There was a cucumber crock for cucumbers and a cabbage crock for cabbage and a few others. Nothing else was ever permitted in the designated crocks. Sorry, I don't remember pickled corn.

I've had pickled corn 2 plus years old straight out of the crock, just rinse it off, as long as you keep adding water over time to keep the corn submerged it's fine

Does it take longer to ferment bicolored corn since it’s sweeter?