Why would you want to make jelly out of discarded corn cobs, organic, GMO, or whatever? There is no nutritional value in cobs and very little taste other than it tastes like old cobs and pectin with sugar. There are many other vegetables and fruits that have at least some nutrients (if not a thousand times more) in them to use and would be much more tasty and have some benefit to health. IMHO cobs belong in the compost heap. The only good thing about field corn is that the husks are what are used dried for tamales. Collect those and dry them.

Nancy

I wouldn't go so far as to say ALL field corn is GMO. Much of it may be cross-contaminated but that isn't the same thing as actually having it's genes genetically spliced.

One's position on GMO crops is totally personal and a hot topic that quickly degenerates. But the corn is the cob and the cob is the corn. So if GMO corn is acceptable then there is no reason why the cobs couldn't be used. On the other hand, if one is opposed to GMO corn then I don't see how using the cobs would be acceptable.

Dave

Yes.......I don't want to be involved in a GMO controversy either, but as for basic 'can you eat' please consider that even though their contribution to sweet corn production is minor now, GMO has already entered the sweet corn production chain. As for field corn, you are already consuming GMO field corn if you eat high fructose corn sirups, and other processed food with corn starches and meals. They're produced with field corn and not sweet corn.

I have asked professionals and farmers in our area, and their statement is 'they don't know where you could even get non-GMO field corn, anymore'.

Corn cob jelly is something special for many people, and I have been asked to supply that variety. Yes it basically tastes like sugar with just a bit of flavor.

I suppose I can mark the label, 'made with GMO corn', or should I leave it alone?

Marla

Unless youre buying organic, you're eating GMO. And even organic has the chance of being adulterated bc of a neighboring field.

Is it typical to make corn cob jelly with field corn? If so, I wouldn't label as GMO corn is the rule not the exception. If not, I'd label it as Field Corn Cob Jelly. AFAIK, there are no GMO labeling laws in the US. I mean, would you label corn relish?

Since you have a market for it just make it and leave it labeled normally as Corn Cob Jelly Marla.

There is so much mis-leading and outright false information out there on both sides of the topic that you can't win either way. If they ask, tell them. If they don't ask, no need to bring it up.

As I said everyone has their personal opinion on the topic and they are convinced their position is the absolute, God-given truth. So it is impossible to try to discuss the GMO issue rationally.

If we just stick to the question posted we can hopefully avoid this thread turning into yet another of the many GMO is either heaven or hell discussions.

Dave

90% of all field corn is GMO so as others said, the odds of finding assuredly non-GMO field corn are almost nil.

GMO field corn is permitted for products like corn syrup because it has not been proven unsafe. Interpret that as you will.

Speaking personally, I don't like comments like "Why would you make that?" as a response to posters.

True, not all foods/recipes inquired about are to my taste, but it's not my concern what someone else chooses to eat. My concern is canning safety.

Corn cob jelly is an old pioneer recipe. It's part of that "waste not, want not" philosophy. There are a lot of foods like that - beet jelly, mock "apple pie" made from soda crackers, and so on.

I can understand there are people who have connections to old family recipes or who simply have an interest in history wanting to taste these foods. I don't see anything to criticize in that.

Carol

Thanks everyone, like I said, I have been asked about this, and have the resources. I believe it was always made with the red corn cobs, and that's field corn to me.

Carol, thanks for reminding me about the Mock Apple Pie, I haven't made it for awhile either. Now I'm hungry for it.

Marla

Marla, I am familiar with the corn cob jelly recipe made with red corn cobs. I haven't made it, but have wanted to and know that a lot of people do want it, if nothing else but a novelty jelly from pioneer days they want to try. Make, label it "Corn Cob Jelly" and sell it.

Grandson went out to the fields and picked up about 3/4 of a 5 gallon bucket.

I have the old recipe around here somewhere, but with the hundreds of cookbooks, finding will take awhile. I can go ahead and make up the 'juice' and process as juice.

I'm sure it will be a novelty and a good remembrance for the older people. That's what the watermelon jelly was this last year.

Marla

NCHFP has the recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corncob Jelly

I bought a little jar of what was labeled as moonshine jelly one time. Clear, almost flavorless, just sweet. Knowing now what I didn't know then, I'd bet it was corn cob jelly or something similar. I've been wanting to make some using sweet corn cobs instead of red cobs since I don't grow field corn. Maybe this summer... :-)

You can make jelly out of almost anything liquid. I want to try the Mountain Dew jelly, but can't keep my kids out of it.

You need to red for a bit of coloring, and the taste will be a bit different.

Since corn cob juice would be so high in pH, what makes the NCHFP corn cob jelly recipe safe? Is it the pectin lowering the available water?

There actually is very little "corn juice". It is more corncob-flavored water that also contains the natural pectin of the cobs. And the free-water binding effect of both the pectin and the sugar would easily cover it. Plus the citric acid in pectin would further insure its safety.

Dave

What if you used the sugar free pectin made by Bernardin or Ball. I'm not going to, I only use tested recipes myself, but I like to ponder none-the-less -- is it more the sugar or the commercial pectin. I wonder. Only well, only the professionals will actually know 110% for sure as they have the labs for testing results and I'm not volunteering my health to experiment! Anyway as it's basically sugar water as it is, I'll give it a miss, and roll the corn cobs in suet and bird seed and make use of them that way! Cheers and thanks for your thoughts.

I've never heard of or made corn cob jelly. But I do regularly make corn cob stock/broth when sweet corn is in season. After I strip the cobs of their corn, I simmer up the cobs, and the resulting liquid is delicious! Really has the full flavor sweet corn taste. I freeze it up and use it in stuff like potato and corn chowders.

Now that I have heard of this, I might have to try making some jelly next summer. I would probably use sweet corn rather than field corn though since I know sweet corn tastes good.

I finally made some last summer with Silver Queen cobs after stripping the kernels. Turned out tasting kind of like cornbread, pop corn, roasted corn, etc. And it was light brown in color, like chicken broth. Not sure I'll ever make it again, but I might try it with red cobs instead of sweet cobs and see if there is a difference. Now that I've been watching DD&D and seeing how some restaurateurs make soup bases by simmering cobs, shucks, and silks, I might have to add a lot more than just cobs to try next time. Young stalks are actually quite sweet and juicy in spots. About the time baby corn is ready, the stalks are edible. Or at least not too fibrous yet. I had Trucker's Favorite volunteers last fall that grew about a month when I was picking. Really interesting.