Kickin’ Corn Cob Jelly is a great way to use leftover corncobs.
When I was in 2nd grade, Becky Milburn and I decided that upon reaching proper age, we would hit the trail to Wyoming to become horse ranchers. Fast forward 40-something years – here I am in Wyoming for the first time.
I was only kickin’ around Cheyenne for 24 hours while in transit to a French cooking class in South Dakota, but that was long enough to realize I want to come back.
Cheyenne is the capital and most populated city in Wyoming.
Since most of Wyoming looks like this… I see why one would choose to live in Cheyenne.
There are lots of amusing shops and places to eat downtown. The recently restored Cheyenne Depot Plaza is a National Historic Landmark.
These eight-foot tall kickin’ cowboy boots painted by local artists feature Cheyenne’s history and sense of style.
From cartoon to real cowboys… one thing is clear: Cheyenne loves their boots and boys.
If you are a stranger to these parts, the place for boots is The Wrangler store.
How could I possibly leave the store without these snip toe roach stompers? They made me want to “ boot scoot “ just looking at them. And then I spotted the leopard ones and couldn’t decide which I liked better. So I did what any woman in her right mind would do… I bought both.
After an intense boot-shopping extravaganza, we made tracks to our buck house for the night – Nagle Warren Mansion Bed & Breakfast.
From the moment of stepping inside this mansion, each room transported you into a bygone era.
“Kitten Kaboodle” sat atop our reservations upon arrival. Our innkeeper Jim Osterfoss greeted us next. He recounted the intriguing history of the mansion while showing us to our room – complete with our own cowboy duckie.
I couldn’t help thinking of Little Richard singing “Rubber Duckie” on Sesame Street.
My other favorite places are the dining area where breakfast is served. The patio outside is perfect for sipping early morning leaded liquid.
Featured Recipe: Kickin’ Corn Cob Jelly
I wanted to come up with a typical cowboy recipe to share, but soon realized I would starve if cowboy grub was the fare.
Instead, I dug deep into my Midwest past to find inspiration for today’s recipe of Kickin’ Corn Cob Jelly. Grandma Nelson and I made this jelly back in the day. One of my prized possessions is her recipe box, from which I recovered her recipe for corn cob jelly… score!
I must “acknowledge the corn“ with the corn cob jelly for 5 cents photograph. There might just be a little Photoshopping involved.
Kickin' Corn Cob Jelly
Ingredients
- 12 ears of corn - broken in half
- 3 pints water
- 1 package powdered fruit pectin
- 3 cups sugar
- dab of butter - optional
Instructions
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Boil corn to cook; cut kernels from cobs and use for dinner. Measure 3 pints water into a large pot; add corn cobs.
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Bring to a boil; boil hard for 30 minutes. Boil it down uncovered for a more concentrated result. Turn off heat and remove cobs. Strain corn liquid through cheesecloth or a mesh strainer.
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Measure remaining corn liquid. Return 3 cups liquid to the large pot. Stir in pectin. (Add a dab of butter to prevent foaming.) Bring to a boil. Add sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring pot to a rolling boil. Boil hard two to three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
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Ladle corn cob jelly into hot jars. Adjust lids and bands.
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Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
If you have less liquid, adjust your sugar. It should be equal parts sugar to liquid. (1 cup sugar for every cup of liquid) Makes 4 half pints.
The lesson I learned with this recipe is patience! It takes a few days for the jelly to set. It is also important to properly seal your jars. I used the water bath method. To learn how to make a water bath click here.
Cowboy wisdom:
“Always take a good look at what you’re about to eat. It’s not so important to know what it is, but it’s critical to know what it was.”
My time in Wyoming may have been short, but my memories will last long.
…and then she paused for thought.
Yum
Who would have thought Wyoming would have so much to offer! No wonder my girlfriends in college spent a summer there! (They were maids in a hotel for the summer… and I thought what a terrible job!) They said it was the best summer of their lives! Must have been those COWBOYS! Love your Blog… the pictures are amazing… recipes too!
Thanks Cheri! I had no idea how great Wyoming would be. It’s all about the boyz ‘n bootz!
yoo hoo! (sorry) What a lovely look at your homefront. Your lovely photos really tell a story! So glad you shared! And I LOVE your country jelly! I’m gonna be all over this! 😀
Thanks Leslie. I have a jar of corn cob jelly with your name on it. I am thinking it would work with cake. Let’s get together.
I love the clouds, they look like giant bounce houses! And those boots…made for walkin’
Yum!
Thanks Desi! The boots are perfect for bouncing in the clouds!
I never knew Wyoming was so interesting, but your spectacular photos tell such an intriguing story. Oh, that Victorian mansion is so my style, I would have been in heaven there. You will have to wear one of those pair of boots to the next FBLA meeting. So stylish.
How many pints of jelly does this recipe make?
Hi Chris, this recipe makes 4 half pints. I updated the recipe, thank you!
When you say a few days do you mean the recommended 24-48 hrs for jelly to set or like… 3 or 4? My jelly isn’t setting but I’m wondering if that was expected in the recipe since you mentioned patience at the end.
Brendy it does take 2-4 days. Jellies can be frustrating, but so much fun in the end.
Seen your post an was wondering, what do you eat with this. I have grown a garden this year. And have planted some peaches & cream corn. I thought this would be a good way to try something new & nothing goes to waste.
You can eat this with anything you would normally eat jelly with as it is sweet. I love it served with a cheese platter as it goes great on goat cheese and crackers.
Or you can simply eat it on toast.
OMG, this stuff is heaven in a jar. This was my first time making this type of Jelly. Now I’m not sure what I’m looking forward to the most, the corn I put in the freezer or this Jelly! Thanks so much for the recipe. It worked perfect!❤️❤️❤️
Carla I am so happy to hear it went well for you. Thank you for letting me know.