Shelling Corn 1939
Highlands
Elizabeth Edwards, who operates a business with a strictly mountain flavor, has discovered a delectable use for the lowly corncob. She’s come up with corncob jelly.
“I got the idea from a story I ran across last fall,” Mrs. Edwards explained one day last week. “It was about a man remembering a visit to an old-time country fair. He mentioned that he had tasted corncob jelly. I decided I would give it a try.”
She had to start with only the idea. She didn’t have a recipe. But being a master hand at the art of canning and preserving, she set out to do a bit of experimenting in her kitchen.
“I had my husband get me a bushel of fresh corncobs,” she said. “They were white corncobs. I boiled them, poured off the juice. Then I worked the juice up into a jelly. It was clear, almost pure white, but tasty. I figured it ought to have some color, so next I tried it with red corncobs. They worked out best.”
She tried it on some of her friends without telling them what it was, and they went wild about it.
“It has a taste similar to apple jelly,” Mrs. Edwards explained. “But a little more delicate. Those who tasted it wanted to know what kind of apples I used. When I told them it was made out of corncobs they wouldn’t believe me.”
—Mountain Cooking – Corncob Jelly written by John Parris
I’ve never tasted corncob jelly. I’ve seen it at few fairs and festivals. A quick google will turn up all kinds of recipes for it.
Mountain people depended on corn for most of their and their animal’s sustenance. That meant a surplus of corncobs. I’ve heard folks say they used them in the outhouse, to start fires with, and to throw at each other as an exuberant childhood game.
Here’s an interesting corncob game from Foxfire 6.
Wayne Wall: We used to play this game in the barn, and my father says he played it as a child in Rabun County, also.
One player is chosen as the sheriff, and an area four or five feet square is marked off as his jail. The other players are fugitives. The sheriff throws corncobs at the fugitives, and each one he strikes has to come to jail. While the sheriff is busy trying to “capture” the other players, they try not only to dodge, but also to set the prisoners free. A fugitive can set a prisoner free by slipping past the sheriff and handing the prisoner a corncob, which becomes his ticket to freedom, releasing him to become a fugitive again.
The game ends when the sheriff has all the fugitives captured and in jail.
I wish we had known about corncob jail when I was a girl. All us kids here in the holler would have had a big time playing it.
Drop back by the rest of this week for more games from Foxfire 6.
Last night’s video: We Heard Gunshots || Mowing, Ice Cream, & Pillow Troubles.
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
I have made Corn Cob Jelly. It is delicious. I love the game. We all need to revive it. Y’all can play with the boys when they get bigger.
I make corncob jelly and it is good. It does not have a corn taste and when served people think they are eating apple jelly. It makes for an interesting conversation at the dinner table.
I’ve been looking for a guest post I wrote here about a cob fight I was involved in when I was a kid. If you remember when it was let me know or if you’re interested I can write it again.
When I was a kid (in the 60’s) my mom made corn cob jelly. She only wanted red cobs, it made a pretty jelly. I too think it taste like apple jelly. She would put it in baby food jars and give it away as a novelty item.
I have heard of corncob jelly but I have never had it – the thought of jelly from a corncob actually never appealed to me even though I do like corn on the cob, creamed corn, corn fritters, and cornmeal etc. nor have I heard of the game but it does sound like fun and something my own kids would have loved when young – and I likely would have enjoyed playing with them!!
Morning everyone. I enjoy reading about people using what they had, not running to the store for everything. People are so creative when they can’t waste anything. I haven’t tried the jelly but I do have corncob syrup in the pantry. No I didn’t make it, I’m ashamed to say I bought it. It doesn’t really taste like corn, just sweet. But I like knowing what it was made of. I’m going to try making the jelly. My mom was born in 1923 in Romania. Her parents owned the store in town. They could afford to buy what they needed, but, to my moms disgust they made, butchered, canned, you name it. Her dad could afford an expensive mattress. But every morning my grand mom or someone would shake his corn husk mattress back into shape. My dad and me would have loved living with them. My mom, sister and brother would have bought out the store. I am pretty sure I was switched at birth. I can’t understand these people sometimes. This isn’t related to today’s story. Corie mentioned the other day that most of her viewers are in their 60 or 70’s. I’m 70. Why aren’t younger people watching and learning? Thank goodness my 2 sons are different. I do worry about the future. Anna from Arkansas.
It seems near about anything will make jelly. Makes sense when you think the basis idea is that some flavor – and usually color – comes from somewhere but the “jell” part can be made with cane sugar and pectin. A guy at church recently gave us a small jar of honeysuckle jelly. It was almost clear and had a very delicate flavor.
Of course, if you boil the corncobs but you don’t make a jelly out of it, you can have a savory product like corn stock, a vegetable stock you can use when you want to impart a “corny” taste. Some, like Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies, were known to make “corn squeezings,” which most people think is a distilled product, that is, “moonshine,” but is actually more of a wine. (Plenty of recipes online both for corn stock and for corn squeezings).
I had to chuckle at your comment because my father always talked about making ‘corn squeezins’. He liked to experiment with various alcoholic beverages, including dandelion wine, just to see how they’d turn out. Sadly, most were undrinkable, LOL. He would love to know that I now live in the heart of wine country in France!
I think apple jelly is a very mild and yummy jelly, so corn cob jelly may be good too—but to be honest, it doesn’t sound very appealing to me. We played many games like red rover and dodge ball. We didn’t have many toys, so we invented lots of games and activities to occupy our summer days. It makes sense that kids thought of something fun to do with all those corn cobs—like corn cob jail.
very interesting article, God bless you all and thank you for praying for me, I hope to hear something from the doctor today since it’s Monday, God bless Matt’s father Tony Lord heal the sick save the lost and comfort , suffering and struggling, make life a little easier as we wait your return Jesus, Amen
Norman, you always have the sweetest & most humble & giving comments. You seem to have a loving & gentle spirit. I just said a prayer for you that your doctors’ and dentists’ hands & minds are guided by our merciful Lord to help you & heal you. May God bless you abundantly.
Corncob jelly is definitely something I’ve never heard of but then I’m learning I’ve never heard of a lot of things.;D
What! Corn cob jelly! Talk about using your resources to the max! I have never heard of either the jelly or the game!
Good morning, Tipper!! We’ve had over 3″ of rain in my area of west central IL from 3 different storms in the last few days. We are much luckier than the folks in Indiana, the next state over. The horrific flooding has cost lives and untold destruction. My heart and prayers go out to them. I felt so selfish topping the hill Saturday morning and being relieved to see my driveway hadn’t washed out, again. Tipper has my praise report from my ct scan so I’ll just say thank you all for keeping me in your prayers and if you could, please keep my 3 grandchildren in your prayers. They are all in a battle of dealing with a person(s) who is bent on tearing them down. I’m the constant “shield” trying to keep their spirits high and them knowing they are wonderful, deserving people. Jealousy, in any form, is an ugly thing. I don’t understand what joy people get from tearing others down. Prayers for the Acorns in need and their families and friends in need of as well♡
I love corncob jelly. It’s worth trying.
Yesterday I mentioned in my comment to Ron about reading an article on the back of a funeral program that really touched me. I think it was a version of the poem “Tomorrow Without Me.” The funeral and visitation was for one of our members Gene Smith’s cousin. I had met Doug several times and was friends with two of his children. He was one of the nicest people you could ever hope to be around. Ron mentioned me writing about now at my age age family , friends, coworkers dying at a much faster pace, I have lost three more friends in the last two weeks, one was literally my lifelong next door neighbor. He was a “fill in brother” for the brother I never had when we were growing up and playing together as kids.
Randy, I just read “When tomorrow starts without me” poem & it is a beautiful poem. I have never read it before. Thanks for mentioning it. And, I’m so sorry for the passing of your friends. I’m almost 75 & I am seeing folks I know dropping like flies. It is scary to me in one way & in another way I hope I can hear the words, “Well done, my good & faithful servant.” I sometimes question whether I have done enough or if I will be guilty of the sin of omission. I was baptized at 72 yrs old although I had been raised in the church. I often wonder if it too little, too late. May God bless all the Acorns.
Cheryl, I will be 73 this coming February, as you said many people I have known from somewhere in my life are dropping like flies. Seems like the ones not dying are coming down with health problems. I have had good health except for bad arthritis, but have started having problems with dehydration this year and it is effecting my kidneys. Can’t help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end for me. All we can do is be ready when our time comes, we are never more than one breath or heartbeat from eternity no matter our age.
What a fun sounding game! My kids would love to throw corn cobs at each other! I don’t have any, but maybe one day we will have some from thegarden and can play.
❤️ We would have had lots when I was a kid. My dad, uncle, and grandpa raised corn, wheat, and soybeans. Never heard of that game until today though.
My cousins and I would play a version of dodgeball after daddy’s corn was picked. We would choose teams and pull up the stalks still attached to the roots and dirt ball and throw at each other. We also would use black walnuts and one group would be in the barn loft and other side on the ground. That usually ended about the time grandmother realized we were displacing her walnuts or until one of us got hit upside the head.
I have saw corn cob jelly for sale in some stores but never tried it. It if taste anything similar to apple I would probably like it. Sometime during the last couple of weeks, I came across a recipe for corn cob ice cream. I didn’t read the recipe, just the thought of it turned me off. I have lived my entire life in one of the most rural areas of Greenville County, SC. A couple of the neighborhood kids would get together and play but not enough to play games like you mentioned. I only had one sister and no brothers, we didn’t throw corn cobs at each other, it would usually be ROCKS, they hurt a lot worse! We were like cats and dogs when growing up, I usually managed to get a couple of whuppings a day for fighting with her. I usually got the whupping while she got the petting. My son helped me go visit her yesterday, she is in a long term care nursing home because of her health and will probably die there. She never married and I am the only family left and cannot give her the care she needs. We either outgrew or got to old to fight with each other!
I have made Corncob Jelly. It is good and does have a taste similar to Apple Jelly. I don’t ever remember having a recipe. We kids would have loved that game. God blessed.
Morning Tipper. Hope you have a wonderful day! ❤️