Southern Sour Corn Recipe - How to Make Lacto Fermented Corn (2024)

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4.78 from 9 votes

By Hank Shaw

September 09, 2019 | Updated June 06, 2022

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Southern Sour Corn Recipe - How to Make Lacto Fermented Corn (2)

Anyone who knows me knows that I am always looking for some new thing to ferment, preserve or pickle. So when I learned about Southern sour corn, I had to make it.

I wish I had some great story to tell about how I first ate this lacto-fermented sweet corn in some West Virginia diner, maybe on top of some chicken fried steak with some crowder peas. Actually, that sounds amazing and I’ll have to make it.

But no, I learned about this Appalachian specialty in Ronni Lundy’s fantastic cookbook Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes. I’ve been cooking a lot from this book lately, and I simply cannot overstate how wonderful a book it is. If you like real Southern food, you need to buy this book.

Sour corn is to corn what sauerkraut is to cabbage. Same deal. Stupid easy to make. Corn, water, salt, and maybe something extra to make it yours. In my case, thinly sliced green cayenne chiles.

A few things you need to know.

  • Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt if you want to use my volumetric measurements; other salts will give you a different brine strength. Or you can weigh the amount of corn + water in grams and then add out 2 percent of that weight to the water to make a brine.
  • Keep the corn below the level of the water. Floaters will mold up fast. You can use a clean plastic bag will with more brine to do this, or use a pickling plate if you have a crock, or a small regular plate if you have one that works.
  • Mold happens. When you see it, skim it off. Usually you’ll get a ropey, icky white mold, mother-of-vinegarish thing. It’s not harmful, but you want to skim it off as the mold can get into your brine and alter the flavor a bit. It’s still fine.
  • Keep it simple. Add one or two other things to your sour corn, but remember this is a base condiment, not a finished relish. Of course, you can ferment a full relish if you want, but that’s a different recipe.

How to use your sour corn? Hell, it’s great as a snack. But I like it as a sort of Southern salsa, alongside the aforementioned chicken fried steak, or any other quickly cooked meat; as a side dish to my buttermilk fried quail springs to mind.

I know other people cross cultures and literally use sour corn as a salsa on tacos, which is also excellent. When you come up with a cool way to use it, do me a favor and post it up in the comments section below. Enjoy!

4.78 from 9 votes

Sour Corn

This is a recipe for sour corn, a lacto-fermented pickled corn from the South. It's like sauerkraut, only with sweet corn. Once made, it will keep in a cool place for months and months. Just skim any mold off the top as it forms.This recipe makes about 2 quarts.

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Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 dozen ears sweet corn, kernels removed
  • 1 to 5 green cayenne or other hot chiles, sliced very thin (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons pickling spice (mustard, coriander, black pepper, etc.) (optional)
  • 5 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2 quarts water

Instructions

  • Put the corn and chiles in clean quart Mason jars or crocks, or some other non-reactive container, which means no galvanized steel or aluminum. Make sure there is sufficient headspace to keep the corn below the level of the brine.

  • Mix the salt and spices, if using, with the water and stir until the salt dissolves. Pour over the brine and any spices you might be using. Place something to keep the corn from floating. I use a plastic bag filled with some more brine.

  • Put the whole shebang in a cool place, like a basem*nt, or a quiet, dark corner -- any place below 75F or so. Let this ferment for at least 5 days, and up to 2 weeks. Taste the corn after 5 days and let it get as sour as you want it.

  • When it's ready, move the jars to a cooler place to store for as long as you need. It'll keep for months in the fridge, although you will need to skim the mold that will form on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
American Recipes, Featured, Preservation Recipes, Recipe, Southern

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Southern Sour Corn Recipe - How to Make Lacto Fermented Corn (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take corn to ferment in water? ›

Place the vessel in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight and allow the corn to ferment for about 5-7 days. Check the corn periodically to ensure that it remains submerged and taste it to gauge the level of fermentation.

How long does it take corn dough to ferment? ›

Kenkey is a popular staple food of Ghana. It consists of fermented and cooked maize dough, wrapped in leaves. The traditional kenkey-making process is laborious and time consuming (4–6 days). An accelerated option for industrial manufacture of kenkey in sausage casings was developed, which takes approximately 24 h.

Is fermented corn good for you? ›

The fermentation of maize using Lactic Acid Bacteria to produce traditionally fermented foods is one of the ancient health-promoting formulae to achieve the health benefits of cereal ingredients and live beneficial bacteria.

Do you leave corn in mash while fermenting? ›

Also, because corn wort can be so viscus and difficult to strain out the liquid, fermenting (and distilling) on the grain also represents an increase in yield because we can be assured that any (converted) liquid absorbed by the grain solids will also contribute to alcohol yield during fermentation and during the ...

What alcohol does fermented corn make? ›

Corn whiskey is an American liquor made principally from corn. Distinct from the stereotypical American moonshine, in which sugar is normally added to the mash, corn whiskey uses a traditional mash process, and is subject to the tax and identity laws for alcohol under federal law.

How long does corn take to sour? ›

Let your corn sit out, checking daily (I'd give it a shake or a stir). Taste your corn each day: Once it has a flavor you like, put it in the fridge. Mine typically ferments 2-3 days to get as sour as I want it.

How do you know if corn is too much water? ›

Yellowing leaves and a soil that's more saturated than a sponge in a bathtub are classic signs your Corn plant is getting too much water. It's time to dial back the deluge and let the soil go from wet to just damp before giving it another drink.

How long does it take to ferment corn for moonshine? ›

The quickest you can properly make moonshine is about two weeks. However, you really should let mash ferment for at least a week itself, so the best moonshine will usually take closer to a month to complete. Moonshine recipes all have their own timelines, so this may vary depending on what you want to make.

Can you leave dough to ferment overnight? ›

Cold proofing, or retarding, is where the shaped dough is placed into the refrigerator (or a dough retarder) to let proof for many hours at a cold temperature (usually overnight). Then, the dough is typically baked straight from the refrigerator or after it's brought up to room temperature.

Do you cover dough when fermenting? ›

Good fermentation = great loaves. Covering your dough correctly is a crucial step here. For best results, we want a non-porous, tight-fitting cover that will keep the dough from becoming too cool or developing a skin.

What happens if you ferment dough too long? ›

If you over-ferment the dough you run the risk of the gluten structure degrading and the loaf turning into a puddle of goo before your eyes, never to be retrieved and destined for the bin. I would say that more often or not I underproof my dough, I live on what I consider to be, the “safe” side.

Can I eat corn that smells fermented? ›

The appearance and aroma of your corn are the two main ways to tell whether or not it has gone bad. If it's giving off a rancid or moldy smell, or has a slimy and mushy texture, it should be tossed in your compost. Similarly, if there's any visible mold on your corn, it has gone bad.

What does corn do to your gut? ›

The covering of each delicious kernel of corn is insoluble. This is the undigestible kind that the body cannot break down and that passes through the body more or less intact, which can add bulk to bowel movements and ease constipation.

What is fermented corn called? ›

Tejuino is a cold fermented beverage made from corn and popularly consumed in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Oaxaca. Tejuino is usually made from corn dough, the same kind used for tortillas and tamales.

How do you ferment corn for feed? ›

To ferment corn for chickens, start by soaking the corn in water for 24-48 hours. Drain off the water and allow the corn to sit at room temperature for an additional 24-48 hours, stirring occasionally. The corn will begin to ferment as it develops a slightly sour smell and a bubbly appearance.

Can you eat corn that smells fermented? ›

The appearance and aroma of your corn are the two main ways to tell whether or not it has gone bad. If it's giving off a rancid or moldy smell, or has a slimy and mushy texture, it should be tossed in your compost. Similarly, if there's any visible mold on your corn, it has gone bad.

What does fermentation do to corn? ›

Phases of Fermentation

Harvested corn will continue to respire for some time, and enzymes will continue to break down proteins for several hours after the corn has been chopped. This is the aerobic phase, the phase in which oxygen is still present in the chopped corn before packing has excluded the oxygen.

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