Pickled Corn Adds A Delicious Zing To Taco Night

While vegetables might be a taco night staple, pickled vegetables can add a new element to your routine. During the pickling process, vegetables are soaked in a vinegar-based liquid called brine. Not only does this add a salty, acidic flavor, but it also preserves your ingredients — whether you need to use up a veggie before it goes bad or just want your fillings to last longer than the fresh variety. If you haven't yet made pickled corn, you're missing out on a juicy burst of flavor, perfect in anything from tacos to tangy salads. The flavor of sweet corn is balanced by the salty, vinegar-filled mixture, creating the best kind of zing for your next batch of tacos. 

Next time you're hosting taco night, don't whip up the usual pickled onions or jalapeños — trade in those ordinary veggies for pickled corn. All you need are a few ingredients and 30 minutes for the pickling liquid to cool.

Pickling corn is no different than pickling onions or peppers. To make the pickling liquid, most of the mixture should be vinegar; it should be combined with water and offset with sugar. Then, the liquid is boiled and poured over the corn. The salty brine infuses the corn and builds flavor as the mixture cools. The corn should spend at least 30 minutes in the liquid before it's used, so the flavors can develop.

Pickled corn is a perfect addition to taco night. Corn is a staple in Mexican cuisine, but the pickled version adds an extra tang that standard yellow or sweet corn can't achieve. Spicy and acidic flavors, such as jalapeños and red onion, pair well with this tangy topping, and you can even add red onion or jalapeño slices to the jar while the corn pickles, for an extra flavor boost. If you're making tacos with rich, fatty meat like pork carnitas, pickled corn will be a perfect flavor contrast. Just remember that pickled corn has a much stronger flavor than standard cooked corn, so you'll only need a little bit on your tacos.

Sweet corn's natural flavor makes it great for pickling; that hint of sweetness along with the added sugar helps to counteract the vinegar, keeping the flavor balanced. It's best to use raw corn, fresh off the cob; do not cook the corn before pickling because it will soften once it's hit with the boiling liquid. Cooked or canned corn is too soft to sit in the liquid and will have a mushy, unflattering texture. Fresh, sweet corn is the only way to go. Plus, the more crunch the corn has, the better it will complement the different textures of taco fillings, and that soft, warm tortilla.

Homemade pickled vegetables last up to four weeks in the refrigerator — giving the corn a much longer shelf life than regular cooked corn. However, if at any point the corn has a foul smell or signs of mold, it's past its prime and should be thrown away.