Love Your Veggies
Corn
Whether on the cob, in a creamy chowder or just in tiny niblets, corn is one veggie the whole family can agree on.
Three For The Price of One
Not too many people know that corn is actually a fruit, vegetable and a grain. The kernels are considered the fruit and are where the sweetness comes from. They can be ground into grain and used in staple products like corn tortillas or served as corn on the cob or part of a delicious corn recipe. No matter which way you like it, corn is a delicious addition to any meal.
Pop it!
For your next home movie night, try air-popped popcorn — it’s fat free and chock-full of dietary fiber, B vitamins, potassium and other key minerals. Corn is also high in vitamin B1 and B9, which are great for brain function, memory and your heart.
A-Maize Your Kids!
Teach Them How To Grow Their Own Corn
Jeanne Pinsof Nolan, aka “The Organic Gardener”, has spent over 20 years growing food sustainably and helping families in the Chicago area create their own backyard organic gardens. Here are her tips on raising corn with your kids.
- Plan for plenty. In most regions, you can do at least 2 plantings of sweet corn, extending your harvest. Make sure to plant according to the spacing indicated on your seed packet.
- Protect from the elements. When the plants are about 18” tall, create a “hill” or mound of dirt around the stalks so the corn doesn’t fall over due to wind/heavy rain.
- Feed it well. Corn likes lots of nutrients. When the plants are 6′ tall, begin applying liquid organic fertilizer directly to the leaves.
- Turn on the waterworks! Corn also needs moist soil to grow well. If the weather is dry, water it liberally every day, especially when you start seeing tassels on the ears of corn.
- Snap, twist, cut. To harvest the corn, snap the ear down and twist it off the stalk. When you’ve picked all the ears, cut down or pull out the cornstalk.
- Compost the stalks. Use the cornstalks to renew the soil for the next year — a key step in organic gardening. Cut the stalks into pieces about a foot long so they break down faster.
- Enjoy. Fresh-picked corn is delicious — and if you eat it immediately after picking, you don’t even need to cook it!
Pick, Store & Prep Corn
Corn is best when fresh. But just how can you tell when it’s fresh? And even more, what do you do with it once you’ve got it? No worries, we’ve got you covered.
Pick
- Press for freshness. To tell if corn is fresh, simply indent one of the kernels with your thumbnail. If it’s milky, you’ve got a fresh cob.
- Plan to buy what you can eat in a day or two. After 3 to 4 days, corn starts to lose its crispness and natural sugars.
Store
- Husks are optional. Store fresh ears with the husks on or off — it won’t affect the shelf life.
- Ditch the cob to store. If you aren’t planning on using the corn within the next 3 or 4 days, cut off the kernels and put them in a plastic bag.
- Freeze off the cob. Kernels stored in the freezer will keep for months.
Prep
- Kids love to shuck. Make short work of prepping the corn by enlisting your little ones. Whether you remove the husks is up to you, but those silky strands need to go. The trick is to wipe them with a damp paper towel.
- Boil it for a simple, quick prep. Take the husks off and put the corn in a pot of cool, unsalted water on high heat. When the water boils, it’s done. Season before eating with butter or Ranch and a pinch of salt.
- Try it in the microwave. Soak the ears for 20 to 30 minutes and then microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes per ear, turn and microwave another 3 to 5 minutes. Let sit to cool before handling.
Cook
- Boiled corn on the cob is easy, delicious and fast — it only takes 5 to 10 minutes. Take the husks off and put the corn in a pot of cool water on high heat. When the water boils, it’s done. A lot of chefs like to add a spoonful of sugar to accentuate the sweetness, but don’t add salt to the water — that toughens the corn. A pinch of salt on the ear after it’s cooked is a wonderful thing.
- Corn microwaves very well. And you can put your kids in charge while you prepare the main course — there’s a great tip for making easy dinners. Have the kids soak the ears for 20 to 30 minutes. They should microwave the corn on high for 3 to 5 minutes per ear, then turn it over and microwave on high for another 3 to 5 minutes. Let it sit for a couple of minutes because the kernels are super hot.
- Check out our corn recipes for tasty recipes the whole family will enjoy.
Tall On Flavor
Corn is inexpensive, sweet and extremely easy to cook with. Whether it’s boiled with a light coating of butter and salt, or grilled with some olive oil, corn complements almost any dish. Here are a few ideas for meals that will showcase corn and its wonderful flavor.
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Mint and Corn Tabbouleh Grain Salad
A refreshing international twist.
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Ham & Corn Brunch Casserole
Comfort food at its best.
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Veggie-Corn Kabobs
A colorful twist on corn on the cob.
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Fresh Corn Tomato Salad
The taste of summer in a bowl.
Taking Stalk – Test your corn knowledge
- 1. Which country grows the most corn?
- A) USA
- B) China
- C) Mexico
- D) Brazil
The Answer is A
The U.S. grows 42 percent of the world’s corn, more than twice as much as China, which is second. U.S. takes the gold!
- 2. How high does a standard commercial cornstalk grow?
- A) 4 feet
- B) 8 feet
- C) 15 feet
- D) 23 feet
The Answer is B
Some non-commercial corn does grow as high as 23 feet, and you need a ladder to get to the ears.
- 3. Which of these is not made from corn?
- A) Tortillas
- B) Grits
- C) Bourbon
- D) Baguettes
The Answer is D
When somebody gets around to making a cornbread baguette, we’ll wait in line for it.
- 4. What is the Corn Palace?
- A) A Las Vegas hall where old comedians perform
- B) A basketball arena in South Dakota
- C) The largest corn storage facility
- D) A 23-screen movie theater in Iowa
The Answer is B
It's a tourist attraction because of its murals and minarets.
- 5. Which is the sweetest kind of corn?
- A) White corn
- B) Yellow corn
- C) White-and-yellow corn
- D) Red corn
The Answer is C
That’s why they call it “peaches and cream.”
- 6. In the Rogers and Hammerstein song, “Oh What A Beautiful Mornin’” (from “Oklahoma”), how high is the corn?
- A) The corn is as high as the Fourth of July
- B) The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye
- C) The corn is as high as a pig that can fly
- D) It’s pretty darn high
The Answer is B
“And it looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky.” No wonder it’s a beautiful mornin’!
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