Corn
A veggie, a fruit and a grain–all in one.
Three For The Price of One
Not too many people know that corn is actually a fruit, a 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 a veggie side dish. No matter which way you serve it, corn is a delicious addition to any meal.
Air-Popped Gives Kids All Of The Good And None Of The Bad
Not only is corn extremely versatile, it’s also extremely healthy. Air-popped popcorn is fat free, high in dietary fiber and B vitamins and also high in potassium and other key minerals. The high levels of vitamin B1 and B9 found in corn are great for brain function, memory and your heart.
Antioxidant Champ Corn Beats Broccoli
Corn is an even better cancer fighter than scientists previously believed, according to Dr. Rui Hai Liu at the American Institute for Cancer Research. Dr. Liu says that corn is particularly high in these whole-compound antioxidants – he rated it as more than twice as good a cancer fighter as broccoli, which is famous for antioxidants.
The Secret Behind Popcorn
Popcorn is made from a strain of corn that has a waterproof hull. Most corn releases steam when it’s heated, but in popcorn, the steam builds up until the starch inside explodes, sending jets of foam in all directions. That foam cools almost instantly into the movie time snack we all love. Food historians believe that Native Americans were the first to make popcorn on purpose.
Lose Yourself In Corn
Corn mazes started at European castles as a summer amusement for royalty. By the 1800s farmers figured out that the rest of us would enjoy them as well. Now corn mazes seem to get more popular every summer. They’re like an edible amusement park. Farmers plant corn in spring in a pattern, and by midsummer, there’s a labyrinth to play in. Then, at the end of the summer, it’s time to harvest the maze and eat fresh corn on the cob.
A-Maize Your Kids!
Teach Them How To Grow Their Own Corn
Tips from Jeanne Pinsof Nolan “, The Organic Gardener”
Nobody brings kids and veggies together better than Jeanne Pinsof Nolan. She’s called “The Organic Gardener” because she has spent 22 years growing food sustainably and has helped more than 150 families in the Chicago area create their own backyard organic gardens. If you visit Chicago, you can find her latest project “the Edible Gardens,” a 5000 square foot vegetable garden just for kids at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.
Corn is pretty easy to grow and since it gets so tall, it gives kids a real sense of accomplishment. Plus, there’s no better way to eat corn then fresh off the stalk, quickly boiled, with just a smidge of butter. Talk about easy dinners!
Kids just love corn from a very early age. It has that slight sweetness to it, but I think it’s also a pretty fun vegetable. Some of the schools I work with use the corncobs for art projects, and I don’t know what’s more fun — making something out of the cobs, or eating all the corn!
Plan For Plenty
In most regions, you can do at least 2 plantings of sweet corn, extending your harvest over a longer period of time. Corn usually takes about three months to produce edible ears. Make sure to thin the plants to the proper spacing indicated on your seed packet and 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 Before You Eat It
Corn is a heavy feeder — it likes lots of nutrients. When the plants are 6” tall, I like to begin giving them a foliar feeding of liquid organic fertilizer (I like to use a combination of fish emulsion and seaweed available at many plant nurseries). Another option is to side dress the plants with blood meal or a granulated organic fertilizer. 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. I use the cornstalks as compost to renew the soil for the next year — that’s key in organic gardening. I usually cut the stalks into pieces about a foot long so they break down faster. Then I eat some of the fresh-picked corn. It’s delicious — and if you eat it immediately after picking, you don’t even need to cook it!
Pick, Store & Prep Corn
Corn, like most veggies, is best when it’s at its freshest. 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
There’s a simple trick to test whether or not corn is fresh. Simply indent one of the kernels with your thumbnail. If it’s milky, congratulations, you’ve got a fresh cob. Keep in mind when you’re shopping for corn: only buy the amount you plan on using within the next 3 or 4 days. After that amount of time, it tends to go bad.
Store
Storing corn is as simple as placing it in the refrigerator. It’s up to you whether or not you want to leave the husks on or off. It won’t affect how long the corn stays fresh. 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. If you store the kernels in the freezer they’ll be good for months.
Prep
Prepping corn can be fun for the whole family. Kids love to unearth the yellow spears from their green husks. Its called ’shucking‘ corn — and all those silky strands attached to the cob can be fun too. Even if you want to leave the husks on the cob, it’s important to remove the thin silk from each ear. The trick to removing it is to use a damp paper towel. It wipes away all of the strands and leaves you with shiny and clean corn.
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 3-5 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
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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