CORN June 4, 2003 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

In just a few weeks, local corn will be as "high as an elephant's eye," to borrow a phrase from a famous Broadway show tune. Don't worry - I'm not going to break into song for you; I am not Broadway material. But I will be singing -- at home alone -- to celebrate the arrival of corn season.

Corn was a great gift from the early American Indians. Before settlers arrived in the New World, Europeans had never seen this member of the grass family. But once they did, ingenuity took over. Settlers devised ways to use all parts of the corn plant. Fresh husks were used for tamales and dried ones were crafted into dolls. Silks were brewed for medicinal tea and used for hair on the husk dolls. Kernels were eaten as food. Stalks were fed to the animals as fodder.

Corn became so important that the settlers and Native Americans used it as currency to trade with each other.

Then came the corn by-products. The list includes corn flour, cornmeal, corn oil, cornstarch, corn syrup, corn whiskey, and laundry starch. I'm not sure quite how to classify a corn dog.

But let's go back to my favorite - those sweet, juicy kernels. As soon as corn is picked, the sugar in it begins to change to starch. This lessens the natural sweetness of the corn. Thus, it is important to purchase corn as soon as possible after it's picked. Wherever you shop for fresh corn -- produce stand, farmers market, grocery store -- be sure there is a good turn-over of corn.

When purchasing corn, look for ears with bright green, snugly fitting husks and golden brown silks. Kernels should be plump and milky and come all the way to the tip of the ear. The rows of kernels should be spaced tightly together.

As soon as you arrive home with fresh corn, refrigerate it to slow the conversion of sugar to starch. Leave the corn in its husks.

For best flavor, cook and serve the corn the same day as purchased. If this is not possible, fresh corn can be refrigerated unshucked for two to three days. However, there will be a loss of flavor.

Many corn recipes call for kernels. To help you figure how many ears to buy, remember this corn math. Typically, one pound of fresh corn is five to six ears; five to six ears will yield three cups of kernels.

Removing those kernels from their cobs can be tricky business. Some cooks prefer to use a corn scraper for this job. If using a knife rather than a scraper, hold the thick end of the cob with your fingers while standing the thin end of the cob on your cutting board. Cut kernels from the cob from top to bottom without cutting into the cob. Then to get all that good corn flavor, "milk" the cob. Use the blunt side of your knife to scrape along the cob to get out any remaining bits of kernel and that wonderful corn "juice."

Regardless of your choice of tool, de-kerneling corn can be a messy job. Using a large work space will help. Instead of a cutting board, stand the corn in a very large mixing bowl. The bowl will catch flying kernels.

A favorite method of preparing corn is to boil it on the cob. Use lots of water so the ears are submerged. Break ears in half if necessary to fit your pot. This may sound elementary, but I honestly read about a young woman whose corn did not fit her pot. So she stood the ears in the pot, cooked five minutes, turned the corn around, and cooked the other ends.

Do not salt the water as this will toughen the corn. Try adding a teaspoon or two of sugar to the water for a sweet flavor.

The water should be boiling when you add the ears. Cover the pot so that any parts of the ears not submerged will cook in the steam. Do not overcook - five to eight minutes should do the job.

Just for the record, corn salad and cornichons have nothing to do with corn ... but these recipes do.

Remove kernels from ears and set aside. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and sauté 7 minutes. Add corn, salt, and pepper; cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Yields 5 (1 cup) servings; 111 calories each.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion (and fresh corn if using); sauté till tender. Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese, and cook till thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese.

Yields 6 servings.

Try this version of corn-on-the-cob for a change of pace. Baking also keeps the kitchen cooler than boiling the corn.

Remove husks and silks from corn; rinse ears. Generously brush ears with dressing. Bake at 425° for approximately 30 minutes, turning once.

You caught me - this recipe uses canned corn. My family likes my corn casserole, but it is high in fat. When I saw this version in a new "healthy" cookbook, I tried it and liked it even better. I especially liked the addition of onion. The technique of adding a little margarine to soda cracker crumbs creates a toasty brown topping as if you had used rich, buttery - ie, fatty-crackers.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 1-quart casserole with nonstick pan spray. In medium bowl, combine corn, milk, and egg, stirring to mix well. Add 3/4 cup of the crumbs, pimento (if using), onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well and pour into prepared casserole. Melt margarine in small skillet. Add remaining cracker crumbs; stir to distribute margarine through crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over casserole. Bake for 35 minutes.

Yields 6 (1/2 cup) servings.

Recipe from The New Family Cookbook for People With Diabetes.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 6/05/03