How To Cook Sweet Corn On The Cob
History of Corn
Corn is a western grain. It is believed
to have been developed by Central American farmers from
a native grass, thousands of years ago. When Columbus
discovered America, he also discovered corn, which was a
staple of the Native Americans.
During WW2, popped pop corn was used as
packing filler for military supplies. This was before
the ubiquitous plastic pellet was invented for this
purpose.
Corn on the cob varieties
There are three basic varieties of corn.
The most valuable is 'dent' corn, called 'field corn'
which is used as cattle feed. The familiar 'sweet corn'
that shows up in roadside stands in late summer in North
America. There is, of course, 'pop corn' which is a kind
of 'dent' corn that is characterized by a very hard
shell on the kernel. It is also called 'Indian corn' and
is used for decorations in the fall season in North
America.
Our concern here is regarding sweet
corn. There are many varieties, ranging from the yellow
Golden Bantam with its full rows of heavy kernels that
delight the mouth when eaten as 'corn on the cob' to
Country Gentleman, which has a white sweet and tender
kernel.
Cooking corn on the cob
The enzymes in corn immediately begin to
convert the sugars into starch when the corn is picked
from the stalk. The rule is; have the water boiling
before you pick the corn. Fresh corn cooks very quickly,
usually in 3 minutes. It is done cooking when a single
kernel can be removed whole from the cob.
Sweet corn can be eaten raw if the ear
is plucked before the grains are fully mature. For a
camping treat, place 'roasting ears' of corn, still
wrapped in their husk, directly on the coals of a
campfire.
(R.B.)
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