FACTS:
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Today’s sweet corn was discovered in the late 1700’s in an Iroquois village along the beautiful Susquehanna River in central New York.
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Corn is a good source of many nutrients. A medium size ear of corn has about 75 calories and 1 gram of fat. It supplies carbohydrates, protein, potassium and it´s also a good source of dietary fiber.
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Corn should be cooked and eaten soon after picking for the best taste.
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As fresh corn ages it loses it´s sweet taste, it´s nutrients, and it becomes starchy, tough and rather tasteless.
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When it comes to cooking, corn is very versatile. After husking, cook corn by placing ears upright in a stockpot with 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water and a tablespoon or two of sugar. Cover the pot and let it steam for about 7 minutes after boiling begins. Or… lay ears in a pan, with two to three quarts of water and about 3 tablespoons of sugar, and boil for about 4 minutes. Never add salt to the water since that can make the corn tough. Do not overcook.
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Corn can also be microwaved. For the best flavor, remove the outer husk, letting the inner husks remain. After microwaving, pull the husks downward to remove them along with the silk. Or… you can clean and husk the corn first, wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap and cook for about two minutes per ear.
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Grill corn by wrapping individual ears in aluminum foil after cleaning and husking. Add a small amount of butter and seasoning and wrap the corn in the foil. Grill for about 15 minutes, turning a few times.
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You can also leave the husk on the corn and soak it in cold water for 6-8 hours and put it on the grill for about 15 minutes, turning a few times.
STORAGE TIPS:
After buying, wrap unhusked ears in a plastic bag and refrigerate until preparation time. Do not remove husks before storing fresh corn….The husks help retain freshness.
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Corn freezes well on or off the cob, but for best results it must be blanched and frozen soon after harvesting. To blanch sweet corn on the cob, use a large stockpot partially filled with water, enough to cover several ears at a time. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then place the corn in the boiling water. Begin timing as soon as you immerse the corn in the boiling water. Cover the pot and boil on high temperature… small ears for 7 minutes, medium sized ears for 9 minutes, and large ears for 11 minutes. You may use the same boiling water two or three times. After boiling, cool the corn immediately in ice water for the same amount of time as it was boiled. Drain the corn thoroughly.
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To freeze whole kernel corn, blanch the corn on the cob for about 5 minutes. Cool thoroughly in ice water for 5 minutes. Cut the corn from the cob and package in freezer containers or good quality freezer bags. Frozen sweet corn (at 0° F or lower) can be stored for a maximum of 12 to 18 months.