Harvesting, Eating & Freezing Sweet Corn

Harvesting

Is the Sweet Corn Ready? There is one day of absolute perfection in corn ripeness, but you can actually start harvesting and eating several days before it, and continue several days after. How do you know when it is? In general, your corn will be ready 3 weeks after the tassels begin to shed pollen.

Watch the Silk. A mature corn ear has dark-green husks and dried brown silk. Corn is starting to get dangerously near the overmature stage when the silk gets really dark brown or black. It may feel nice and plump, but it won't stay prime for more than a few days. If you think the silk looks dried enough, double-check by observing the milk.

Observing the Milk. Pull back a husk a couple inches to see if the kernels have filled out. Puncture a kernel with your thumbnail. The juice that comes out is corn "milk." Clear juice means the corn is not yet ready. As every day goes on, the milk changes. The milk is thickening because the sugar in it is gradually turning to starch. I think the perfect corn should practically squirt out milk when you dent it. Corn that's getting overripe will be moist but won't squirt. Really thick, "doughy," and yellow juice means prime harvest time has come and gone.

Uses for Overripe Sweet Corn. You can still get some good out of it. Make cream-style corn (use one of the recipes in this section that contains added ingredients). If your corn is so dry it looks more like popcorn, then follow the instructions for making hominy or cornmeal in the sections on harvesting and eating field corns (dent, flint, popcorn, and Indian corn). Or feed it, stalks and all, to animals.

Eating Sweet Corn

BEST CORN ON THE COB
For the very best-tasting corn of all, put your water on the boil, go out to pick the corn, run all the way from the field to the kitchen, and husk and cook it! Or for the super-absolute best, don't boil the corn at all--roast it in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes. (Remove all but the inner layers of husks, take out the silk, and tie the ends of the remaining husk together with string.) Never salt corn until after you are all done cooking, because salt tends to toughen it. You can roast corn on a grill over coals as well as in the oven. If you're using a grill, shuck the corn first, lay the ears on the grill, and turn them every so often until roasted on all sides. It will take about 10 minutes.

SILK/HUSK TEA
Incidentally, you can make a nice "herbal" tea from the broth of corn silk and/or the husks. It has a corny flavor. Or you can actually throw them into the soup pot and get some good out of them that way. (Or give the animals. Or compost.)

CORN CAKES FROM LEFTOVER ROASTED OR BOILED CORN
When you have leftover boiled or roasted ears, split the kernels lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the corn from the cobs, leaving the hulls on the cobs.  For every 6 ears of corn done this way, combine corn with 3 eggs, add salt and pepper to taste, form into small cakes, and fry to a nice brown.

Freezing Whole Kernel Corn

GOURMET FROZEN CORN
Combine 15 cups freshly cut corn kernels (after blanching) with 1/2 lb. butter (or margarine), 1 qt. milk (Gertrude Johnson substitutes evaporated milk or light cream), and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into baking pan. Heat thoroughly in 325°F oven, stirring every 15 minutes until the butter is all melted and mixed through. Then cool, divide into your packages, and freeze.

VEGAN CREAM-STYLE CORN
Measure your freshly cut corn kernels in a pan. For every quart of kernels, add 1 c. boiling water into which 1 tablespoon cornstarch has been stirred. (Salt, pepper, herbs, and pimiento for seasoning are optional.) Heat the mixture to a boil; continue on low heat for 5 minutes (stir enough to prevent scorching!). Now move your pan into a sink of ice water and chill. Package and freeze. To cook, warm in the top of a double broiler.

[Adapted from "Corn" in Chapter 3: Grasses, Grains & Canes. Illustration copyright 1994 by Cindy Davis.]

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a great way to branch out from the typical Mexican food of tacos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. They are simple to make and taste delicious. It is very easy to take this vegan recipe and add 1 cup of the meat of your choice to the mixture. I would suggest using red, yellow, or orange peppers instead of green peppers if you want a sweeter, more flavorful shell.

VEGAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Cut around the top stem with a sharp small knife as if you were going to make a lid for a jack-o-lantern. Lift it out, and scoop out seeds and pulp. Plunge 4 large, de-seeded peppers into boiling water. Return to boil, remove peppers, and drain. Combine 2 cups corn kernels, 1 cup cooked beans of your choice (I would suggest black or refried), and 1/2 cup tomato sauce. You can also add white or yellow rice and meat to this mixture. Stuff mixture into peppers, and sprinkle liberally with cumin. If you are not a fan of cumin and are not vegan, sprinkle the peppers with shredded cheese instead. Place peppers in a baking dish with a little water for moisture. Bake 20 minutes in a preheated 375-degree oven. 

Potato Pancakes

Potato pancakes were always my favorite part of big holiday breakfasts. We usually used frozen, store-bought pancakes but I still thought they tasted amazing. This homemade version is much more fresh and flavorful than the freezer burnt kind I loved as a kid. These can be eaten for any meal of the day but they taste best with a generous helping of applesauce (especially cinnamon applesauce) and sour cream.

POTATO PANCAKES

Grate 4 medium-sized peeled potatoes and 1 large onion on your smallest-sized grater. (Do not blend in blender.) Add 4 egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Whip whites of the 4 eggs and add them. In a skillet with a lid, fry till brown on each side, turning only once.

For a vegan version of this recipe,

VEGAN POTATO PANCAKES

Grate 1.5 pounds of potatoes and 2 small onions. Combine with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, some parsley, and 2 tablespoons of tamari. Form mixture into patties and bake on a griddle or in a medium oven until crisp.