ALL ABOUT CORN

This information first appeared in my book
EAT FRESH, STAY HEALTHY. For in depth articles about fruits and vegetables, with recipes, you can subscribe to my free monthly newsletter.

With recipes for
Corn Off The Cob With Chili Butter
Corn Sauté With Herbs And Peppers
Corn And Black Bean Salad
Corn Chowder With Lobster
Corn Bread

Even though it’s available year round, I love corn in late summer when it is at its peak. Like tomatoes, corn is best when grown locally. Buy corn early in the day—preferably from farmers who picked it that morning—and cook it that day because corn loses freshness quickly.

If bread is the staff of life, then corn is life’s scepter, certainly for the Western World. Corn isn’t just something we eat on the cob with melted butter in summer when it’s "as high as an elephant’s eye." The fact is, of all the corn grown, we consume less than one percent as fresh, frozen or canned corn, even corn meal. The rest goes into a $20 billion dollar a year business that creates fuel for automobiles, oil for cooking, syrup for soft drinks, talcum powder for babies’ bottoms. It’s even used in embalming fluid, a final salute to this amazing vegetable.

But if corn is important today, it was even more important to the Indians who inhabited the Americas before Columbus. The cuisine that was built around corn was a rich and complex one in the Mayan, Aztec and Inca cultures. (The Incas alone developed some 48 varieties of corn.)

But corn was more than just food. Corn was sacred. The Maize God was at the center of the pantheon of Mayan deities. The god-man Quetzalcoatl gave maize to the Aztecs. And the Inca calendar was based on the life cycle of the corn crop.

Think about that the next time you munch on an ear of corn.

HISTORY

Archeologists and botanists put the earliest cultivation of corn in Mexico somewhere between Tehuacan and the Yucatan in 6,000 to 5,000 BC . The earliest corn was called popcorn and was no bigger than one’s fingernail. From that ancient version some corn hybridized quickly and often. Other types of early corn were called sweet, dent, flint and flour.

One of the many new crops that Columbus discovered on his first voyage was something the Arawak Indians called mahiz, one of the dozens of words the tribes of the Americas had for corn in all it’s various stages, from cut kernels to roasted ears to corn that was fermented into a kind of beer to corn husks that were wrapping for cigars.

And while we now consider that familiar plant to botanically be maize, we know it more commonly as corn. The reason is, according to Betty Fussell, author of "The Story of Corn (Knopf, 1992) "the early English inhabitants of America never took to the word ‘maize.’ Rather, they adopted the term ‘Indian corn’ to distinguish it from British corn, meaning all the grains known in Europe before Indians came into their ken."

As with those other grains, corn originated as a grass. But unlike other grains, corn cannot pollinate itself. It needs human assistance. So in a sense, as Fussell notes, corn and Western man grew up together.

Indians taught American settlers how to plant, harvest and use corn in its multitudinous ways. The mass-produced product we know today can be traced to many people, but two stand out: Robert Reid whose Reid’s Yellow Dent began with experiments in 1847, and William James Beal who, in 1877, became the first to cross-fertilize corn for the purpose of increasing yields.

Today, corn is grown around the world from Beiijing to Brazil, Indonesia to India. And while corn is generally considered the fodder of the poor, we can recall the endless fields of corn in the Dordogne region of France. That corn was destined to fatten the local geese whose livers produced the luxurious and very expensive foie gras.

WHERE GROWN:

What state do you think of when you think of corn? Iowa, right? Maybe Nebraska. Sorry, but the No. 1 corn-producing state is the land of grapefruit and orange juice, Florida. California is second. Other significant producing states are Georgia, New York and Illinois. Some corn is imported from Mexico.

VARIETIES:

The five ancient types of corn still exist but not all are used for fresh consumption by the general public. Dent is used for grits and hominy. Flour is preferred for grinding into tortillas. Flint is often the choice in colder regions because of its hardiness. And popcorn is used for guess what?

That pretty much leaves sweet corn which is divided into yellow, white and bicolored corn. Within each are numerous varieties or hybrids, over 200 in all. Some of the best known names are Silver Queen, Golden Cross Bantam, Kandy Korn and Honey and Cream.

In recent years, growers have developed sweeter and sweeter varieties to the point that you almost feel as if you’re eating that orange and yellow candy corn that comes out on Halloween. Nearly 100 % of the corn in Florida is some type of yellow supersweet variety. White corn isn’t as widely planted and is usually higher in price. Bicolored corn isn’t an equal mix of yellow and white but about 80 % yellow and 20 % white.

At the retail market it’s unlikely you’ll know what kind of corn your getting. However, almost every region has its local crop. So quiz your local farmer about the varieties he plants.

Huitlacoche (pronounced wheat-la-COE-chay) is a corn fungus - sometimes referred to as corn smut - that’s an ancient Mexican delicacy and becoming popular in trendy Mexican and Southwestern restaurants in the United States. The kernels affected by the fungus are swollen and black. The flavor is somewhat reminiscent of wild mushrooms or truffles. In fact, huitlachoche is sometimes marketed as corn mushroom or Mexican truffle. It is very scarce but can be ordered by mail - fresh from March through December and frozen in January and February - from Burns Farms in Montverde, Fla. (407) 469-4490.

SEASONS:

Despite the fact that we think of it mostly in summer and early fall, corn is a year round crop. Florida’s crop runs from October through June, peaking from April to June. In California, the season starts in May, ends in October and peaks in Jun and July. New York runs from July to September, peaking in August and September.

SELECTION, HANDLING & STORAGE:

The standard way for most people to check on the freshness of corn - and to see if any kernels are missing from the cob - is to rip open the husk and examine it. And this is fine as long as you don’t beat up the corn for the next guy. The exposed kernels should be firm and plump with no indentations. You can, however, find out if the kernels are all there and also plump by just feeling the top of the closed husk. The husk, incidentally, should be evenly green with no darkness on the bottom.

Most experts tell you to pass by any evidence of worm damage. But Betty Fussell has a different philosophy about that. "...it will not only do you no harm, granted that you remove it when you take the silks from the cobs, but today it may testify that the corn has been grown without the pervasive chemicals that do us all harm."

Getting to know the local farmer who sells at a road side stand or the weekly farmers market is one way to insure fresh, quality corn. Go back to him or her again and again until you’ve had your fill for the season. Ideally, the corn you buy should have been picked that morning (while it’s still cool). Don’t buy any fresh corn that’s more than a few days old at the most.

Once you get corn home, refrigerate it in the natural casings that Mother Nature has provided. You can put it in a plastic bag but don’t be tempted to hold it for more than a day - especially if it’s to be consumed right off the cob - because the longer corn sits, the more its sugar turns to starch.

NUTRITION:

One medium ear of corn (90 grams) contains 75 calories, 1 gram each of fat and dietary fiber, 17 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of protein. A serving also contains 5% of the RDA for vitamin A, 10% for vitamin C and 3% for iron. Corn is also a decent source of potassium.

Corn has some antiviral and anticancer properties. In small amounts, it may help to neutralize stomach acid. Corn and corn products are among the most common foods that can cause allergic reactions in people. They are also implicated in some forms of chronic fatigue.

YIELD:

One small to medium ear of corn yields about 1/2 cup of kernels.

TIP:

If you’re able to get very fresh, tender corn from a farmer’s market or roadside stand, try eating an ear raw, right there.

PREPARATION:

Obviously, if corn can be eaten raw, the less it gets cooked the better. The simplest method is to put ears in a kettle of water (with no salt) at a rolling boil for a minute or two but no more. Fussell suggests cooking the corn in its husk (but removing an outer layer) for more intense flavor. But this causes the corn to remain in the boiling water too long to get it up to the appropriate temperature.

Steaming is preferred by some because flavor isn’t lost in cooking water but it takes longer, five minutes or more depending on how many ears you have. Microwaving is fine if you only have a few ears. A full power oven will cook two ears in about 5 minutes, a few minutes longer in a lower-wattage oven.

Grilling is a fabulous way to cook corn. Some prefer to soak the husks in water before grilling to prevent burning. But this gives more of a steamed-grilled flavor than a pure grilled flavor. (The same is true when corn is husked and wrapped in foil.)

Instead, cook ears directly on the grill with or without the husks. Husked corn will take about 3 minutes, unhusked about 6 to 8 minutes. The flame should be of about medium intensity. You can brush the corn with some melted butter for either method. Pulling the husk down to the stem instead of removing it entirely gives a decorative touch for presentation.

For apartment dwellers without access to grills, follow the grill method in a 500-degree oven.

To remove kernels on cooked or raw corn, hold the earn upright with one hand firmly holding the top. Then, starting halfway up the ear, slice down all around. Turn the ear upside down and repeat the process. For added flavor in soups and other prepared dishes, scrape the cob with the dull side of the knife to remove the flavorful "milk" from the cob. Cobs can also be boiled for a stock for corn chowder or soup.

Perhaps because they are also native to the Americas, we like chile peppers with corn. Spicy chile-flavored butter is a piquant change of pace and a good alternative for those watching salt intake. We also like corn with onions, especially scallions and red onions, with beans, particularly black beans, toasted and ground cumin seeds, cilantro, basil and tomatoes.

CORN OFF THE COB WITH CHILI BUTTER

4 large ears fresh corn, shucked
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chili powder

1)Slice kernels off each ear of corn. Put corn in a skillet with 1/3 cup water and cook, stirring a few times, over medium heat until water evaporates, about 3 minutes.

2) Add butter and chili powder. Lower heat slightly and cook about 3 minutes, stirring a few times. Serves 4.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: Chili powder is actually a spice mix like curry. You could make your own chile (with an e at the end) powder using ground chiles (New Mexico, Ancho etc.), salt and pepper.

CORN SAUTÉ WITH HERBS AND PEPPERS

Fresh summer herbs are a natural with corn, as are sweet and hot peppers.

2 tablespoons butter
1 small red bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, depending on taste, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 rib celery, chopped
3 cups corn kernels, about 4 ears
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh summer savory or thyme
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste

1)Put butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion and celery. Cook about 5 minutes until onions soften.

2)Add corn and remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Check for seasoning. Serves 4.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: In addition to the total number of peppers you can adjust the heat from hot peppers by using or discarding all or part of the seeds and membranes where most of the heat from hot peppers resides.

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

This is a colorful salad that could be served any time of the year, but would look especially nice with grilled or barbecued chicken.

2 cups cooked corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 can (15-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup mild onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or other mild vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1)Combine corn, beans, tomatoes, onions and cilantro in a bowl.

2)Mix remaining ingredients in a cup. Pour over corn mixture and toss well. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Check for seasoning. Serves 4.

CORN CHOWDER WITH LOBSTER

You don’t have to go to Maine to enjoy this dish which makes for a hearty first course or a light lunch with crusty bread and green salad.

2 11/4-pound lobsters
3 cups corn kernels (3 to 4 ears), cobs saved
1/2 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 rib celery, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup warm milk
Salt and freshly pepper to taste
Healthy pinch cayenne
3 tablespoons chopped chives

1)Put lobsters in a large pot with a steamer basket and 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 10 minutes. Cool, remove meat, retain shells and cooking water. Cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces.

2)Add enough water to the lobster pot to make 2 quarts. Break the corn cobs in half and add along with the lobster shells. Bring to a boil, skimming any scum that forms on the surface. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Strain, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract any remaining liquid. You should have about 1 quart.

3)Meanwhile, steam potatoes, cool and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.

4)Melt butter in a small kettle or large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallots and celery until shallots soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour and stir a few minutes. Add lobster-corn stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer 10 minutes.

5)Add corn, potatoes, milk, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook 5 minutes. Add reserved lobster and chives. Heat a few minutes. Check for seasoning. Serves 6.

CORN BREAD

Add another jalapeno pepper if you like your cornbread really spicy.

Butter-flavor spray
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup non-fat sour cream
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 large jalapeno pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1)Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with butter-flavor spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2)Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.

3)Whisk buttermilk, eggs, oil and sour cream together in a small bowl. Add to the dry mixture.

4)Add remaining ingredients and mix until just barely combined. Pour into the baking pan and bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean and edges just begin to come away from the side of the pan. Makes 9 squares, about 6 to 8 servings.