Sweetcorn
Jul 5, 2012 2:32:45 GMT
Post by LouisXIV on Jul 5, 2012 2:32:45 GMT
It is good to see this near the top of the list again. It is that time of year and here in Northern Michigan we will be getting the "good stuff" from our local farm market in about a month, or maybe sooner, we have had a lot hot weather and rain. Farmers have an expression here, "Corn should be knee high by the 4th of July".
Yes, Tod2, the correct moment of harvest is important, if it is picked to late, it loses some of its moisture, tenderness and sweetness. It is also important to try to eat it the day it is picked, time is the enemy of good tasting sweet corn.
As for supermarket corn, we have it here most of the year, but to compare it to local corn in season, it is about a 5 on a scale of one to 10. I feel that people in the larger cities that only have supermarket corn available to them are really missing a lot.
I really question corn in a microwave, and over the years I am now almost only use the microwave to warm up things. And boiling corn for 15 minutes is just grossly over cooking it. A number of years ago I went with a friend to a local farm market and she purchased some of the best sweet corn I have seen around here. She cooked it for about 15 minutes and it was the worst I have ever had. It has lost much of it moisture, its sweetness and tender just was not a word to describe it. The kernels became dark yellow and the outside of the kernel was like cellophane. Three minutes in boiling water is enough, after that the corn starts to lose the qualities that make it a pleasant experience for the mouth. The next day I went to the same market and got a couple ears of corn and cooked it correctly and it was excellent. It is also important to eat it immediately after it comes out of the water, yes it is hot, but you can wait a couple minutes for it to cool a little. You do not keep in in a warming oven until the rest of the meal is done. The general rule in cooking is that everything comes off the stove at the same time and is served immediately. So the next time your mother yells, "Dinner is ready!", get your a** to the dinner table. She worked hard to do it right.
I am sure a lot of the people in the world are really going to find it hard to find quality sweet corn. Here is in the USA it is what we are know for, hot dogs, apple pie and sweet corn fits in there some where. In Europe I feel that really top quality sweet corn is going to be very difficult to find and if you are buying from a supermarket I have a strong feeling it had been picked a week before.
There are many varieties of sweet corn. I have an uncle who farms 3000 in field corn near the middle of Michigan and he know his corn. He has also made a lot of money in the last decade since they have been using corn to fuel cars and trucks. His favorite sweet corn variety is called Peaches and Cream. I have never tasted it, but if he said it is good, I am going to believe him.
I have also cut sweet corn off the cob and added it to a tossed salad, very good.
Yes, Tod2, the correct moment of harvest is important, if it is picked to late, it loses some of its moisture, tenderness and sweetness. It is also important to try to eat it the day it is picked, time is the enemy of good tasting sweet corn.
As for supermarket corn, we have it here most of the year, but to compare it to local corn in season, it is about a 5 on a scale of one to 10. I feel that people in the larger cities that only have supermarket corn available to them are really missing a lot.
I really question corn in a microwave, and over the years I am now almost only use the microwave to warm up things. And boiling corn for 15 minutes is just grossly over cooking it. A number of years ago I went with a friend to a local farm market and she purchased some of the best sweet corn I have seen around here. She cooked it for about 15 minutes and it was the worst I have ever had. It has lost much of it moisture, its sweetness and tender just was not a word to describe it. The kernels became dark yellow and the outside of the kernel was like cellophane. Three minutes in boiling water is enough, after that the corn starts to lose the qualities that make it a pleasant experience for the mouth. The next day I went to the same market and got a couple ears of corn and cooked it correctly and it was excellent. It is also important to eat it immediately after it comes out of the water, yes it is hot, but you can wait a couple minutes for it to cool a little. You do not keep in in a warming oven until the rest of the meal is done. The general rule in cooking is that everything comes off the stove at the same time and is served immediately. So the next time your mother yells, "Dinner is ready!", get your a** to the dinner table. She worked hard to do it right.
I am sure a lot of the people in the world are really going to find it hard to find quality sweet corn. Here is in the USA it is what we are know for, hot dogs, apple pie and sweet corn fits in there some where. In Europe I feel that really top quality sweet corn is going to be very difficult to find and if you are buying from a supermarket I have a strong feeling it had been picked a week before.
There are many varieties of sweet corn. I have an uncle who farms 3000 in field corn near the middle of Michigan and he know his corn. He has also made a lot of money in the last decade since they have been using corn to fuel cars and trucks. His favorite sweet corn variety is called Peaches and Cream. I have never tasted it, but if he said it is good, I am going to believe him.
I have also cut sweet corn off the cob and added it to a tossed salad, very good.