Corn / Maize

 

Zea mays

corn.jpg

A quick introduction

The corn provided in our boxes is what most people would call 'corn on the cob', and it is composed of a long central core that is completely covered in small yellow (or multi-coloured!) kernels wrapped in a husk. When young and freshly picked, corn can be eaten raw straight from the cob. Corn is sweetest straight after the harvest so make sure not to store the cobs for too long! We grow most of our corn in the Milpa or ‘Three Sister’ system which means we grow corn, squash and beans together in one field so that they can benefit from each others company!

Storage

Corn looses sweetness very fast so try not to store it for too long.

Season

Summer

Suggestions for preparation

Depending on how you are planning to prepare the corn, you can either pull back the husk or not. Leave the husk on if you want to barbecue the cob, for example. Or remove the husk, then strip away the silky threads that cover the top of the cob before preparing the cob by boiling it for a few minutes (then serve with butter and some salt, yum!). If you are planning on cooking the kernels separately, place the whole cob with the stalk facing down on the cutting board and cut off the kernels with a knife by running it as close to the core as possible.

Recipes

3 ways to grill corn

Roasted corn with miso mayo

It’s a bit of work but delicious and very festive: use the corn husk to make tamales!

Here you can find all kinds of tip on how to use all parts of the corn. Turn out the threads can be used to brew tea and the inner core can be used for stock!

 
MiscellaneousMilo Buur