Corn is one of the United States’ most widely grown plant. Not all corn is created equally, though. The kind of corn that ends up in packaged foods, sweeteners, and non-edible products is not the same as the delicious corn being roasted on grills every summer. Sweet corn is a wonderful summer treat, whose versatility makes it a favorite in all sorts of food.
How to Pick the Perfect Ear of Corn
Find sweet corn that was picked very recently. Oftentimes a stand at a Farmers’ Market will have sign in front of their corn that says “Picked Today.” This is the ideal situation because freshness counts when it comes to sweet corn. Although a lot of corn grown today has been designed to retain its sweetness for a long time, once the corn is harvested, it begins to lose moisture and the sugar begins converting to starch.
Additionally, pay attention to colors. The silky strings at the top should be fresh-looking, the tip of the ear should not be brown and mushy, and the kernels themselves should appear plump and milky. Expect a sweeter taste from white varieties and a deeper corn taste from yellow varieties.
Once you purchase your corn, get it to a cool spot as soon as possible. Store the corn unhusked in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and use it as soon as you can.
How to Use and Eat Sweet Corn
Sweet corn can be made into delicious soups, creamy and chunky alike. Also add them to salsa and salads for a refreshing change of texture. Corn pudding and corn bread also benefit from fresh picked corn.
Corn is also tasty all by itself. Shave cooked corn onto a plate for a side dish or eat it straight from the cob. Food Network’s Tyler Florence notes that you can place an ear of corn straight into a 350 degree oven and roast for 30 minutes for an easy way to prepare corn on the cob. You can also enjoy corn raw straight from the cob for a juicy, sweet treat—just be sure that the corn is fresh.
The website “Spice Advice” recommends the following herbs and spices as complements to the full flavor of corn:
- Basil
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Dillweed
- Curry powder
- Cumin
- Marjoram
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Health Benefits of Fresh Corn
Corn is a good source of vitamin B1, folate, and dietary fiber. The folate in corn is useful in lowering levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can directly damage blood vessels. Consuming adequate amounts of folate, then, help support general cardiovascular health. The World’s Healthiest Foods website (cited below) writes, “[i]t has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value (DV) of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%.
Vitamin B1 (thiamin), another vitamin well-represented in corn, is key to the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine; therefore, consuming healthy amounts of corn aid in human cognitive and neural functioning.
Another compound in corn, beta-cryptoxanthin, has been shown to significantly reduce a person’s risk of lung cancer. This carotenoid is also present in large amounts in peaches, oranges, and tangerines.
References
Fletcher, J. (1997). Fresh from the Farmers’ Market. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
The George Mateljan Foundation (n.d.) Corn. Retrieved from : Whfoods.org
Andy Luttrell - I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at the Ohio State University after having completed undergraduate education at Eastern ...
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