Plucking the perfect ear of corn from a produce bin or farmers market booth sounds easy enough. But it’s tougher than most people realize.
And remember when tossing that corn into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes was the best way to cook it? Not anymore.
In recent years, corn has been crossbred to meet specific taste and texture demands. There are sweets, supersweets and sugar-enhanced, each with hundreds of varieties that taste and feel a tad different from one another.
Grocery stores, produce markets and farm stands now are bursting with these varieties of yellow and white ears of fresh sweet corn, and it’s not so easy to tell them apart.
A name won’t reveal much about corn anymore. Today a name such as Silver Queen can refer to more than one variety-not just that familiar silvery-white stick.
Color isn’t always the best way to identify corn. Most varieties come in three colors: yellow, white and bi-color, and they all can taste alike.
Shoppers can’t go around taking bites out of corn to see if they like it, either. The best way to know what kind of corn you’re buying is to ask.
You can, however, determine freshness.
The freshest sweet corn has green (not yellowed), slightly damp husks that hug the ear tightly. The silk on top should be damp, but can be slightly dry. Peel the husks back slightly and check the kernels at the top. They should be firmly in the cob and rounded. Home corn growers also can tell if corn is ripe by pricking a kernel. There should be a white, milky liquid. If there’s no liquid, it’s old. If the liquid is clear, it’s too young.
The old rule of thumb, that corn should be eaten the same day it’s picked, is still a good one. Sugar-enhanced and standard sweet corn lasts only a couple of days. Supersweet corn, however, stays sweet for a couple of weeks. Farm stand and produce market operators usually can tell you which category they’re selling. Most non-local corn at grocery stores is supersweet.
Corn can dry out easily. While cookbooks generally advise storing corn in its husk in plastic bags, some people recommend husking corn before storing because the husk uses moisture the kernels need. Store husked corn in a zip-lock-style plastic bag with a little water to keep it moist. Another technique includes both theories – remove the silk and all but two layers of husk and store it wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Many people overcook corn because they’re using old cooking methods for modern corn types. Some experts suggest not cooking corn at all-eat it raw, on the cob or sprinkled in salad.
Here are a few cooking tips from experts.
Betty Fussell, author of “The Story of Corn”: Remove a few of the outer husks. Fold back the rest of the husks and remove all the silk. Pull husks up over the ears and tie with a strip of husk or a twist tie. Drop into boiling water and cook no more than 30 seconds.
Bob Sakata, owner of Sakata Farms, the largest sweet-corn grower in Colorado: Leave corn in two layers of husk with silk removed. Wrap in three layers of paper towel. Run under faucet until corn and towels are soaked. Microwave a few minutes.
Reggie Brown, manager, Florida sweet corn exchange: Husk and microwave in a zip-lock-style bag with a little water for a couple of minutes. Or, leave husk and silk on. Microwave for a couple of minutes. Silk and husk will come off easily.
Corn first appeared in the United States in the Four Corners Region about 2,000 years ago, brought there from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, where it was cultivated 8,000 years ago.
“Corn is the first of the crops to be domesticated by human beings, and more than any other crop, it is the connection between humans and the Earth,” says Devon Pena, a sociology professor at Colorado College who studies Southwestern farmers. “It shows the ability of humans to make life out of the Earth.”
Since corn couldn’t grow without a human to plant it and humans needed it for food, the mutual-aid relationship bolstered corn’s spiritual and cultural importance.
“When a plant makes civilization possible, people will attach a lot of mythic significance to that crop,” Pena says.
The Navajo, for example, explain creation through corn. A giant turkey is said to have deposited corn on earth in four colors. Even today, in some American Indian cultures, the six colors of kernels (white, yellow, red, blue, speckled and black) represent each of the four directions plus up and down.
These recipes reflect some traditional native uses of corn in the Southwest.
GREEN CORN TAMALES
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 tamales
Adapted from “Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook.” Masa harina and dried corn husks are available in Hispanic markets and in large supermarkets in the imported food aisle.
3 cups masa harina (such as Quaker)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups lard or vegetable shortening, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups white corn kernels, pureed
4 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into strips
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
20 dried corn husks, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then individually rinsed
1. Combine the masa, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Beat the lard or shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated and all lumps of masa are gone. Mix in the pureed white corn until evenly distributed.
2. Tear each of 4 corn husks into 8, 1/2-inch wide strips and set aside. Place a softened corn husk in palm of your hand, point up. Using a rubber spatula, gently spread 4-5 tablespoons of masa mixture as evenly as possible across center of husk. Place the chili strips down the center of the masa and top with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese.
3. Pick up the long sides of the husk with your fingertips and bring them together above the center of the filling. Pinch the sides of the husk together so the masa encircles the filling. Fold the excess husk to one side. Tie each end with one of the strips of corn husk. Repeat to make 16 tamales. To seal, tear extra corn husks into strips and tie them around each tamale, or wrap burrito style in parchment.
4. Steam tamales as soon as they are made, or freeze them immediately. Fresh tamales should steam 20 minutes; frozen, 30-40 minutes.
POSOLE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 to 3 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from “Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook.”
1 1/2 cups dried hominy, soaked overnight in water and drained, or two 16-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained, about 3 cups
1 1/2 pounds lean, boneless pork, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 dried New Mexico red chilies, stems and seeds removed, torn into pieces
2 cups finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
6 cups water or more as needed
Salt to taste
1. Combine all the ingredients except salt in a large pot. Heat to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 2 to 3 hours, until meat is tender and the hominy kernels have burst and are swelled and tender. The stew should have plenty of liquid, so add more water if necessary throughout cooking time.
2. Season with salt. Serve in bowls with minced fresh jalapenos or red chili sauce and tortillas.
ZUNI SUCCOTASH
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Adapted from “Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking.”
1 pound uncooked beef or venison, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons corn oil or bacon drippings
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 teaspoons ground New Mexican red chili or 1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups peeled, seeded, diced tomatoes
2 cups corn kernels
2 cups green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons hulled sunflower seeds, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Pat meat dry so it will brown properly. Heat oil or drippings in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat, onion and chili and cook until meat is lightly browned and onion is softened.
2. Stir in tomatoes, corn, and beans and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes, until meat is cooked and vegetables are tender. Stir in crushed sunflower seeds and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes longer, until succotash has thickened.
