How Sweet It Is
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 do remember when tossing that corn into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes was the best way to cook it? Not any more.
In recent years, corn has been altered through cross-breeding to meet specific taste and texture demands. There are sweets, supersweets and sugar-enhanced, each with hundreds of varieties that taste and feel just a tad different from one another.
Grocery stores, 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, like it did in the past. 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 bicolor, 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.
There are, however, ways to 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. Sugarenhanced and standard sweet corn lasts only a couple of days. Supersweet corn, however, stays sweet for a couple of weeks. Farm stand and green 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 connoisseurs 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 to cook 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 for no more than 30 seconds.
Bob Sakata, owner of Sakata Farms, a large 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 for 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 Southwest 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, starting with a basic corn tortilla.
Corn Tortillas From “Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook.” Lloyd Rooney, a professor of food science and technology at Texas A&M University specializing in corn, says “a good corn tortilla is good for about 15 minutes. It’s like good, fresh French bread.”
1 1/2 cups masa harina (cornmeal flour, available in most larger supermarkets)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lard or vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups water
In a medium bowl, stir together the masa harina and salt. In a small pan, over high heat, bring lard or shortening and water to a boil and stir until melted. Pour this liquid into the masa harina and blend well with a fork or pastry blender. Knead on lightly floured board until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into a ball about 1-inch in diameter. Keep balls covered in plastic so they don’t dry out. One at a time, either roll the balls out between 2 pieces of waxed paper until about 6-inches in diameter and paper thin or press between 2 pieces of plastic in a tortilla press.
Heat a large cast iron or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Place dough in skillet. Cook on first side about 30 seconds. Flip and brown on second side, about 30 seconds. Some cooks prefer to flip it back to the first side for another 30 seconds, which causes it to puff out a bit more. Keep warm in cloth towel until other tortillas are finished.
Yield: 12 tortillas.
Green Corn Tamales
From “Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook.”
3 cups masa harina
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 chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
20 corn husks, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then individually washed
In a large bowl, combine the masa, baking powder, salt and sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the lard or shortening 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.
Tear each of 4 corn husks into 8, -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 chile strips down the center of the masa and top with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. 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.
Steam tamales as soon as they are made, or freeze them immediately. Fresh tamales should steam for 20 minutes; frozen, 30-40 minutes.
Yield: makes 16.
Posole
From “Southwest the Beautiful Cookbook.”
1 1/2 cups dried hominy, soaked overnight in water and drained, or 2 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 chiles, 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
In a large pot, combine all the ingredients except salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 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.
Serve in bowls with minced fresh jalapenos or red chili sauce and tortillas.
Yield: serves 6.
Zuni Corn Soup
From “Spirit of the Harvest, North American Indian Cooking.”
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 cup thinly slice green onions
1 pound boneless lamb, venison or goat meat, cubed
6 cups meat broth or water
4 cups corn kernels
1 to 2 teaspoons ground New Mexico red chile
Salt, to taste
Fresh cilantro sprigs or chopped cilantro
Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add green onions and saute briefly. Stir in meat and 3 cups of broth.
Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender. Add remaining broth, corn, chile and salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until corn is tender.
Serve the hot soup in bowls topped with cilantro.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Zuni Succotash
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 to 2 teaspoons ground New Mexican red chile or 1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups peeled, seeded and 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
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 chile and saute until meat is lightly browned and onion is softened.
Stir in tomatoes, corn, and beans and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until meat is cooked and vegetables are tender.
Stir in crushed sunflower seeds and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until succotash has thickened.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Fresh Corn Puffs
From “The Art of American Indian Cooking.”
4 ears fresh corn
3 cups shortening or oil for deep-fat frying
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 eggs, beaten until light
Husk corn, remove silks and scrape kernels and pulp from corn. There should be about 1 cups. Place shortening or oil in large pot and begin to heat slowly. Test fat for temperature; it should be 350 degrees. It should take 10-15 minutes to reach temperature.
Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix in eggs and corn. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into hot oil. Fry puffs until light and golden brown on all sides. Drain in paper towels and serve.
Yield: 4 dozen.