History of Corn
Corn is a western grain. It is believed to have been developed by Central American farmers from a native grass, thousands of years ago. When Columbus discovered America, he also discovered corn, which was a staple of the Native Americans.
During WW2, popped pop corn was used as packing filler for military supplies. This was before the ubiquitous plastic pellet was invented for this purpose.
Corn on the cob varieties
There are three basic varieties of corn. The most valuable is ‘dent’ corn, called ‘field corn’ which is used as cattle feed. The familiar ‘sweet corn’ that shows up in roadside stands in late summer in North America. There is, of course, ‘pop corn’ which is a kind of ‘dent’ corn that is characterized by a very hard shell on the kernel. It is also called ‘Indian corn’ and is used for decorations in the fall season in North America.
Our concern here is regarding sweet corn. There are many varieties, ranging from the yellow Golden Bantam with its full rows of heavy kernels that delight the mouth when eaten as ‘corn on the cob’ to Country Gentleman, which has a white sweet and tender kernel.
Cooking corn on the cob
The enzymes in corn immediately begin to convert the sugars into starch when the corn is picked from the stalk. The rule is; have the water boiling before you pick the corn. Fresh corn cooks very quickly, usually in 3 minutes. It is done cooking when a single kernel can be removed whole from the cob.
Sweet corn can be eaten raw if the ear is plucked before the grains are fully mature. For a camping treat, place ‘roasting ears’ of corn, still wrapped in their husk, directly on the coals of a campfire.
