Sweet Corn

A true testament to summer’s arrival and a native to the America’s, Fresh Sweet Corn is a cause for summer celebration.  We try to pick our corn at the height of it sweetness, before the sugars turn to starch. 

 

Storage and Handling:

First lets talk about the most opportune time to enjoy your Freshly Picked Sweet Corn. It should be eaten as soon as possible to experience the peak of its sweetness.  For good old corn on the cob, eat it within 2 days.  If you do need to hold it in the refrigerator, leave the husks on and store them in a plastic bag.  If kept for more than 2 days we recommend cutting the corn off of the cob and using it in a recipe.

 

Now lets talk about bugs.  Finding a bug in your corn is not a cause to throw away perfectly good corn.  Simply cut off the buggy part and eat the rest.  Finding a bug in your corn is a testament to the fact that the corn you are eating and feeding your family is Certified Organic.  Corn is not an easy crop to grow organically and clean of bugs. 

Conventionally grown corn is either sprayed regularly with pesticides or is Genetically Modified to kill the bugs. 

 

How to freeze your Sweet Corn for the winter:

1.      Husk your ears of corn and remove the silks.

2.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

3.      Once boiling fill the pot with as much corn as you can, and let the corn sit in the boiling water for 60 seconds to quickly blanch the kernels.

4.      Immediately remove the blanched corn to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

5.      Once the corn is cool, let it drip dry, then cut the kernels from the cob, put them into freezer bags, remove as much air as possible and put directly into your freezer.

6.      This is great later for soups, side dishes, salsas, or as an addition to any recipe that calls for corn.

 

* a couple shareholders have told me that they’ve successfully froze their corn using the method above, but not cutting off the kernels.  They freeze the corn whole for a real treat of corn on the cob in the winter!

 

Culinary Uses:

First things first, corn on the cob.  That’s a no-brainer, but there are a variety of ways to cook, or not cook, corn on the cob.  I almost never eat corn on the cob cooked, if its freshly picked and organic, I like it raw.  Yes its delicious!  Give it a try. 

Otherwise, you can boil or steam it, being careful not to overcook it; you want those kernels to be crisp and juicy.  Or, my favorite method, soak the whole corn, husk and all in water for 5 to 10 minutes and then grill it.  Some of the water will seep in through the layers in the husk and steam the corn while it’s on the grill.  Cook until the husk is slightly charred.

Another is to husk and clean the corn, spread butter (and perhaps seasoning!) on the corn, then wrap it in foil and grill it.  This is also a delicious method.

 

Corn can also be cut from the cob for use in simple and delicious corn sautés, salsas, soups, side dishes, and entrees.