the best corn on the cob

RE: the best corn on the cob (wallhd)

Sun, 10 Oct 2004 11:05:48 GMT

I can remember my Dad telling about the best way to cook and serve sweet corn:

Have the water boiling. Go out to the garden (or cornfield, if you will). Pick what you need. RUN back toward the kitchen (if you happen to fall or drop an ear, forget it, go back and pick more). Husk the corn as quickly as you can, drop it in the boiling water and let the water come back to a full boil for three minutes (not a second more!). Then out of the pot and serve with butter and salt. That's it.

Of course since then, the plant breeders have developed improved varities whcih remain stable for a little longer, so I guess if you drop an ear, it's now ok to bend over and pick it up!

Wally

RE: the best corn on the cob (hermitt4d)

Sun, 10 Oct 2004 07:55:51 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

My advice to you that in starting out in making butter, follow the K.I.S.S method(keep it simple, stupid) You can do this by just using a mayo jar or similiar with a tight fastening lid. This site has pretty good instructions on how to accomplish this:
http://www.crowsdairy.com/class%20activity.htm

Also, if you can, no matter what method of butter-making you attempt, make pals with a dairy farmer and get fresh cream from them if at all possible. You can use the Heavy Cream from the grocery ailse, but it really doesn't match up to fresh from the farm.

I have two butter churns. One is a smaller DAZEY Glass Churn, that has small paddles. My other one is a Dash style churn, that holds 8 gallons of cream. It's a wooden heirloom one, brought over from Ireland by my great-great-great-great -great grandmother in the early 1800's. I've used it a couple times, but it is a huge amount of work, but actually does the best. It's more of a decorative item in my home now.

As far as longetivity of butter, tradition has it that if you store it in a very strong salt brine, you may keep it up to a year. Mine, however has never had the chance to test that theory, we use it up lickety split. Here's a rather neat site taken from an 1800's cookbook on buttermaking:

http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/6000/butter.html

Hope this gives you a good start!

Thanks for the info and links, redtressed. I was looking in to this a couple of weeks ago and came across the Gem Dandy churns: http://www.wisementrading.com/butterchurns.htm I think I read that the Dazey churns are no longer made. I'll try the mayo jar method first (minus the marbles - I lost all mine ).

I was having dinner at a restaurant recently and the meal was accompanied by a personal-sized skillet of fresh made cornbread (the best part of the meal, as it happened) and as I was unwrapping yet another packet of butter to slather on it I happened to think "Gee, this'd be even better with fresh butter." That must have come from some childhood experience, but I haven't been able to flesh it out.

I can remember a dash style churn and 'helping out' to make butter at least once (I'm sure I was a big help!). I think it was probably at an aunt and uncle's farm in the country - they didn't even have electricity. Their son still lives on the farm so I'll see if he knows whatever happened to that churn. I'm hoping to be able to get fresh cream from him.

My father's father ran a small dairy in the Houston Heights in the 20s and 30s, way before my time, so I'm sure there were churns in the family.

I'm sure it won't last long around here either if I make it, I was just wondering if it was a matter of a few days or so.

Thanks again!

RE: the best corn on the cob (hefried)

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 23:22:17 GMT

Hi Emily in Paris:
By the way, I love that movie Amelie that's
set in Paris... I wonder if that Greengrocer in the movie had corn in his market??? Prob. not.
I grew up on Cape Cod and we had amazing corn every summer, grown by a guy in East Falmouth called Tony Andrews. My mom still goes to "tonyandrews" for corn each year.
My Dad always cooks corn on the cob in a big pot of boiling water with sugar and a splash of milk in it. (????i know, odd) But always delicious corn, which we ate with the little corn on the cob yellow plastic poky things stuck in each end with tons of butter and salt and pepper.
I moved to Oregon many years ago and all I ate the first month I lived here was corn on the cob. Out in the Hood River Valley the Corn is just simply fantastic! I have cooked it by boiling it and grilling it with and with out the husk ( i agree with Rick Bayless, that somebody mentioned in their post, that grilling IN THE HUSK is basically just steaming the corn.)
I have also wrapped it in foil and shoved it in the middle of a campfire, but that again really just steams it. ( good, though!)
Sometimes I cut fresh corn off the cobs and saute it and then make corn " stock" by simmering the cobs for a while ( corn chowder! yum)
I bet all this corn talk makes you want it BAAAAAD, Emily, I hope you can make up for not having corn by reveling in the wines,cheeses and breads that you can get in Paris that we cannot in the states!

RE: the best corn on the cob (redtressed)

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 20:17:55 GMT

My advice to you that in starting out in making butter, follow the K.I.S.S method(keep it simple, stupid) You can do this by just using a mayo jar or similiar with a tight fastening lid. This site has pretty good instructions on how to accomplish this:
http://www.crowsdairy.com/class%20activity.htm

Also, if you can, no matter what method of butter-making you attempt, make pals with a dairy farmer and get fresh cream from them if at all possible. You can use the Heavy Cream from the grocery ailse, but it really doesn't match up to fresh from the farm.

I have two butter churns. One is a smaller DAZEY Glass Churn, that has small paddles. My other one is a Dash style churn, that holds 8 gallons of cream. It's a wooden heirloom one, brought over from Ireland by my great-great-great-great -great grandmother in the early 1800's. I've used it a couple times, but it is a huge amount of work, but actually does the best. It's more of a decorative item in my home now.

As far as longetivity of butter, tradition has it that if you store it in a very strong salt brine, you may keep it up to a year. Mine, however has never had the chance to test that theory, we use it up lickety split. Here's a rather neat site taken from an 1800's cookbook on buttermaking:

http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/6000/butter.html

Hope this gives you a good start!

RE: the best corn on the cob (hermitt4d)

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 19:03:31 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

quote:
Goose Posted - 09/23/2004 : 16:28:51
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

I still raise Silver Queen, using the offspring of the seeds we have saved every harvest since I was a little girl, not by purchasing new. I also grow Ambrosia, Milk and Honey, and Pontiac Yellow, which is not as sweet and good to use for freezing whole cobs for consumption in the winter(doesn't get as hard and starchy). I generally either steam corn or grill it in the husk. As for accoutrements, for Ambrosia and Milk and Honey....it absolutely needs none. For yellow corn, I either use a spray butter, or make a butter flavored with seasoned salt and Tennessee Sunshine sauce(a vinegar based hot sauce with large flakes of pepper in it)

do you sew your own clothes, and churn your own butter as well?

When the mood strikes.....uh huh. I have a 1869 butter churn but rarely employ it for such....tis just as easy to make butter in a glass jar. As far as the sewing...I did a good deal of the sewing and creation of costumes for the WVU Drama Department back in the dark ages and won the blue ribbon in state competition in 4-H, back before time began. Want me to sew the rip up in the seat of your britches?

redtressed: I have recently been thinking about doing this (making my own butter, not sewing up the seat of goose's pants). What kind of churn do you have? how long does it take? How long does it keep?

RE: the best corn on the cob (RubyRose)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 20:00:05 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by seafarer john

Do you microwave it in the husk, unhusked, wrapped in something, How????

cheers, John

About 10 years ago, I got this hard plastic container with two indentations the size of corn ears and a lighter weight plastic lid. I just stick the husked ears in it and put in the microwave for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook for about 2 minutes more. You could do it in any loosely covered microwaveable container. If I've had the corn for more than a few hours, I add a teaspoon or two of water.

I am not a fan of microwaves for other than melting butter, etc. but I think they shine when it comes to maintaining the natural taste of vegetables like asparagus and broccoli or for precooking ones like winter squashes or eggplant.

RE: the best corn on the cob (Michael Hoffman)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 19:24:26 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by leslie1787

Redtressed. Where or who makes Tennessee Sunshine? I've never seen it in the store and I'm from Tenn.
Cakes. I remember that my mom did the same thing, start the water to boil before we went to pick. Sure wish I had room or time for a garden now.

Kroger has Tennessee Sunshine. At least, they do in Ohio. They also have Cajun Sunshine and several other Sunshines, all made by the same company.

RE: the best corn on the cob (plb)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 17:42:59 GMT

John,

Way up in this thread I recommended wrapping the corn in plastic wrap and poking a few holes in it. I think this method concentrates the flavor in the corn, by not dissipating it in the water or steam. However, one reader seemed offended by the unP.C.ness of using a microwave at all.

I would think leaving it in the husks would give the same effect, but would probably waste power by cooking the husks as well.

RE: the best corn on the cob (seafarer john)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 16:55:06 GMT

Do you microwave it in the husk, unhusked, wrapped in something, How????

cheers, John

RE: the best corn on the cob (RubyRose)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 16:37:29 GMT

I just go up to the local cornstand and they only have three signs to last through the entire season - Yellow Corn, White Corn and Bi-color Corn. The varieties under the sign or signs change with the weeks but they're always good if we have enough rain.

I eat it grilled, creamed, fried with bacon drippings and onion, mixed with fresh baby Fordhook lima beans and also dishes like corn pudding, corn fritters, etc. But I like it microwaved best and served with butter, salt & pepper. For me, microwaving has replaced the boiling or steaming method when I'm only making a couple of ears at a time.

RE: the best corn on the cob (Rusty246)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 15:00:15 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by michaelgemmell

Emily, one of the things that confounds me about the French (and I'm 1/4 myself) is their rejection of corn as human food. It tends to suggest that instead of being epicures--not afraid to try any food obviously wholesome--that some French, at least, are just food snobs. Gee, they'd fit right in here in San Francisco! Please see if you can find sweet corn and make it for your friends.

Aren't we all lucky enough to live where our favorite varieties are grown? Science indeed is responsible for corn that will stay sweet after harvest, and, frankly, some is better, but I like it all. For that matter, what's with my fellow Californians shucking the corn in the grocery store? Nature provided corn with a wrapper that helps keep it fresh. Why leave that wrapper at the store? You're paying by the ear, not the pound, so why bring home corn that's turning stale as you pay for it?

I shuck and silk it, trim the bottom (get every last bit of the husk off now!) and put it in a large kettle of cold water--nothing else. Put on the lid, bring to a boil, then turn off the flame. Leave the lid on and wait 20 minutes for corn that's perfectly cooked every time. Wait a little longer and it will still not get overcooked. I melt butter, pour it into a corn dish and roll the ear in it, which is less messy and wasteful than cold butter from the fridge.

Friends in Iowa in mid-August simply soaked the unshucked corn in cold water for two minutes, then grilled. They removed the husk and silk afterwards, with one quick motion--all silk gone. Delicious!

Muppets corn is shucked and washed. Mix a package of Knorr (not Lipton, it's too salty) onion soup mix into 1/2 pound softened UNsalted butter. Spread thickly on the corn, wrap individually in foil and grill. Oops, I don't remember for how long! This works baking it in the oven, too. When you unwrap it, it's buttered and salted.

An old Midwestern trick is to put a little peanut butter on the corn after butter and before salt. A LITTLE! It just makes it taste sweeter somehow. Once I stretched the Muppets butter mix with peanut butter. No one noticed the peanut butter taste but all kept complimenting me on the very sweet corn.

Forget those plastic corn holders with the nails embedded, they never last. Williams-Sonoma sells stainless steel cornholders, and they're as strong as--stainless steel! They're not cheap, but they should last forever.

I just asked my partner if he'd go to the store--for corn! He said no. Alas!

I have to try the onion soup/butter method that sounds REALLY good! As for your partner not getting the corn, do him as my brother did me about kool-aid when we were kids, he'd ask me to make it, I'd say "no, you make it". He said: "If I make it you won't get any!" Nuff said. You go get the corn.....

RE: the best corn on the cob (Rusty246)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 14:52:08 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Rusty246

quote:
Originally posted by leslie1787

Redtressed. Where or who makes Tennessee Sunshine? I've never seen it in the store and I'm from Tenn.
Cakes. I remember that my mom did the same thing, start the water to boil before we went to pick. Sure wish I had room or time for a garden now.

I like it as well and it's Luzianne that makes it!

Luzianne makes Tennessee Sunshine, sorry it's Friday and I'm ready to go. Andyes, I like it especially on oysters.

RE: the best corn on the cob (Rusty246)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 14:40:40 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by leslie1787

Redtressed. Where or who makes Tennessee Sunshine? I've never seen it in the store and I'm from Tenn.
Cakes. I remember that my mom did the same thing, start the water to boil before we went to pick. Sure wish I had room or time for a garden now.

I like it as well and it's Luzianne that makes it!

RE: the best corn on the cob (carlton pierre)

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 14:23:02 GMT

Is there such a thing as bad corn? I'll eat it right out of the can. For fresh corn I love it boiled for five or ten minutes, or I like it on the grill.
When I was in Pakistan little kids would run up to the trains when they stopped and sell grilled ears of corn and they were excellent that way.

carl reitz

RE: the best corn on the cob (EdSails)

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 19:02:48 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by leslie1787

I've scanned this thread and I haven't seen reference to fried corn. I love me some fried corn. Does anyone do that? How about a recipe?

Back on the first page of this thread I started a discussion of deep-fried corn. It's good stuff!

RE: the best corn on the cob (leslie1787)

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:52:48 GMT

I've scanned this thread and I haven't seen reference to fried corn. I love me some fried corn. Does anyone do that? How about a recipe?

RE: the best corn on the cob (leslie1787)

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:50:13 GMT

Redtressed. Where or who makes Tennessee Sunshine? I've never seen it in the store and I'm from Tenn.
Cakes. I remember that my mom did the same thing, start the water to boil before we went to pick. Sure wish I had room or time for a garden now.

RE: the best corn on the cob (redtressed)

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 16:05:27 GMT

well..yeah...and it's danged economical....and that's me........the econo-queen, not to be confused with the EconoLodge Queen.

RE: the best corn on the cob (Goose)

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 13:11:22 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

quote:
Goose Posted - 09/23/2004 : 16:28:51
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

I still raise Silver Queen, using the offspring of the seeds we have saved every harvest since I was a little girl, not by purchasing new. I also grow Ambrosia, Milk and Honey, and Pontiac Yellow, which is not as sweet and good to use for freezing whole cobs for consumption in the winter(doesn't get as hard and starchy). I generally either steam corn or grill it in the husk. As for accoutrements, for Ambrosia and Milk and Honey....it absolutely needs none. For yellow corn, I either use a spray butter, or make a butter flavored with seasoned salt and Tennessee Sunshine sauce(a vinegar based hot sauce with large flakes of pepper in it)

do you sew your own clothes, and churn your own butter as well?

When the mood strikes.....uh huh. I have a 1869 butter churn but rarely employ it for such....tis just as easy to make butter in a glass jar. As far as the sewing...I did a good deal of the sewing and creation of costumes for the WVU Drama Department back in the dark ages and won the blue ribbon in state competition in 4-H, back before time began. Want me to sew the rip up in the seat of your britches?

so you can enter the "earth mother of the year contest", right?

RE: the best corn on the cob (seafarer john)

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 12:57:38 GMT

Snoby: That's almost what we call a clambake.

Cheers, john

RE: the best corn on the cob (EdSails)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:18:11 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by snoby

A freind of mine was steeming clams over beer. I put some corn on the cob on top of the clams, when the clams were done so was the corn. Boy, they came out real good. Fill a pot with 3/4 clam juice and 1/4 beer and boil the corn til its done. It tastes almost as good.

Yum!

RE: the best corn on the cob (snoby)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 17:37:29 GMT

A freind of mine was steeming clams over beer. I put some corn on the cob on top of the clams, when the clams were done so was the corn. Boy, they came out real good. Fill a pot with 3/4 clam juice and 1/4 beer and boil the corn til its done. It tastes almost as good.

RE: the best corn on the cob (redtressed)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:56:35 GMT

quote:
Goose Posted - 09/23/2004 : 16:28:51
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

I still raise Silver Queen, using the offspring of the seeds we have saved every harvest since I was a little girl, not by purchasing new. I also grow Ambrosia, Milk and Honey, and Pontiac Yellow, which is not as sweet and good to use for freezing whole cobs for consumption in the winter(doesn't get as hard and starchy). I generally either steam corn or grill it in the husk. As for accoutrements, for Ambrosia and Milk and Honey....it absolutely needs none. For yellow corn, I either use a spray butter, or make a butter flavored with seasoned salt and Tennessee Sunshine sauce(a vinegar based hot sauce with large flakes of pepper in it)

do you sew your own clothes, and churn your own butter as well?

When the mood strikes.....uh huh. I have a 1869 butter churn but rarely employ it for such....tis just as easy to make butter in a glass jar. As far as the sewing...I did a good deal of the sewing and creation of costumes for the WVU Drama Department back in the dark ages and won the blue ribbon in state competition in 4-H, back before time began. Want me to sew the rip up in the seat of your britches?

RE: the best corn on the cob (Goose)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:28:51 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

I still raise Silver Queen, using the offspring of the seeds we have saved every harvest since I was a little girl, not by purchasing new. I also grow Ambrosia, Milk and Honey, and Pontiac Yellow, which is not as sweet and good to use for freezing whole cobs for consumption in the winter(doesn't get as hard and starchy). I generally either steam corn or grill it in the husk. As for accoutrements, for Ambrosia and Milk and Honey....it absolutely needs none. For yellow corn, I either use a spray butter, or make a butter flavored with seasoned salt and Tennessee Sunshine sauce(a vinegar based hot sauce with large flakes of pepper in it)

do you sew your own clothes, and churn your own butter as well?

RE: the best corn on the cob (Emilyparis)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:09:54 GMT

hi again and thanks for all of your comments,

Really the French are weird, in answer to MichaelGemmell, the only people who seem to really love corn here are the Africans. They set up these strange little stands in shopping carts, and cook it over charcoal, other ethnic groups do chestnuts, and it's really interesting but tough (cow corn, for the livestock in my opinion, but still better than nothing), however, it's not the butter and sugar I was brought up with...otherwise we do have corn at KFC but once again the really tough yellow kind.

Perhaps I will go on a photo this weekend of all the corn cobs on the street outside of the KFC at Chateau Rouge. V V interesting from a cultural perspective

RE: the best corn on the cob (seafarer john)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:05:12 GMT

The only good thing I can say for Jersey corn is that it is on the market two weeks before we have any of the World's Greatest Corn here in the Walkill valley.

Cheers, John

RE: the best corn on the cob (alesrus)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:58:56 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by seafarer john

Garlic and cilantro on fresh corn on the cob? The man ought to be arrested!!!

The World's best fresh corn is grown right here in New Paltz, New York. ..... - no other place in the world can boast such great fresh corn on the cob.

Eat your hearts out ,the rest of you poor folks who will never know corn in its perfect state...

Cheers, John

Sorry Seafarer John, Two words for you JERSEY CORN

RE: the best corn on the cob (ocdreamr)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 09:48:45 GMT

Best corn I ever had was back in the 70's. I was living up in the country. A local Dairy farmer turned over one of his roadside fields to his son & daughter. They would plant it with corn every year. When the corn was ready they would set up a couple of chairs by the side of the road & wait. I would pull up, roll my window down & tell them how much I wanted. They would head into the field picking as they went. Money & corn would be exchanged through the window & off I would go. I only lived about a half mile down the road, so it didn't take long to get home. I'd put the water on first & by the time it was boiling the corn would be shucked. Alas the kids have grown & a church now stands in that field, but what great memories of wonderful corn.

RE: the best corn on the cob (Cakes)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 08:37:53 GMT

Very interesting, redtressed.

My grandfather's second wife's daughter's husband (how's that for shirt tail?)taught ag at SDSU and then worked for Sakoda, a seed corn company. That is where my limited knowledge comes from.

Cakes

RE: the best corn on the cob (redtressed)

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 01:43:29 GMT

You are correct Cakes, on most points on this and for the commercial Silver Queen hybrid. The difference for this however, is that this was not from a commercial or home grown availiabilty. This strain/hybrid of Silver Queen was an experiment done by a southern university's plantpathologists, reason of developing a more disease and pest resistant corn. The mutations invoked did not do the resistance they were trying to acheive, in fact they weakened the "longevity" of the hybrids that were used, but adversely, in their opinion, the mutation that did occur was the retention of an almost pure composition ofthe original hybrid in successive plantings. It was never marketed or distributed for use, because of the excessive increase in fragility. We had it..lol...because my brother in law was one of the pathologists. In essence, it is not 100 percent Silver Queen as it is much more fragile, but it is of the original strain and has not been named otherwise, since it was never distributed, but the mutation did keep a great deal of the inherence of the hybrid. We've had many weird "experimental" veggies in our garden over the years, from what I would call a peppermato(a bell peppery ambienced tomato that didn't quite cut it, because of a thickened, fleshy tough skin)to a many knobbed carrot -radish. We also had some of the first Yukon Gold potatoes as well as a blue potato, the name which escapes me. You don't wanna know about all the houseplants, trees , grasses and even kudzu, that have been tried out on our property.(but I always had the most unusual plant projects in school) There is very little of it left, my guess is that within the next couple years , I'll run out of viable ones altogether. As it is now, I only had 7 stalks that produced this year and only a couple of ears on each, so it does seem to be weakening in reproductive abilities, greatly. So yes you are right, and I'm right