A Corn-Y Post

Summer in the South means heat and humidity.  It also means grocery stores, farmer's markets and roadside stands are a veritable cornucopia of produce.


The summer vegetable I look forward to more than any other is corn.  The canned and frozen corn I cook during the off season pales in comparison to fresh from the field.  It doesn't matter to me if the kernels are yellow, white or a mixture of the two.  As long as it's fresh and juicy, I'm happy.


Corn is in season from May through September, but peaks in August. When purchasing corn, look for bright green husks and golden brown silks. The store where I shop has corn packaged with half the husk removed, exposing one side of the kernels.  When it's sold this way, I can press a kernel to see if any milk oozes out.  It if does, that's a good sign the corn is juicy.  Corn is best used right away so don't store it in the refrigerator longer than a day or two.

This is how corn is sold at my grocery store.
                        

If you think a microwave is only good for popcorn and heating leftovers, try using it to cook corn on the cob.  Not only is it quick, the corn retains more flavor than when boiled in a pot of water.  If you've never cooked corn in the microwave, it's really easy to do.

Husk the corn and remove all silks.  Wash the cobs with a vegetable brush under cold running water.  Place the damp corn on a piece of waxed paper; add butter or margarine, if desired.  Roll the corn in the waxed paper, twisting the ends to seal.  Put the corn spoke-fashion in the microwave and cook on High.  It takes three minutes per ear to cook in my 1100 watt microwave.  It might take more or less time depending on the wattage of your microwave.  I check the corn for doneness by squeezing the cob with a pot holder.  If it's not tender, I cook it in one minute intervals until it's done.

Spoke-fashion in the microwave.

If you've never cooked fresh corn on the cob, give it a try.  If you don't want to microwave the corn, it can be boiled or grilled.  No matter which way you choose to cook it, enjoy fresh corn while it's in season.

© Margaret's Morsels