by Diane Sagers

CORRESPONDENT

Corn is one vegetable that may sit quietly at the side of the plate for most of the year, but when it is served freshly picked and hot on the cob, it becomes a sparkling star on the summer plate.

The corn that is the staple of some diets around the world -- as corn meal flour -- is field corn. For centuries, corn was a primary source of grain for Native Americans. Field corn is not nearly as flavorful as sweet corn because it does not have the sugar content. The corn that the Native Americans introduced the early settlers to was Indian corn, a form of field corn. The sweet corns we so love have evolved from them through natural selection and hybridizing. Modern corn is known as dent corn because of the dents that appear in the tops of the kernels when it is dried.

Corn was one of the grains popular among early settlers as well. Corn meal was part of the rations for the handcart pioneer companies who helped settle Utah. Each adult was allowed one pound of corn or flour per day to go with bacon or fresh meat. Later along the trail, if conditions warranted, the rations might be reduced to three-fourths of a pound per adult.

Corn is reasonably nutritious, providing a moderate amount of vitamin A, fiber, protein and B vitamins. At 143 calories per medium ear, it is not especially fattening. Adding delicious butter and letting it melt over the ears changes that, but the resultant flavor is certainly satisfying.

Homegrown corn is not necessarily prettier than its purchased counterpart -- often it isn't. Insects love corn and it if is not treated to prevent them, there is a good chance you'll be sharing some of those juicy kernels with a fat caterpillar or small nutalids. You may also find some undeveloped kernels on the end of the cob, particularly if earwigs have been munching on the silks.

The real value of fresh garden-grown corn is the flavor. Because corn begins to lose sugar immediately upon picking, homegrown corn retains a big advantage over vegetables picked two or three days before it reaches the supermarket. Sweet corn is very susceptible to rapid sugar-to-starch conversion. If you are able to go out just before dinner, pluck a few ears and cook them immediately, you will enjoy the sweetest, freshest taste. Cook, eat, chill, bottle or freeze it immediately after harvest.

Fresh corn is tasty cooked on the cob by boiling, broiling, grilling or steaming. When removed from the cob, it's suited to boiling, steaming, stir-frying or sautéing, braising, stewing, baking, pressure cooking, or microwaving. Corn can be stored if left in the husk, but loses some of its sweet flavor.

The Supersweet and Sugary enhanced varieties will hold their flavor longer, both on the stalk and after picking. These varieties should be cooked and eaten within 12 hours.

Ideally, you should pick and shuck corn as the water on the stove begins to boil. Cook the corn as quickly as possible after harvesting because the sugar content diminishes rapidly.

After eating all you can, prepare the rest for storage. Corn is well adapted to storage and has been stored in various forms throughout the ages. Don't be discouraged by the large number of cobs required to make a few pints of corn.

Drying corn

Drying corn is the time-tested method to save this vegetable. The advantage of dried corn over other storage methods is that it does not require any special equipment for preparation or reconstituting. The disadvantage is that it takes considerable time to rehydrate it for various uses.

To dry corn, begin with any yellow variety with sweet tender kernels. It will not improve after it is picked and dried. Husk the corn and steam it to stop enzyme action that makes it taste old. This is very important for optimum flavor when it is used. Cool quickly and cut the corn from the cob. Dry until brittle. It can be sun dried very easily or dried in a food dryer.

Corn can be dried on the cob for use in grinding. For cornmeal, use corn that is fully ripe, and allow the cobs to dry until the corn is brittle. It can be removed from the cob by grasping with both hands, squeezing tightly and twisting until the kernels are dislodged. They tend to flip out, so hold them over a large container. I recommend wearing gloves for this process as it is rather hard on the hands. This corn is also good as parched corn (the corn in Corn Nuts). Simply fry in hot oil as you would popcorn. The kernels swell and turn crisp and brown. Drain, salt and eat.

To cook with dried corn, rehydrate it first by placing about one cup of corn into two cups of boiling water. Let it stand for about two hours, then use in any cooked corn recipe, such as corn chowder or soups.

Bottling corn

This is one area where following a tested recipe is essential. This is no place to wax creative. Get up-to-date bottling information from the Extension Service, or look for the most current Ball Blue Book or the Kerr canning book. Follow the tested recipes to the letter. Corn does not need to be scalded before cutting from the cob for bottling. Simply shuck, remove silk and any wormy areas, wash thoroughly. A fairly stiff vegetable brush is a real help in getting rid of those last stray strands of silk. Cut from the cob and fill the jars for raw pack. Hot pack requires heating first. You may notice that corn must be processed much longer than some other vegetables. This is because it packs densely into the jar so it requires extra time for the heat to penetrate. Hot pack corn is processed for as long as raw pack. The advantage of hot pack is the pre-cooking gets rid of extra air and more corn fits in the jar.

Frozen corn

Always blanch corn before freezing. Blanching stops enzyme action. You may not notice any difference at first, but unblanched corn begins to taste old and tough after a few weeks in the freezer. After blanching, chill quickly, cut the kernels from the cob and pack into moister/vapor-proof freezer bags or freezing boxes or canning jars.

You can also freeze corn on the cob. Blanch ears about 1 1/2 inches in diameter for six minutes, 2-inches in diameter for eight minutes and larger ears for 10 minutes. Cool and then drain. And wrap each ear individually in moisture and vapor-proof wrap, then place in plastic freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze.