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Lend Me an Ear
If you read the blog "The North Country's Four Seasons," you know that right now we are in corn-on-the-cob season. We always get those teaser ears of corn, the ones "shipped fresh from Florida," but taste like they've been frozen four times. Hopefully, the best ears of corn this season are yet to come.
I've bought my corn at two local vegetable stands and found the same thing with both. The ears of corn are small, smaller than last year and the year before that (2004). With more husk than cob many of the ears are about half the size of when I was a kid. Back in those days, Mom usually bought her fresh corn at Shield's on the Beekmantown Road. I see they are still there, an amazing long-running family business.
The ears of corn in those days filled your plate, twice the size of today's ears. Big and round it took all I could do to lift one when I was little. They didn't even fit into those plastic corn-on-the-cob holders my mom bought at an Avon party. They extended beyond the ends, like Shaq trying to fit into a twin bed.
Is there some reason that the ears are so small? Is this just the early run and the big ears will be available next week. I'm talking about ears this year of four inches long compared to nine inches in the old days. I'm not exaggerating. So next time instead of my three ears at one sitting, I'm doubling up to six. I don't mean to sound like a glutton, but I know my math and three ears times two equals six ears.
And once you bring those ears of fresh corn home it's cooking time. How long do you cook your fresh corn? I'm a seven-minute guy, but I'd be interested in what other corn connoisseurs are doing. Any other tricks of cooking fresh corn so that the flavor and tenderness will be kept or enhanced?
NBC Dateline could produce an entire show on the ways to eat your fresh corn. Eating corn off the cob effectively is actually an important skill for some of us. You need to decide if you are eating by the row or rows, or if you're going to work your way around the corn. I'm a row man, prefering three rows at a time, however, the small kernels this year may turn me into a four-row guy.
After applying the mandatory butter and salt and, often, black pepper, one must be sure the temperature of the corn has decreased a bit from when it occupied its previous site in boiling water. That first bite better not be too aggresive or you will feel shooting pains from your front teeth up into your gums and into your brain. Judging the depths of the follow-up bites comes with experience. A rookie corn-on-the-cob eater may bite too much into the cob and end up chewing on non-digestible corn parts. The experienced eater gets just to the bottom of the kernel and lifts it out of its socket with a smooth bite.
I remember that when I lost my front teeth my Mom would saw the kernels off the cob and I'd get the same taste without the hassle of holding the cob on each end. I tried that the other night just for kicks, but ended up with some kernels bouncing onto the floor, and others flying onto my kitchen wall. Frankly, not worth the trouble. I'll stick with holding the cobs with those little plastic corn pickers in the shape of an ear of corn.
If we keep heading in the same direction maybe someday those fresh ears of corn will be even smaller than the corn pickers!
Comments
Hi, Foxy... wanted to tell you that I have discovered that i like corn on the cob without any salt or butter or anything...Love the pure taste of the raw cooked corn... Try it you may like it....
(Foxy's note: Thanks for the tip, Ray. Guess the butter with salt and pepper is just a habit. I'll give the plain corn a taste at tomorrow's lunch!)
Posted by: Ray Ducatte | August 4, 2006 4:33 PM
Foxy, The ears down here are huge and sweet tasting. We soak them in water with the husk still on for about 30 minutes and throw them on the grill. WOW!!!!
Posted by: Randy Vaughn | August 4, 2006 8:57 AM
C'mon Foxy - What a great excuse to pick up some bubble bath while you're there - try it - you'll like it! OK I may be pushing it a bit now. However, I believe even my second favorite "man's man" has a feminine side just screaming to be set free. Man, I am enjoying this way too much!
(Foxy's note: What? me sitting in bubble bath -- never! Have I been missing something all these years?)
Posted by: diane | August 3, 2006 1:58 PM
Foxy, Last weekend we had our first corn on the cob from our garden and it was, if I may steal a phrase, "magically delicious." Somewhere along the way that magic also stole half of my corn as our cobs were also very small. We thought that it was possibly because our green beans decided to use the corn stalks as trellises and were strangling the corn but it seems that the beans didn't have much to do with it if you are also experiencing the corn on the cob "shortage"?
As far as cooking the corn, my mom always told me to stick a fork in a kernel and if it squirted liquid at me then it was done. You could also try pulling back the husks, placing a few pats of butter on the corn, pulling the husks back up around the corn, and then wrapping the whole thing in foil before placing it on a grill or lying it within the coals of a fire. Now that's good eating. As you stated in your blog, you must be extremely careful not to burn yourself.
Posted by: Kathy (Hunt) Stacy | August 3, 2006 1:18 PM
The blog on "corn on the cob" was right on. I am a Shields man, have been for a long time as was my father before me. They do not import early corn from the south. What they put out is their own. I agree to the size growing smaller over the years but I do think I sense an improvement in the sweetness and overall taste. A fair share consist of at least 4 ears at a sitting. I always seem to go back and have one last ear after it has cooled sans butter, salt and pepper. Hopefully the quality will remain as high for the next few weeks. This week's has been fantastic. PS: Ran into Whitey (Whitey and Flo's Camp Out) and he told me you were making another appearance there this weekend. Have fun and follow the fiddlers.
(Foxy's note: I too enjoy one last ear of car, maybe an hour or so after my corn banquet, but I add the salt to it. Watch for my next blog -- on Whitey & Flo's Campout.)
Posted by: The Old Timer | August 3, 2006 10:43 AM
Foxy, I have to admit I have already had my share of the " Good Stuff" "It" gets here in Kansas about the end of June. There is a big ole' boy from Nebraska that says it is grown on plastic? What the heck is that all about? All I know is it was fantastic and he has been here every day since the end of June.....God Bless Him!!!! LOL
(Foxy's note: Randy, are the ears big, or just small and tasty? If they are big, I may visit Kansas next year at the end of June.)
Posted by: Randy Vaughn | August 3, 2006 9:03 AM
Foxy,
If you go to Bed, Bath and Beyond you can buy a cutting device for corn on the cob. That way there you wouldn't lose any kernels. Just a thought.
(Foxy's note: It's just difficult to picture a macho-man like Crusher strolling the aisles of Bed, Bath and Beyond! If you can do it, I can do it! Thanks for the tip.)
Posted by: Crusher | August 3, 2006 5:36 AM