Summertime is in full swing and that can only mean one thing. Thunderstorms. It also means only one other thing. Cherry Picking. And only one more thing. Corn on the cob. But beware. It may look innocent, but the corn on the cob might just be the most dangerous of them all.
As you wander through the farmer’s market or your local grocery store, pay close attention to where the corn on the cob is. Once you have spotted it, consider if you are feeling brave enough to approach. If you choose to, begin your approach softly and cautiously. Try to avoid loud noises and abrupt movements as you get closer to the corn. They have large ears and can hear you coming from yards away. Make sure you don’t startle them, because if you do, you will most likely immediately regret it. Oh, the pain you will be in after you are forced to endure joke after corny joke. They simply can’t stop the corniness once provoked.
Of course, once you have startled them, you might as well pick some out to purchase and take home for dinner. Here are some things to look for when picking your corn:
1. Look for nice, green leaves all closed tightly around the cob. Too brown or too dry-looking, and the corn may not be very fresh. Although if your corn gets too fresh, definitely slap it.
2. Don’t worry about brown corn silk (the stringy stuff) at the top of the corn cob. That just means it grew up in a field. This has no impact on the corn otherwise.
3. Gently pull the leaves apart up near the corn silk to expose the very top of the corn cob. I know this may not sound like something you should be doing, but it is. If the top looks shriveled or missing lots of corn, put that one down. Make sure that your corn kernels look full and plump at the top. If they do, the corn will almost always be good.
4. If the corn looks good, go ahead and finish peeling the cobs right there in the grocery store. No one wants that mess in their home, so take care of it right there. Most stores will put garbage cans next to the corn for that very purpose.
Now that you have picked the freshest corn and taken it home with you, don’t forget to wash it before cooking. It may be fresh, but remember that it spent its whole life out in the field. Give it a good rinse before you boil, roast, bake, or grill your corn. And then make that corn regret all of the terrible jokes it subjected you to by eating it!
Comments