Fresh maize, picked no more than 24 hours before cooking, has excellent taste characteristics and excellent aroma. Such cabbages are cooked more easily, they can also be quickly steamed or grilled.
But what about overripe cobs? What to do if the grass stale and "aged"? Is it possible to save the product? How much and how to cook ripe corn?
Briefly about the features of culture
Corn is a feed product that belongs to the family of cereals. The average length of the bush - 3 m, some varieties reach a height of 6 m. The thickness of the stem - 5-7 cm in diameter, it is visible nodes that harden closer to the root.
The root system is well developed, there are ground support roots (their growth is due to intensive irrigation and high soil moisture). There is no cavity inside the stem. The leaf has an elongated linear-lanceolate form, reaches a length of 1 m.
There are many theories that explain the origin of culture. Among the most unusual is the introduction of seeds by alien beings. Fantastic theories are caused by the fact that corn does not occur in the wild and does not reproduce on its own. The question of the origin remains open.
Beneficial features
The use of corn is quite high due to the rich chemical composition. It includes starch, vitamins, a complex of useful substances:
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- copper;
- phosphorus;
- ascorbic and folic acids;
- essential oil.
Dried corn silk is used as a drug to provide a diuretic, choleretic, anti-inflammatory effect. Liquid extract finds its application in the treatment of various pathologies - hepatitis, cholecystitis, urolithiasis. Germs of the plant are used for the prevention of diabetes and weight loss. Corn oil regulates metabolic processes, normalizes cholesterol levels.
Watch the video about the benefits of corn:
Features overripe cobs
Over-ripe or stale fruits have dried grains of bright yellow color. When pressing on them, juice appears, but in a small volume. The leaves of these heads are whitish and thin. Buy overripe corn at the end of the season.
How to choose the right fruit?
A prerequisite is to buy cobs in the leaves, as they preserve the juice and taste of boiled corn. Leaves also protect the fruit from dirt, moisture and sunlight. Corn "in clothes" is always better.
The second condition is the analysis of grains. To do this, move the foliage a bit and look at the grain. If they have wrinkled and become covered with mold, do not buy the product.
What else to pay attention to:
- Look at the size of the head. Edible and sweet corn has a small head of corn and dense grains.
- We taste it. Sugar cobs, even when raw, taste good. If the grains are fresh, nothing will change after cooking.
- It is forbidden to buy fruits with a pronounced smell. Sharp unpleasant odor speaks of multiple processing chemicals.
Cooking preparation
Even overripe corn will turn out juicy and soft with proper cooking technology.:
- Old head should be cleaned of fibers and foliage, split in half and pour milk mixture (water and milk in a ratio of 1: 1). To withstand the fruit for 2-4 hours.
- Then soak the cobs for 1 hour in warm water.
- After that you need to cook cabbages in any chosen way.
Where to start and what you need?
The first stage is washing and cleaning leaves from fruits. Cook overripe corn allowed in the leaves, after removing the top and spoiled. For cooking, you will need heads of the same size - the fruit will be cooked evenly. The remaining ingredients are selected depending on the selected recipe.
Among the possible necessary elements:
- water and thick-walled pot;
- frying pan with a thick bottom;
- milk, cream and sunflower oil;
- food foil;
- olive oil;
- spices, salt.
How to cook to be soft and juicy: recipes
The average time of cooking overripe cobs - 40-60 minutes. The final time depends on the stiffness of the grains and the chosen method of preparation (how hard to cook, hard corn, read here). Not even the most ideal heads of cabbage can be brought to optimal taste, if you follow simple rules. To determine whether the fruit is ready, it is enough to try 1 grain.
On the stove
The traditional way is to boil the corn cobs in a saucepan:
- Water put on fire. While she boils - prepare the cob.
- On the old corn you need to remove dried leaves, rotten or dark stigmas (if any).
- Drop cabbages into hot water. After boiling, reduce the heat so that the corn boils with a slight boiling. Minimum cooking time - 50 minutes. Strongly overripe corn will have to cook for 1.5-2 hours.
Watch the video about cooking over-ripe corn in a pan:
How to cook old corn in milk
An alternative way - cooking corn kernels in milk. This will require the following ingredients:
- 4 heads;
- half a cup of milk;
- 1 tsp heavy cream;
- 2 tbsp. l butter.
What is the peculiarity of the method?
- Pre-cook the cob. Boil corn with a standard method for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove grains from boiled heads, pour milk and cream over them.
- Cook grains for 10 minutes on low heat.
- Melt butter, slowly add to grains. Tightly cover the lid, insist 5-7 minutes. You can add spices to taste.
How else can you cook corn in milk with butter, read in this article.
Steamed
Prepared cobs lay in a thicket double boiler (all the leaves can not be removed). It is not necessary to cover up overgrown corn with salt: it will become even more dry. No other spices are required. Cooking old cobs will take from 40 minutes.
Learn about other recipes for cooking corn in a double boiler here.
Roasting
Roasted cabbages - the best dish for a picnic, and for the home table. For cooking you will need:
- 3-6 corn;
- 200 ml of water;
- 50 g of oil;
- salt to taste.
Followed by:
- We remove the leaves and fibers, if necessary - we break the heads of cabbages.
- Heat up the pan, melt the oil (olive or cream).
- We spread the fruit, increase the fire for 2-3 minutes - during this time the seeds will be browned.
- Next, reduce the heat, pour in the water and cover the pan with a lid. Boil until ready. Be sure to turn the cob.
In the microwave
There are several ways to cook corn in the microwave:
- Corn with water. 4-5 prepared cobs put in a container of water so that it covers them completely. Cover the container with a lid, put it in the microwave, set the average power and 45 minutes of time. If the heads are solid, add water.
- Dry cooking. The head of cabbage should be divided into 2-3 parts, put into a deep plate, cover with leaves and cook in its own juice for 7-10 minutes.ATTENTION: For the preparation of overripe fruit, this option is not suitable.
On how to quickly cook the corn in the microwave in the package, we told in our material.
In the oven
This recipe will need a baking sheet and foil.. Ingredients:
- butter;
- 2-3 cob and a glass of boiling water.
The procedure for roasting corn in the oven:
- Grease the baking dish with oil.
- Rinse cobs, leave thin leaves. Put them in the form and pour water.
- Cover tightly with foil. Pre-make it 2-3 holes for air circulation.
- Put in a preheated oven (200-220 degrees). Cook 40-110 minutes.
How to store boiled?
The main requirements - the provision of humidity. After boiling on the stove, overripe corn is preferable to leave in a saucepan. - it will keep softness and juiciness of the kernels. Cooled decoction with cobs is allowed to put in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
Store heads of cabbage at room temperature can be no more than 10 hours. Cobs can be taken out of the water, cooled, wrapped with cling film or placed in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator. The shelf life in such conditions is not more than 3 days.
You can save boiled fruits in the freezer. To do this, cool, dry, and pack the cabbages in special portion packets. Release excess air, tightly tie, send in the freezer. You can store this way for 7-10 months.
Another long-term storage method is preservation. Homemade canned corn preserves flavor for 2-3 years.
Conclusion
Even overripe boiled corn is a source of many nutrients and nutrients. Grains are absorbed by the body, perfectly combined with other products and do not cause allergies. Corn can be served as a side dish or as a dessert. From the article you learned how to cook overripe corn, that cooking of such fruits differs only in cooking time.