Juicy and flavorful boiled corn is a favorite treat for children and adults.
To preserve the nutritional value and taste, it is important to properly prepare the ears of fresh corn.
How to choose and how long it takes to cook fresh corn on the cob? What can be made from fresh corn, only proven tips and tricks.
Kinds
Culture is grown for feed, food and technical purposes. This cereal is a source of silage mass and grain, which is rich in beneficial macro- and microelements. Of grain also produces starch and glucose. Corn has a great demand in the food sector, it is used to produce flour, butter, popcorn and confectionery products. The total number of products, which include this cereal, exceeds 200 items.
REFERENCE! Homeland corn - America. Today, the largest plantations are concentrated in the United States, Brazil, Romania. In our country, more than 37 centners of grain per hectare are obtained from this root crop.
In the agronomic classification, there are several types of corn:
- tooth-like (grains resemble horse's teeth);
- siliceous;
- starch (used in the starch and powder industry);
- bursting (grain burst during heat treatment);
- sugar (consumed boiled);
- hybrid (high yield guarantee).
Beneficial features
The advantage of corn, in addition to excellent taste - a useful and balanced composition. On the cob, a high percentage of vitamins of all groups and unique trace elements. In their list phosphorus, potassium, iron. Culture is a treasure trove of essential nutrients. To replenish their daily balance, it is enough for a person to eat 40-50 grams of corn per day in any form (canned, boiled).
The high content of fiber in the fruit can improve the work of the digestive tract and excrete toxins from the body. Doctors advise to eat corn for people with diabetes, allergies, metabolic disorders, obesity.
Features fresh cobs
These are the cobs that just plucked from the stem; they have not yet undergone any additional processing. Young fresh fruits have a delicate structure, they are allowed to eat, sprinkled with salt or no spices at all. Fresh corn tastes very sweet and watery, so you can't eat much of it..
How to choose?
The main condition for cooking delicious dishes - the right choice of cobs. Real fresh fruits grown in natural conditions can only be sold during the season (in summer). In the autumn, there is a high risk of buying a ripe and tough product (how much to cook old corn so that it becomes soft and juicy, read here). In winter and spring, frozen corn on the cob is most often sold (we have told here about what can be cooked from frozen cereal).
What are the main markers for the right choice:
- The presence of all amniotic leaves. Heads, which sellers leave only in thin white leaves, are not recommended, as in this form the cleanliness and freshness of the grains are disturbed.
- Check for youth. It is necessary to push the leaves and easily press with a fingernail on the grain. Fresh is different elasticity and juiciness, the old - the density and starchiness. Inside the young grain there is a thick white liquid that resembles milk.
- Identify the disease. To do this, bend the amniotic leaves and inspect the heading. Corn should be placed in even rows, be the same size and color, without mold and rot points.
The brightness of the color does not matter when choosing. According to some sources, bright yellow grain is a sign of old age, and light is a sign of freshness. This advice is wrong, because the shade depends on the particular variety - for example, the young corn Bonduel is distinguished by its rich yellow color.
Training
Before any heat treatment is important to prepare the cob. To do this, rinse them thoroughly under running water, and then release them from the leaves.
Leaving the product from the leaves is an optional procedure., as some cooks advise to cook the procedure together with them (preserve the aroma and juiciness of the fruit). Before such cooking, be sure to wash the cob and remove spoiled leaves, if any. The minus of the method is the difficult cleansing of the head of the head in boiled form.
Before cooking, it is also recommended to soak the cobs for 60 minutes in cool water - the grains will swell, and their preparation time will be reduced.
For cooking, it is important to pick corn of the same size. If the fruits are large, divide them in half with a knife.
Necessary tools and first steps
The first action in any method - cleaning and washing heads. The list of what you need to have for cooking depends on the method chosen. It can be a volume pan, a double boiler or a multi-cooker, an oven, a brazier, a conventional frying pan or a grill pan.
Corn cooking pot should be capacious and thick-walled. A suitable option is a cast iron pot or a cauldron, which are closed with a lid. In the process of cooking can be useful cardamom and crushed nuts - add as desired. For the subsequent submission of the dish will need butter and salt.
Cooking recipes
There are several variations in order to prepare fragrant and juicy cobs at home. The choice of a particular method depends on the kitchen utensils at hand and the expected taste (traditional boiled or roasted corn).
On the stove
In the list of ingredients:
- 5-8 heads;
- 2-4 liters of water.
Algorithm of actions:
- We clean the fruits of leaves and stigmas.
- If the cabbies do not fit - break them into 2 parts.
- One-third of the torn leaves are covered in the bottom of the pan, and we put the heads of cabbage on them tightly.
- Next, pour the water so that it covers 1 cm of all the fruits.
- Top lay the remaining leaves.
- Loosely cover the pan with a lid, set on low heat.
How many minutes to cook fresh corn? Cooking time for young cobs - 20-25 minutes, old - from 40 minutes. Salting water or corn is not recommended, as this reduces juiciness.
You can also watch the video to learn how to cook corn in the pan:
Steamed
What you need:
- corn heads;
- butter;
- chopped walnut and cardamom;
- salt.
How to cook fruit:
- We clear heads.
- Container double boiler grease with butter.
- We spread the cobs and hold for 30-35 minutes (when cooking raw or old cobs, the time increases by 2 times).
- In a separate container, melt the butter, add spices.
- Put the prepared corn on the dish, pour the oil composition on top. Salt to serve already to the table.
See delicious and quick recipes for corn in a double boiler here.
You can also watch the video to learn how to properly cook corn for a couple:
Roasting
In the list of ingredients:
- young heads of cabbage;
- olive oil (can be replaced with refined sunflower, corn or cream).
Procedure:
- Heat a regular griddle or grill over low heat.
- While the surface is heated, clean the cabbages from the leaves, fibers, stigmas.
- If you are cooking on gas - turn on the burner to medium heat and warm the pan for 10 minutes. When cooking on the grill, let the charcoal burn to a white scale.
- Next, clean the head with a thin layer of oil. Allowed to use on 1 ear not more than 1 tablespoon.
Cooking time in the pan and grill is the same - 6-10 minutes. It is important to follow the corn and turn it over for even roasting. A sign of cooking - brown tint of the grains. If a few small maize is charred - no big deal.
You can also watch the video to learn how to properly fry the corn on the grill:
In the microwave
In this way you can cook from 1 to 3 cobs for 1 time (depending on the size of the fruit). You will also need a plastic bag for cooking (for details on how to quickly cook the corn in the microwave in the bag, read here).
How to cook:
- Corn clean, wash off the remnants of fibers.
- Cob put in the bag and tie it.
- At a power of 800 W, set the cooking time to 10 minutes, turn on the stove.
- After the sound notification we take out the cobs, rub them with salt and eat with appetite.
You can also watch the video to learn how to cook corn in a microwave oven:
In the oven
Components:
- corn;
- any oil;
- water;
- foil.
The cooking algorithm includes the following actions:
- Lubricate the pan with butter.
- We lay on him the cob (they need to leave a couple of sheets).
- Pour the cabbages with water so that it covers them in half.
- Cover the baking sheet with foil.
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees and place the corn.
- Cook 40-60 minutes.
You can also watch the video to learn how to cook corn in the oven:
How to store?
Remember that the best taste characteristics only in a freshly prepared product. If you want to keep the cabbages for a longer period, you can use different methods:
- Leave the cobs in hot water (on a griddle, oven), cover the container tightly. Hot fruits will persist for a couple of hours.
- Also for storage for a short time each ear can be wrapped with foil and wrapped with a cloth.
- Longer storage of boiled corn is possible only in a cold form. To do this, you can put the cobs into a container and put them in the fridge (put whole cobs or separate the grains from them).
- For storage over 3 months the preservation method is suitable.
So, corn is a nutritious and tasty culture that will bring particular benefits in the season of its natural growth (summer). In order to choose a fresh fruit, it is important to pay attention to the softness and juiciness of the grains. Cooking cabins can be a variety of ways. Mandatory action before cooking - cleaning and washing the ears.