Whether you enjoy it grilled with lime and chili salt, turned into crispy fritters, or cooked in a buttery bath, there are countless ways to celebrate corn season.
At Downey’s Apple Farm in Breslau, they began planting twelve varieties in mid-April.
“It might sound really early, but we have a special machine that covers the seeds with plastic, creating a mini greenhouse effect,” explained Tyler Downey.
“This gives us a head start for the season to help avoid those late frosts we usually get in May.”
They kicked off harvesting in mid-July and can keep picking until Halloween if the weather cooperates.
“[The season] looks really strong. We have an excellent crop of corn this year,” said Downey. “The cobs are nice and big. People really love our corn.”
Corn is plentiful at Breslau’s Downey’s Apple Farm. Tyler Downey mentions they started planting a dozen varieties in mid-April, and so far, this season appears very promising. (Downey’s Apple Farm)
Southeast Asian Flavors Meet Waterloo Region
Unlike the typical golden sweet corn found across Waterloo-Wellington, May Lee’s sticky corn features plum-colored silks and mixed indigo and white kernels.
Although it’s smaller than sweet corn, sticky corn cobs are starchier and require longer cooking times to develop their signature sticky layer on the kernels. When boiled, its taste resembles chewy glutinous rice.
Lee is Hmong, part of Southeast Asia’s Indigenous hill tribes with a rich agricultural history. She established May’s Garden as a project after retirement to supply her family with fresh vegetables from home.
Growing sticky corn began as an experiment but now takes up half of her half-hectare garden.
May’s Garden in Breslau offers Southeast Asian tastes through vegetables like sticky corn. May Lee started this garden as a post-retirement project to grow vegetables for her family. (Jasmine Mangalaseril/CBC)
“Well, initially we weren’t sure how it would do here. But we gave it a try. It grows very well here and does so quickly,” Lee mentioned while pointing to mature ears with yellowing husks.
“As you can see, the corn has already turned yellow. It’s still good for boiling; just takes a bit longer.”
While Southeast Asian veggies like Thai eggplant, bitter melon, and sweet potato leaves will be harvested for several more weeks, sticky corn will be available at her roadside stand until late September.
How to Choose and Store Sweet Corn
Sweet corn starts turning its sugars into starch soon after being picked. There isn’t one rule about how long it stays fresh before taste or texture declines; however, cooling it while still in its husk helps slow down this process.
To pick the freshest corn possible, chef Sumit Raghav from Kitchener-based Sapling Kitchen shares these tips:
The cob should feel heavier than expected.
If the second or third layers of husk are dry, it’s likely been sitting around for some time.
Leaving some stalk attached helps prevent rapid drying.
When shucking at markets, keep some leaves on the cob to protect against bumps and retain moisture.
“When you quick cook it, the outer cell wall stabilizes better so when you thaw later on there’s less chance of bursting,” he explained.“No matter what you do though, corn still tastes great.” (You can toss cooked kernels into savory waffles quinoa bowls salads salsas relishes but when creating dips or side dishes, Raghav recommends Korean cheese corn.) (“Korean Corn is among my favorites,” he stated.“It combines butter cheese sugar along with kernel flavors that seem odd together yet turn out incredible.” ) (Whether keeping them whole or cutting lengthwise, Raghav emphasizes that roasting opens doors for diverse flavor profiles including barbecue sauce Middle Eastern za’atar feta butter Cambodian coconut milk fish sauce baste.” ) ( Meanwhile , he pointed out there exist numerous uses beyond just eating kernels directly.) ( The tender leaves serve well steaming rice tamales once removed cobs create delicious stock leftover pulp makes fantastic additions elsewhere too.” ) Chef Sumit Raghav ’s Corn Soup , Three Variations Aroundthe World Serves : 4-5
Base Soup : p >
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