Boiled corn is one of the most delicious and beloved by many summer delicacies. As soon as she appears on store shelves, we are in a hurry to buy at least a couple of ears to enjoy a treat familiar from childhood. Boiled corn is loved by both adults and children. Despite the fact that this culinary masterpiece is quite simple in appearance, many do not know how to cook corn so that it retains all its taste and nutritional value. As experienced chefs assure, it is really not so difficult to cook this dish at home. But it's nice to still learn about some of the secrets and subtleties of this process. How to cook corn? How to choose a product? How to eat it and how to save it? What are the benefits and harms of boiled corn? We will try to answer all these questions in our article.
History
It is known that in Russia, corn appeared in the XVII century. She came from the south of Ukraine, Crimea and the Caucasus. The benefits of eating boiled cereal were immediately noticed. In the 19th century, its seeds were distributed free of charge to the population, and trade in boiled corn was widely encouraged in cities.
About product benefits
Incredibly tasty, juicy and aromatic, it has a lot of properties that are beneficial to human health. A lot has been written about the benefits and harms of boiled corn. According to experts, corn contains a huge amount of vitamins (PP, K, D, B, C, etc.), in addition, it contains copper, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, glutamic acid and other substances necessary for humans. It is called a real treasury of vitamins and minerals! To provide the body with the necessary nutrients per day, it is enough to eat 40-50 g of corn.
The beneficial properties of this culture are preserved in a boiled form: the shell of its seed does not collapse during cooking. An extraordinary positive effect of boiled corn flavored with butter is noted in the treatment of constipation, heart disease, liver, blood vessels, gout and jade. Boiled stigmas of corn are recommended for hepatitis, cholangitis, cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. With gastritis, mashed corn soup is introduced into the diet, which has a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa. The use of boiled corn helps to slow down the aging process of tissues and prevent the development of cancer.
The satiety of this culture is explained by the fact that it is quite high-calorie. By this indicator, corn is ahead of some varieties of legumes, in 100 g of its grains contains up to 300-350 kcal.
The value of corn also lies in the fact that it does not accumulate and retain chemicals that enter the soil as fertilizers. Corn is ahead of many other crops in its environmental safety.
Contraindications
It should be noted that boiled corn is not equally beneficial for everyone. This product is contraindicated for people suffering from increased blood clotting and loss of appetite.
The most gentle cooking
Experts say that the healing properties of corn are most preserved when steamed. During the cooking process, part of the nutrients leaves the grains in water. With steam cooking, all the necessary vitamins are stored in corn. In addition, many consider steam corn more juicy and sweet.
About product selection
And yet, it is boiled corn that is most popular among residents of the countries of the former CIS. For many, the question of how to cook corn is relevant.
Experts say that in order for corn to become juicy and soft as a result of cooking, first of all, you need to choose the right ears for cooking. What kind of corn to cook? The cobs are only identical at first glance, in fact they can differ greatly in their taste, depending on the variety, type of corn and its degree of maturity.
About varietal and species diversity of culture
Specialists divide all corn into two types: sweet (food) and fodder, intended for livestock feed. Eaten both. Some foodies prefer harsh and non-sugary feed varieties. But it is precisely edible corn that users distinguish as the most delicious. Everyone knows that her sweet juicy kernels melt in her mouth.
Many are interested in the question of how much to cook corn. Young corn of early varieties is prepared from 15 minutes. up to 1 hour. For the preparation of feed and late varieties, it will take from 2 to 5 hours.
Corn lovers should remember that natural fresh young corn can only be bought on the market during the season ending in August. The cobs sold later are most often hard and overripe. Experts say that cobs with grains of light yellow or milky white are best suited for cooking. The presence of a bright yellow color indicates their "advanced" age. Corn grains should be soft, but resilient, of equal size and placed close to each other. It is possible to determine that we have a young ear on the following basis: young grains contain a special white viscous liquid, similar to milk. If the grains are not quite rounded, but with dimples, this means that the corn is overripe and it is not suitable for cooking. It is also important to consider the appearance of the leaves: they should not be yellow, dry and very far behind the ears. Choose corn without leaves is not recommended.
How to cook corn: the preparatory phase
Before cooking, the ear is washed under running water and cleaned of dirty and spoiled leaves. This is not a necessary procedure. Corn can also be boiled with leaves (pure). Before cooking, cobs are recommended to soak for 1 hour in water (cool). They should be about the same size, otherwise the corn will be cooked unevenly. Large cobs are cut in half before cooking.
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Corn leaves are laid at the bottom of the pan, and peeled ears are laid out on them. Leaves should be placed on the sides so that the product does not come into contact with the walls of the pan. On top of the cobs are also covered with leaves and a “antennae” is added - from them the corn will become mouth-watering and sweet. After that, pour water so that all the cobs are completely covered and put the pan on fire.
How long does it take to cook
How much corn is cooked, as already mentioned, depends only on how mature it is. The more ripe it is, the longer it will take to cook. For young ears, no more than 20-30 minutes are required. Ripe corn is cooked for about 30-40 minutes. Overripe ears are cooked for about 2-3 hours. It is very important not to digest the corn, otherwise its grains will become hard.
About the dishes
Many are interested in how to cook corn in a pot. What kind of cookware to choose for cooking? According to experts, it is best to cook corncobs in a pot or cauldron with thick walls made of cast iron. The dishes should be well closed with a lid, as it sometimes takes a lot of time to cook. For cooking corn, a deep and wide pan is best suited, in which the cobs can easily fit whole. In the absence of such a capacious capacity of the cob, several parts can be broken. Corn is also cooked in the microwave or in a double boiler. In addition, the product can be baked in the oven.
If the corn is overripe
Masters know a means by which overripe corn during cooking can be made juicy and soft. To do this, before starting the process, the cobs are freed from leaves and fibers, cut in half, poured with a mixture of milk and cold water (1: 1), in which the product is kept for 4 hours. After that, the ears are cooked in plain water.
Recommendations
For those who are interested in how to cook corn on the cob, experienced housewives recommend:
- Corn should be lowered into boiling water.
- During cooking, you do not need to salt water, otherwise the corn grains will become hard. Salt the product in 5 minutes. until ready or already at serving.
- You can add a little sugar or butter to the water. These products give the corn a soft taste.
- It is not recommended to cook corn over very high heat. After it boils, the flame must certainly be reduced. To keep all useful properties in the ears, they should be cooked on low heat at a temperature of up to 250 degrees.
- Boiled corn is eaten immediately after cooking, because when it cools, it hardens.
- The readiness of the corn is determined by taste, you can also check the softness of the corn kernels with a fork.
- If the size of the ears is too large for the pan, then they are cut into pieces.
Steam cooked corn
There are many interesting answers to the question of how to cook boiled corn. One common way is to cook this popular treat in a double boiler. Corn is washed and laid in a mold. Pour with one glass of water in order to generate steam. Young corn is cooked in a double boiler for 5-10 minutes. For feed varieties or overripe cobs, it will take about 40 minutes.
Oven-cooked corn
The cobs are washed, cleaned and firmly laid in a deep baking dish, which is pre-lubricated with butter (creamy). Pour boiling water so that it barely covers the product. The oven is heated to 120 degrees, a form with ears is placed in it and baked for 40 minutes.
Cooking corn in a pressure cooker
Washed ears are laid in a pressure cooker, poured with water so that it completely covers the corn. Young cobs will be welded in 10-15 minutes, for old or fodder more time is required - up to 40 minutes.
How to cook boiled corn in the microwave? Recipe without water
This method is the fastest. Only young corn is suitable for microwave cooking. It is placed in a food bag (plastic), tied tightly and cooked for 10 minutes. at a power of 800 watts. You can also, cutting off part of the cob, leave it in the leaves. Corn is cooked in its own juice for about 5 minutes.
Microwaveed Corn: Water Recipe
Washed corn is placed in a microwave oven container, poured with water and covered with a lid. The microwave is tuned to a power of 700-800 watts. It must be controlled so that the water does not boil away. If necessary, add boiling water to the container. Using this cooking method, you will get boiled corn after 45 minutes.
How to eat corn
At the end of cooking, boiled corn is insisted in a pan under the lid for 10 minutes. Due to the internal temperature, it becomes softer. After this time, the finished corn is taken out of the pan, greased with butter, sprinkled with spices and salt. Serve it hot. Corn cob is not eaten. The taste of boiled corn can be diversified by sprinkling it with grated hard cheese.
About storage
Raw corn is stored in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks before cooking. Boiled ears should be eaten as soon as they are cooked, as over time they lose their nutritional properties. It is permissible to store boiled corn in the refrigerator directly in its broth for two days, but no more.