Corn on the cob

[Palolo lolo]

So why is there no edible corn in the stores? Huge unhusked ears at Safeway with hardly any size to the kernels. And mini ears at Times. The Waimanalo corn truck no longer parks by Costco Hawaii kai. I thought hawaii was a corn-growing
center. Or is that just for seed corn? Plus it's all genetically-modified now anyway. Ain't that a bummer :(

[Miulang]

Unfortunately, most of the corn grown in Hawai'i now is for seed (http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/archivearticle.aspx?id=1189&qr=), which is a real bummer. My bro usually plants a couple of rows of sweet corn up in the yard in Kula every year, and it is absolutely the best. Too bad there's a water shortage up there right now.

Miulang

[glossyp]

I continue to find lovely corn from the Ewa plains at Marukai. We also had some really good corn at our friends home the other evening which they got at the KCC Farmers' Market.

[Da Rolling Eye]

I continue to find lovely corn from the Ewa plains at Marukai. We also had some really good corn at our friends home the other evening which they got at the KCC Farmers' Market.
Yeah, I was just going to say. You can find Aloun Farms sweet corn at Star Markets also.

Lot of the locals find that the young corn is more tender and sweeter so the markets carry the more immature local corn which have smaller kernels. Safeway still sells the large kernel sweet yellow and white corn. You can also find the larger kernel corn at some of the roadside vendors in Kahuku where you used to be able to buy the younger corn. Nowdays, they only have the mature corn and they tend to be on the tough side. Aloun Farms now has the best young sweet corn.

Btw, anyone know why Aloun Farms closed down their roadside stand? We used to drive down every so often to buy a few bags of their corn. Last time we passed by, the whole shed was gone. :confused:

[dyasu]

Every time I hear "corn-on-the-cob" I think about the following Mitch Hedberg quote:


You know they call corn-on-the-cob, "corn-on-the-cob", but that's how it comes out of the ground. They should just call it corn, and every other type of corn, corn-off-the-cob. It's not like if someone cut off my arm they would call it "Mitch", and then re-attached it, and call it "Mitch-all-together".
Mitch Hedberg

[Adri]

About 5 years ago I was talking to someone who ran a pig farm and he was lamenting the high cost of corn feed because most if it is shipped in. I asked if they couldn't grow their own feed here and he said the farming association to which he belonged considered it but it was too expensive to use Hawaii's valuable land to grow feed and getting to be too expensive to use Hawaii's valuable land to grow corn to eat. But we're growing seed corn? I wonder if/why growing feed corn is different from growing seed corn. Maybe they can charge more for the seed than they can for the feed.

[Karen]

I have gotten edible corn in the military commissaries. Is it no where on island to be found? Does costco sell produce? I, at least one time even got some of that extra sweet corn on cob, and I think it's called "peaches and cream" by people in canada and dunno where else. We cooked it on the pit and was dang good.

[lavagal]

Costco sells corn on the cob, already shucked, but a little silky. It tastes really great. It's possible that it had been harvested weeks prior, yet it still has a very high sugar content, so it's quite sweet. Makes me wonder how sweet it is when fresh picked. When I was growing up in NJ, we'd buy corn from the farmers and eat it that evening or it wouldn't be as sweet. I think we'd have to say corn has been developed to retain its sweetness.

[Mokihana]

I wish I could send some of our fabulous Oregon corn to all u folks! It just got ready last week, and we've been eating it every single night. If I could, I would!

[i-hungry]

I bought corn from the Don Quixote store a few times over the past couple years. It was pretty good. Sometimes a batch would be bad and you'll see catepillars.

Sometimes available in Chinatown too.

Don't know if they measure up in size. You'll have to post specifics to compare.

[craigwatanabe]

I wish I could send some of our fabulous Oregon corn to all u folks! It just got ready last week, and we've been eating it every single night. If I could, I would!

When I lived in Idaho the corn there was No Ka Oi!! Thick juicy corn on the cob with one inch long ears so you could dig your chops deep without hitting cob. Sadly most of the corn get's tilled back in the soil for the next crop then it becomes feed for cattle. Very little of it heads to the grocery stores.

[lavagal]

Craig: You must mean one-inch deep kernals! We used to call the corn raised for feed horse corn, and it would be way taller than people corn.

[cezanne]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that. I tripped out when my friend from the mainland did that this past weekend. Most of the husk is burnt off in the process, some of the kernels get singed but dang it was freakin delicioso.

Never seen it done like that before.

[Honoruru]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that. I tripped out when my friend from the mainland did that this past weekend. Most of the husk is burnt off in the process, some of the kernels get singed but dang it was freakin delicioso.

Never seen it done like that before.

I did it once at a UH football tailgate party after reading about the process in Gourmet Magazine (or some such magazine). What you do is pull back the husk without removing it, then get rid of as much of the silk as possible, then soak it (husk and all) in a big pot of cold water. When it's completely soaked, reassemble the husk and tie it with a string. Toss it on a grill. The outer skin will burn, but the inside will steam and singe a bit, but it will absorb a nice smoky taste.

It was a big success, but my friend said that her auntie does this, too, but before reassembling the husk, she slathers it with butter and parmesan cheese. I thought: Dang, that sounds even better! But I never got a chance to try it. I think that would be awesome!

[Miulang]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that. I tripped out when my friend from the mainland did that this past weekend. Most of the husk is burnt off in the process, some of the kernels get singed but dang it was freakin delicioso.

Never seen it done like that before.
Do that in the microwave, too. The corn comes out sweet and juicy (no burned kernels). Much better for you than boiling in water and adding sugar. Another ono way to cook fresh corn is to cut if off the cob and put it in a pan with a little olive oil and minced garlic and a dash of hot sauce (I use Chermoula sauce), salt and peper and saute until slightly browned. Ooohbabygood.

Miulang

[helen]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that.

Nope but a friend did put a few corn on the cob (the husk was removed) on the bbq grill. I though that was unique since my experience has been boiling the corn.

[Composite 2992]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that. I tripped out when my friend from the mainland did that this past weekend. Most of the husk is burnt off in the process, some of the kernels get singed but dang it was freakin delicioso.

Never seen it done like that before.

Maybe not barbecued but certainly steamed, and that was good, too.

Ronald Wong grew and sold corn in Waimanalo and I recall that being pretty darned good! I think it was a variety developed by UH called supersweet #10.

[lavagal]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that. I tripped out when my friend from the mainland did that this past weekend. Most of the husk is burnt off in the process, some of the kernels get singed but dang it was freakin delicioso.

Never seen it done like that before.

This is a great way to cook corn. I like that the silk singes off. Gives the corn a bit of smokiness; and the husks smell good throughout the grilling.

[Leo Lakio]

Okay has anyone else done this?: Put the unhusked corn on the cob right on the bbq grill and cook it like that. I tripped out when my friend from the mainland did that this past weekend. Most of the husk is burnt off in the process, some of the kernels get singed but dang it was freakin delicioso.

Never seen it done like that before.Hell, YES! But I grew up in the middle of corn country. It caramelizes some of the sugars in the kernels (think high fructose corn syrup - there's a lot of sugar in corn); then you can put all kinds of things on it, if you like - a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of chili powder is a good option.

[i-hungry]

Great cooking ideas. Labor Day weekend BBQ!

[Mike_Lowery]

why do they call it "corn-on-the-cob"? if it's on the cob, it's just corn. there should be a corn-off-the-cob instead.

[Leo Lakio]

why do they call it "corn-on-the-cob"? if it's on the cob, it's just corn. there should be a corn-off-the-cob instead.Because in most cases, we eat things after they are removed from their containment or structural holders. Off the cob, it's "corn." Since we have a second option, we note it as such. The simpler version is used for the "removed" version, as it's the more common form.

By your system, we'd eat apples-off-the-tree, beans-off-the-vine, beef-off-the-hoof.

And if anyone agrees with me, we can be just like peas-in-a-pod.:rolleyes:

[Mokihana]

Do that in the microwave, too. The corn comes out sweet and juicy (no burned kernels). Much better for you than boiling in water and adding sugar. Another ono way to cook fresh corn is to cut if off the cob and put it in a pan with a little olive oil and minced garlic and a dash of hot sauce (I use Chermoula sauce), salt and peper and saute until slightly browned. Ooohbabygood.

Miulang


That's the way we do it. In the mw, either in husk or out. Onolicious!

[Mokihana]

Craig: You must mean one-inch deep kernals! We used to call the corn raised for feed horse corn, and it would be way taller than people corn.

Field corn (for cattle and horses) is the really tall stuff. It looks a lot different (the leaves) than people corn. A farmer down the road from us used to raise it every year, and I used to see it when we lived in Idaho too.

[MixedPlateBroker]

If you want to save yourself a drive to the windward side and value instant gratification, check out the fresh roasted Kahuku corn at the next Farmers' Market at KCC (http://www.hfbf.org/FarmersMarketKCC.html).

[helen]

Field corn (for cattle and horses) is the really tall stuff. It looks a lot different (the leaves) than people corn.
So does field corn taste different than people corn?

[Leo Lakio]

Field corn (for cattle and horses) is the really tall stuff. It looks a lot different (the leaves) than people corn.So does field corn taste different than people corn?Field corn has much lower moisture and sugar content than sweet (a/k/a "people") corn. If you see what looks like "old" corn in a field (distinguished by leaves and husk that look brown and dry), that's field corn. Low moisture means less spoilage, so it can be dried and stored longer, to be used as livestock feed.

A technical difference: field corn is harvested when it is mature, as a grain; sweet corn is harvested immature, as a vegetable.

Yes, it tastes different. You wouldn't like it. It doesn't have the taste you think of with sweet corn, and the pericarp (the outer hull, if you will) of the kernel is much harder.

Then there's popping corn, which is harvested and grown more like field corn, but with a harder starch inside the kernel. As the kernel's internal moisture is heated into steam, the starch becomes gelatinous. When the hull finally splits open, the starch and endosperm burst out like a foam, and quickly cool.