Food & Swine

Iowa Sweet Corn

Iowa Sweet Corn

This has got to be the #1 easiest recipe I’ve ever put out there for you all.  Iowa Sweet Corn is the best thing going, if you ask me.  This time of year it presents itself bountifully and I’m so in love.  My husband asked my Dad for my hand in marriage over a dozen ears of freshly shucked corn, so this ‘recipe’ holds a special place for us.

You can grill it of course, but I’m a fan of tradition and this is the best way (I believe) there is to eat it.

Chow down!

Sweet Corn Tips:

There are so many tips out there… but here are my favorites!
1. Buy freshly picked corn if possible.  There is a great stand on old Hwy 6 out of Altoona, by the castle house… they pick while you wait.  Corn is great for a few days after it is picked.  Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature if your house is cool.
2. Know your varieties: There are various hybrids of sweet corn.  “Peaches and Cream” is an infamous variety out here in my area because a large sweet corn business plants it.  I like “Honey and Cream” which also has a yellow & white kernel pattern like “Peaches and Cream”.  Other favorites are “Incredible” and “Bodacious”, which are pure yellow.  I like corn that is tender, young and sweet with a great pop when you bite into it, no matter the variety.
3. Boil it up, the good old fashioned way.  Just trust me on this one.  Don’t over cook it.  5 minutes is plenty!
4. Lastly, here’s a ‘shucking tip’: When you have shucked the corn and there are still pesky silks left on it… rub a dry paper towel over the cob to remove them.

Little guys love this stuff!

Iowa Sweet Corn

Iowa Sweet Corn

By: Cristen      www.foodandswine.com

You’ll need:

10 QT boiling water in a tall stock pot
1/4 C sugar
2 TBSP salt
1 dozen ears of sweet corn, shucked with silks removed
1 stick of sweet cream salted butter, chilled
salt & pepper
Boil water, add sugar and salt.  Stir well.  Add sweet corn. (1 dozen will fit in the tall pot)  Boil for 5 minutes only. Poke around during boiling to agitate water and move ears for even cooking. Remove corn from water onto serving tray.  Serve immediately, keep uneaten pieces covered by aluminum foil.  *For serving, roll hot corn over chilled stick of butter, place on plate.  Sprinkle with salt, then pepper if desired.

To fancy up your good-old-fashioned corn try serving corn with this butter:

Rosemary Roasted Garlic Butter
By: Cristen     www.foodandswine.com
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter (Salted, unsalted, whatever works)
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced very finely (Could use thyme instead, too.)
3 cloves of garlic, warmed slowly over medium low heat in 2 tsp olive oil until golden, cooled, mashed
1/4 tsp salt (you can add less if using salted butter.  I love salt.  I add more.)
Whip all ingredients together until a smooth mixture forms. Pat onto plastic wrap.  Roll into a log, pat log into a rectangle like a stick of butter. Refrigerate until firm.

Stay tuned… I’m working up the recipe for these puppies, wowsas!

Iowa Sweet Corn

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4 Comments

  • Reply Jenny Casteel Unternahrer July 28, 2014 at 9:31 pm

    Love sweet corn! I use a dry hand towel to get the silkies off ours. They are tougher than paper towels and can withstand the rubbing.

  • Reply Scott M September 11, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    At our house we use a stick of butter, garlic minced, zest of a half lemon. Whip all that up and spread over the sweet corn, little slice of heaven!

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