This year we grew Corn on the Cob for the first time. My DH loves to grow veggies, but there are very few that he actually eats. Corn isn't one of them, so I get them all to myself.
The Corn has been wonderful! Following a tip from Bob Flowerdew (Gardeners' Question Time) I tried eating some raw. It was delicious! You can only do this within a few minutes of picking the cob, because the sugar starts turning to starch immediately. After about twenty minutes, it's still edible raw, but not so great.
I can't understand why anyone would boil them, it does nothing for the flavour and texture. I always grill my Corn. Years ago I started off by barbecuing them but, even with a gas bbq, it became a bit of a faff to get the bbq out every time I wanted corn cobs. Then I read somewhere - Delia's Summer Collection I expect - that you can do a very passable job with a really hot grill.
The grill is put on at full heat 10 to 15 mins before you want to cook the cobs. Move the rack so that the cobs will be just a whisker or two away from the heat. Brush the corn with oil (I pour oil onto a piece of kitchen towel, and then use this on the cobs. Then grill until brown or slighlt blackened. Turn slightly. Grill. Turn, grill. Until all sides are browned or slightly blackened.
I often eat them just like that. Sometimes I put on a tiny bit of butter. Yum!
After several weeks of corn feasts, we harvested the last few cobs two days ago. I've now eaten all the reasonably sized ones, and I have a few half-ripe ones which I'm giving to the chickens. They go mad for corn cobs.
DH has already dug the old plants out of the bed, it looks really empty there now.
Definitely a crop to continue next year.
The Corn has been wonderful! Following a tip from Bob Flowerdew (Gardeners' Question Time) I tried eating some raw. It was delicious! You can only do this within a few minutes of picking the cob, because the sugar starts turning to starch immediately. After about twenty minutes, it's still edible raw, but not so great.
I can't understand why anyone would boil them, it does nothing for the flavour and texture. I always grill my Corn. Years ago I started off by barbecuing them but, even with a gas bbq, it became a bit of a faff to get the bbq out every time I wanted corn cobs. Then I read somewhere - Delia's Summer Collection I expect - that you can do a very passable job with a really hot grill.
The grill is put on at full heat 10 to 15 mins before you want to cook the cobs. Move the rack so that the cobs will be just a whisker or two away from the heat. Brush the corn with oil (I pour oil onto a piece of kitchen towel, and then use this on the cobs. Then grill until brown or slighlt blackened. Turn slightly. Grill. Turn, grill. Until all sides are browned or slightly blackened.
I often eat them just like that. Sometimes I put on a tiny bit of butter. Yum!
After several weeks of corn feasts, we harvested the last few cobs two days ago. I've now eaten all the reasonably sized ones, and I have a few half-ripe ones which I'm giving to the chickens. They go mad for corn cobs.
DH has already dug the old plants out of the bed, it looks really empty there now.
Definitely a crop to continue next year.
