Growing Corns

GROW YOUR OWN CORN

Corn is one of the most popular vegetables you could grow in your garden. Everyone loves corn on the cob on a hot summer day drizzled with butter. Further, it can be blanched and frozen so you can enjoy fresh corn from your garden in the winter. Most methods for corn planting are similar. The difference will fall into what type of soil you have and whether or not you have to add certain garden materials to your soil for your corn to grow. Another difference would be the amount of corn your gardening space can handle.

Growing Tips

• For early corn, it's best to till or plow the autumn before.So you'll be sure of getting into the field even during an exceptionally wet spring.
• Turn under a heavy sprinkling of well-rotted barnyard manure, rabbit droppings or similar organic fertilizer if you desire . . . but don't worry if it isn't available. 
• Any plot of ground that will grow a good crop of weeds should grow corn without additional fertilizing.
• Corn needs about 1 inch of water a week, particularly when the stalks begin to tassel. Water stress during pollination will result in ears with lots of missing kernels, so don’t skip watering your corn patch. 
• Apply water at the soil surface by using a soaker hose or drip irrigation. 
• Avoid spraying plants from above, which could wash pollen off the flowering tops. When the stalks are 6 inches tall, side-dress them with blood meal or diluted fish-based fertilizer, and repeat the feeding when they are about knee-high. 
• Don’t remove any side shoots or suckers that appear; they won’t harm production, and cutting them might damage roots.

How Long Does it Take For Corn to Grow

• You might be wondering, “how long does it take for corn to grow?” There are many different varieties of corn and a couple of different methods for corn planting, so you can plant 60-day, 70-day or 90-day corn. 
• When most people think about how to grown corn, they are thinking in terms of their own private stash of corn. 
• One of the other different methods for corn planting is to have a continuous growing season. To do this, you can plant several different types of corn that mature at different time intervals. 
• Otherwise, plant the same kind of corn staggered by 10-14 days so you have a continuous crop. 

Harvesting And Storage

• Three weeks after corn silks appear, start checking ears for peak ripeness. 
• Pull back part of the husk and pierce a kernel with your thumbnail. If a milky liquid spurts out, the ears are at prime ripeness rush those ears to the table, refrigerator, or freezer. 
• Ears on the same stalk usually ripen a few days apart. A completely dry silk or a yellow or faded-green sheath means the ear is past its prime.
• Leave ornamental corn and popcorn on the stalks to dry until the first hard frost. If the weather is cloudy and wet, cut and stack stalks in a cool, dry place until the corn dries.

Uses Of Corn

• Corn steep liquor is a byproduct of the process of separating the various parts of corn. It is the water used to soak the various components, and it is reused in several steps. 
• Corn starch is used as a thickening agent for liquid food and an alternative to talc in body powder. It is mixed with sugar to make confectioners sugar and was once used to make clothing keep a nicely-pressed look. Corn starch is also the main ingredient in biodegradable plastic. 
• Corn syrup is made from corn starch. Starch is a carbohydrate, a molecular chain of sugars. Enzymes are added to the starch to break the chains into sugars, mainly glucose. Further processing can change the sugars into high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is used to sweeten a variety of products, most notably soft drinks. Corn syrup is much cheaper and sweeter than cane sugar. 
• Corn is a renewable resource, so biofuels are seen as a replacement for fossil fuels. However, the growing use of corn for bio fuel raises concerns about the diminishing availability of corn for food. Also, the production of biofuels uses as much -or more- energy than it produces. 
• Oil is produced by squeezing the germ of the corn. It is used as a food ingredient and for frying food in (most appropriately for popping popcorn). Margarine is often made from corn oil, although other oils are used as well. 
• Corn germ is a waste product of the separation of corn components. It is what's left of the plant germ after the oil has been pressed out, and is used for livestock feed. However, components of corn germ can be used to make industrial glue stronger. This reduces the amount of resin required in the glue formula, which should make the adhesive less expensive to produce.

Creamed Corn Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ears fresh corn
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half, whole milk, skim milk, or heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or white pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Cooking Method

• Cut kernels from the cob and scrape the cobs with the edge of a spoon to extract as much juice and material as possible. You should have 5 1/4 cups of corn.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet until frothy. 
• Add corn and stir constantly for 1 minute.
• Pour in half-and-half. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring vigilantly until the liquid has thickened to a dense, yellowish sauce, about 12 minutes. 
• Turn off the heat, cover, and let steam for 2 minutes.
• Serve immediately, and be sure to pool some sauce around each serving.

Health Benefits Of Corn

• Corn might help control diabetes, prevention of heart ailments, lowering hypertension and prevention of neural-tube defects at birth. 
• Corn or maize is one of the most popular cereals in the world and forms the staple food in many countries including USA, Africa etc. It provides the necessary calories for daily metabolism it is a rich source of vitamins A, B, E and other minerals. 
• Its high fiber content ensures that it plays a role in prevention of digestive ailments like constipation and hemorrhoids as well as colorectal cancer. 
• The antioxidants present in corn also act as anti-cancer agents and prevent Alzheimer’s. Corn oil is also used in many cosmetics, soaps, medicines, and other products. 
• Oil is produced by squeezing the germ of the corn. It is used as a food ingredient and for frying food in (most appropriately for popping popcorn). Margarine is often made from corn oil, although other oils are used as well. 
• Corn oil is also used in many cosmetics, soaps, medicines, and other products.