Wednesday, June 13, 2012

T@t{summer}T: A Corn On The Cob Survey

Yes, it's the Wednesday evening edition of my linking up with Tuesday at the Table...school has me very busy right now.  

Debbie from A Quilter's Table is hosting Tuesday at the {summer}Table this month and this week her suggested recipe category is Salads and Vegetables.  So why corn on the cob? Well, it's in season so fresh corn should be out-of-this-world good and a conversation with a friend a few months back about the proper length of time corn should be boiled (5 minutes for me) has been stirring around in my head, waiting for me to figure it out.  So instead of focusing on a vegetable recipe this week, I decided to do a little survey on Twitter and Facebook to see how other's cook their corn on the cob.



So what did my survey reveal on Facebook and Twitter about how other's cook their corn on the cob?  With three comments on Twitter and thirteen on Facebook, boiling was the overall winner in terms method with times ranging from 6-10 minutes and I was a bit surprised because I thought I would be in the minority for how short my cooking time is. A quick survey on various cooking websites confirmed those times with the explanation that as corn has natural enzymes in it, heat acts like a catalyst which turns the sugars in corn  into starches making corn that has been cooked too long less sweet.  Ahh, so that made sense - for sweeter corn, a short boil/simmer is optimal.  
Corn cut off the cob for the boy with the braces
What about some other cooking methods?  While steaming, microwaving and throwing them in the fire-pit were all mentioned, the method I am looking forward to trying is grilling on the BBQ.  Many mentioned brushing with melted butter and sprinkling on S&P and putting straight on the grill while others added wrapping in foil before adding to the grill.  I'll be buying corn at the Farmer's Market this Sunday for my first attempt at grilling and can't wait to taste the results.

Yesterday I sewed up the June block for the Modern Blocks Bee.  Valerie asked us to choose between four different blocks with the fabric she sent us and I settled on Little Square, Big Square by Kim Schaefer of the Little Quilt Company.  This was a quick block that came together in about 30 minutes.

Little Square, Big Square from Modern Blocks designed by Kim Schaefer

I'm linking up with Debbie at her Tuesday at the{summer}Table feature tonight. Go see Becky's Fried Okra recipe - think I'm going to try it myself just to spook the family.  

One last thing, my youngest is "graduating" from 8th grade tomorrow.  Where did my little cutie pie go?
 
Ciao~
Susan

8 comments:

  1. Such a cute picture of your "little" guy! I almost always boil my corn, too, though it probably is only in the water for 2-3 minutes. I have a friend who boils hers for 20! Of course, you could always just do it like my boys and eat a few ears while we are still outside shucking them!

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  2. haha RE: scaring your family! Sometimes that's fun, no? What a great idea to do the survey, Susan - thanks for that! I have never grilled it either but need to try!! Let me know how it goes for you!
    Enjoy the grad - how time flies!!

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  3. Hubby makes great corn on the cob using the foil-and-grill method. Because it's wrapped in foil, it gives you a chance to use other seasonings, too, and have them really be cooked into the corn (though I don't like anything other than plain ol' butter!). :)

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  4. I love corn on the cob! We're lucky to grow our own, so it's super-fresh... we cut it mere minutes before we cook it. I put mine in a pot of cold water, turn it on high, and take it out when the water starts to boil. Don't know how I learned this, but it works. For the grill, I just put it on, husks and all, so essentially it steams it. We had an 8th grade grauation here too! My boys are no longer boys anymore either... My oldest is taller than me, and keeps growing!

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  5. You need to try corn on the grill like Becky says. AWESOME! I have done it with husk and without and both ways are great, but I like husk on best.
    I usually boil mine for 5-7 minutes.

    Nice block too!

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  6. What a cutie pie! I am so not ready for Anne to grow up! I also boil for 5 minutes. This past October we went to a farm up here for pumpkin picking and they do a roasted corn, dipped in melted butter with tons of different "toppings" (different spice mixes). I'm not going to lie, best corn I've ever had! I even have 2 butter droplets on my favorite pair of shoes - I wear them like a badge of yummy honor now :)

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  7. The real debate is on how you butter your corn, once it's cooked :)

    My family tried to spread butter with a knife [very messy] on the cob.

    My husband's family is from the Midwest and they use whole-wheat bread as a vehicle for butter. They butter the bread, roll several ears in the bread and then someone gets to eat the "corny bread." I wish I could tell you that it's too much butter for me, but there's no such thing.

    Have I mentioned that I am dieting [and obsessing about food?]

    All the best.

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