Corn season is winding down, but corn is still out there at the farmers markets and it’s the good stuff. Sweet and fresh and real. At this past weekend’s retreat, we made the most of it.
Let me show you how many ways we used an ear of corn.
Photo: Brenda Goodall.
First, of course, the corn was shucked, then parboiled, then the kernels cut off the cobs. The corn kernels were set aside for a corn casserole the next day.
I have several corn recipes, if you’re looking for a good one!
Scalloped Corn
Corn Grilled in the Husk
Fresh Summer Corn Pudding
How to Make Cream-Style Corn
Corn Fritters
Next, the bare naked cobs went back in the pots to simmer down into corn cob jelly.
Then the cobs were sliced into half-inch rounds, which were dehydrated to add into the potpourri mixture attendees were putting together with pickings from the wild.
And then, later, I snatched up the husks to lay them out to dry. I’ll do something crafty with them this fall. I’ve got a few ideas here:
Make a Corn Husk Doll
How to Make a Corn Husk Wreath
How to Make Corn Husk Angels
See? Corn–a side dish, corn cob jelly, corn cob potpourri, and corn husk crafts. That’s a lot of ways to use every ear of corn. Corn–it’s more than a casserole!
Here’s a whole list I compiled a while back of things to do with corn cobs.
1. Give it to the animals. Chickens and goats love to peck and chew every bit of sweetness out of a cob.
2. Make a corn cob doll.
3. Make a corn cob pipe. (If you’re handy and into that.)
4. Stick a nail or hook in one end of the cob. Slather cob with peanut butter and seeds-–tie on a tree branch as a bird feeder.
5. Boil down for vegetable soup stock. (Similar to the method for making corn cob jelly-–use the corn liquid as soup stock instead.)
6. Potpourri–-slice cobs in thin pieces, dry, then sprinkle with scented oil. Makes a very pretty addition to a potpourri bowl!
7. Dry for firestarters.
8. In the old days, dried, they were used as pot scrubbers.
9. Poke a long nail in each end of a dried cob and use as a paint roller to make a neat pattern. (Also can use corn cobs held upright as a brush, or cut in half to use the even, cut edge to stamp patterns.)
10. Corn cob wine!
What do YOU do with corn cobs?
mschrief says:
Save some husks for tamales!!
On September 17, 2014 at 12:54 pm
mamajhk says:
I haven’t used corn cobs in all the ways mentioned but I did make flavored stock with them and froze them intending to make corn cob jelly but instead used them for liquid for corn and soups.
On September 17, 2014 at 1:53 pm
BideshiGirl says:
Here is an easier way to freeze corn. Shuck your corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Take a 4 qt pot and fill 2/3 of the way full of corn kernels. Add a tablespoon or two of butter and a splash of milk and heat until it is hot enough to eat. Take off the heat and bag to what size you need (I like to measure in cup increments). Spread the bag flat until cooled off and place in your freezer flat for better storage.
As for the cobs, I make stock out of them and can them into quarts. It is so good in a veggie soup.
On September 18, 2014 at 2:13 pm