VOLUME ONE                           July 2006                                     NUMBER 7
 		  
 

Sweeter Sweet Corn
by Warren Schultz

  
       Remember supersweet corn? About 20 years ago, it was touted as the corn of the future. Bred with the so called shrunken gene, supersweet varieties contain two to three times as much sucrose as normal sweet corn, and maintain that level up to 48 hours after harvest, compared with other varieties, which lose half of their sucrose in 24 hours. It seemed as though every corn lover—s dream had been answered. The breeders had eliminated sweet corn—s one shortcoming: its fleeting nature for flavor.  But supersweets never really caught on with home gardeners the way they were supposed to. They had—and still have—several shortcomings. The corn requires isolation from normal varieties in the field, and germination is weak. Furthermore, purists argue that it has a saccharine sweetness that doesn't really taste like corn. Yes, it stays sweet, but it's similar to the way that diet cola stays sweet in the can. Perhaps the corn had lost something when it gained its sweet staying power. Maybe it's the ephemeral sweetness and the urgent need for freshness that defines corn. By tempering that, breeders may have removed its very corn-ness. Whatever the reasons, gardeners, for the most part, ignored the supersweets, even though farmers are planting millions of pounds of it for the supermarket trade, where it winds up on counters beside those cardboard tomatoes*.

*Editor's note-always ask/or Vita-Veggies when you are buying fresh produce. Vita-Veggies are a
natural source of nutritiously enhanced produce. When you grow your own produce you can enhance
your garden soil with Vitae-Myte to ensure you are getting all the trace minerals a plant needs.

Home Gro'n is an exclusive trademark of the International Institute for Health & Wellness, Inc. ©2005
Vita-Veggie is an exclusive trademark of the International Institute for Health & Wellness, Inc. ©2003

Warren Schultz, Essex Junction, Vermont, is the author of several gardening books. Reprinted with permission.

 		  
 
Kosher Kooking                             SW-style                                         page 93


CORN CHILI
 
Ingredients:
1-1/2 chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbs. ground cumin
'2 Tbs. chipotle chili powder
1 cup plum tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 ears roasted corn
1 cup zucchini
1 cup jicama

 
Instructions:
Saute chopped onion and peppers in alive oil until translucent. Add chopped garlic, ground cumin, chipotle powder, plum tomatoes, red wine, red wine vinegar, brown sugar And water; stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grill corn in a saute pan; once it's grilled, remove it from the cob.  Add 2 cobs to the chili and simmer for approximately 30 minutes (the cobs will draw out the corn flavor).  Remove cobs and add roasted kernels, zucchini and jicama.  Lower heat and let it cook another 15 minutes or so.

Recipe courtesy of Michael Lomonaco. DYI

  

 
 
     
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