A Primer on Corn - 8/6/08

My friend is a corn snob. I won’t name names (she knows who she is), but while the rest of us eagerly grab whatever imported sweet corn we can get our hands on once the temperature rises above 70 degrees, my friend patiently waits until the dog days of summer before indulging herself.

Let’s face it; farm stand corn blows supermarket corn away. Why? It all comes down to chemistry. Once picked, sweet corn starts losing its sweetness as sugars are converted to starch. Buying locally from farm stands ensures that the corn has been picked recently. Florida corn can be found in the supermarket as early as Memorial Day weekend, but getting the real deal means being patient.

I wasn’t always this corn savvy. Many years ago I vacationed on Nantucket with some friends over the July 4th holiday. When someone suggested a barbecue, we jumped on our bikes and pedaled out to the local farm in search of corn. Eagerly we asked the woman in charge if they had any fresh sweet corn. With barely disguised disdain she replied, “Not yet.” Two little words, emphasis on the second that spoke volumes: “Idiots. Come back in 3 weeks.” Immediately the old adage “knee high by the 4th of July” popped into my head. We slunk away in embarrassment, and spent the rest of vacation taking turns imitating the corn lady, exaggerating her contempt for us by drawing out the phrase “Not ye-e-e-e-t” to comic proportions.

My husband furthered my education by tending a sizeable garden, which included a few rows of corn. One night, when the corn was ripe, he set a pot of water on the stove to boil. When the water was ready, we went to the garden, picked a few ears, shucked them, and immediately threw them in the pot. The corn we ate that night was so sweet, it should have been considered dessert.

Short of moving to a farm, I probably won’t eat corn that fresh again, but visiting local farm stands this time of year is the next best thing. My corn snob friend is in her glory right now, serving it several nights a week until the season ends. I think I’ll follow her lead. Pass the butter!