How to Pour Hot Liquid Into a Cold Glass

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A great way for someone who is just starting out (or starting over) to collect some nice kitchenware on the cheap is to visit your local resale, antique, or pawn shops and find some older stuff that someone is trying to get rid of.

Or perhaps you have gotten some family heirlooms handed down to you that you wish to use but take care of at the same time.

Many times these older, nicer things are made of some type of glass.  While this glass is certainly beautiful it isn't always as impervious to heat as we can get from modern kitchenware.

A big problem you might experience is that when you're pouring some steaming hot soup, tea, broth, hot chocolate, or whatever into this glass that it will shatter throwing hot liquid and shards of glass around like a kitchen land mine!  Not a good situation!!

While nothing can absolutely prevent this explosive situation there are definitely ways to help control the situation.

Let's take a look at what can be done!

Start Smart!

Before we start, a bonus tip.  Don't use anything that is physically compromised.  If your glass container has a visible crack or chip on it then don't use it.  This spot is a weakness in the structure of the container.  Every time you put stress on this spot, the chances of the container breaking increases.  If you can, use that item for room temperature foods only.

Now that we've made sure that our container is as safe as possible, let's get some other safety measures in place.

Keep It Safe

Protect that bad boy!!

The most important step is to put a layer of insulation between your cold countertop or table and the glass container.  Things like a dishtowel, potholder, or silicone mat would all work great.  This will help the heat affect the glass more evenly.  (More information on why this is important in the video below.)

Ssssssllllllooooowwwww...

Pour the liquid into the container slowly.  Don't get in a rush here.  If you just dump all of the hot liquid in as fast as you can then you're going to create a major difference in the temperature of the inside and outside of the glass.  That's not a good situation.

Pre-heating the glass

Make sure you pre-heat the glass with hot tap water.  Your tap water will never be at boiling temperature.  (If it is, you should probably get a plumber out ASAP!)  By filling the container with warmer water you will be keeping the glass from having to change temperatures so much which will put less stress on the glass.

This picture makes more sense in the video

Don't pour the water directly into the glass.  Instead, pour it over the back of a spoon.  This does a couple of things:
     First, it removes some of the heat from the water by putting the heat into both the spoon and the air.  You'll notice a lot more steam when you do this.  That's the heat escaping into the air.  Remember to keep your face away from the steam or you could get burned.
     Second, it spreads the hot water around the glass instead of concentrating it on the bottom.  By spreading the water (and the heat) around the glass you'll be helping the whole glass come up to temperature at the same rate.

Video

Below is a link to the video I made on this subject.  It goes into more detail than I do here.  It is a bit sciency, but I try to keep it as entertaining as possible.

This is one of the first videos I ever did, and there are a lot of bloopers here!  I watched it while writing this blog to make sure I was staying the course.  I'm surprised that it's not more cringe-worthy.  Perhaps that says more about my lack of growth as a filmmaker... 😖😖 

Thank you for coming to class today.

God bless.

Class... Dismissed!! 

Cheddar Cheese Soup Recipe

This blog may contain affiliate links. These links will take you to websites that sell items. If you use these links to buy items from these sellers you are helping to support Professor Kitchen at no extra charge to you. Thank you very much!!

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It's Autumn.  It's not really cold here, but it rarely is.  I live in Texas on the Gulf Coast.  Anything below 700F is considered cool and if it gets as low as 60 we're breaking out the jackets.  

Some folks are already ready for warm weather to come back.  Not me.  I love the seasonal changes!!  Of course, we get so few around here you have to love what you can get.  

No matter what area of the world you live in, a nip in the air stirs up the desire for soup.  Sometimes it's something robust and hearty like gumbo, or a vegetable soup, or a chowder.  Other times it's something simple like cream of tomato or a potato soup you're craving.

Today, we're going to look at a basic soup recipe that is very popular in restaurants and super easy to make!  Plus, this soup can be used as a base or springboard for many other soups.  In fact, it's almost a "mother soup!!"

There are very few ingredients to this soup and I'll bet you have all or most of them in your home already!  

Since I'm sure you already saw the title, you know it's Cheddar Cheese Soup! 

The Ingredients

1/4 cup (114 gr) of butter - We're going to need some fat to keep things to cook more evenly and to help stop stuff from sticking to the pan.  You could use any fat here.  Here are some suggestions if you don't want to use butter: margarine, sunflower oil, coconut oil, lard, olive oil, etc.  Just don't use Extra Virgin olive oil because you lose the fruity flavors of it in the cooking process.  Leave EVOO for non-cooking applications.

1 medium onion, chopped - Onions are aromatics.  That means they add subtle flavors that do quite a lot to enhance a dish.  That's why you see them in recipes so much.  You can leave the onion out if you want but the dish won't taste as good.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour - We're going to be using the flour as a thickener.  You can use another thickener if you wish (like corn starch or xanthan gum) but the amount you use and the process is different for each one. 

6 cups (1.44 liters) of liquid - Technically you can use any liquid here.  Just remember that the liquid used will affect the flavor and texture of the soup.  Just tap water will not bring anything extra to the party; tomato sauce will add a lot of sweetness, flavor, and acidity; heavy cream will add a lot of thickness, mouthfeel, and weight on the stomach.  I'm suggesting a mixture of chicken stock, milk, and heavy cream.

1 pound (454 grams) cheddar cheese, shredded - Any melting cheese will work here but then it wouldn't be CHEDDAR cheese soup, would it!?!? You can use pre-shredded cheese or shred a block of it yourself.  The pre-shredded stuff is easier but more expensive.  Just make sure it's shredded by the time you start to cook.

The Hardware

3-Quart saucepan - You're going to need some room in order to blend the soup (more on that in a bit) so make sure you have a big enough pan.  We've got 6 cups of liquid so we're going to need something about twice the size.  That would be 12 cups or 3 quarts.

Cooking spoon - For stirring the soup.  You can forgo the spoon and just use a whisk if you want.

Large whisk - For stirring the soup and making sure everything incorporates well.  You can just use a cooking spoon if you want, you'll just have to stir more because the whisk moves things about better.

Stick blender or stand blender - We're going to try and make the soup as smooth as possible.  The best way to do that is to give it a whirl!  You can use either but I find the stick blender to be easier and less messy.

The Method

Place the saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter.  

Now add the onion and cook until tender (about 5 minutes).

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the onions and stir vigorously.  Don't just dump the flour in, that can create lumps.  Sprinkle it evenly across the top.  

Let it cook for several minutes stirring occasionally.  What you're doing here is cooking the flour.  Uncooked flour is nasty.  You want to make sure the flour is cooked for 3 or so minutes to get that uncooked flavor out.

Add the liquid, stock and moo juice, whisking constantly to make sure any flour lumps are broken up.

Cook until it just comes to a boil, stir occasionally to make sure the milk and cream don't burn.  

Now, kill the heat.  Using a hot pad, lift one side of the saucepan a bit.  Grab your stick blender and put the business end in there.  Blend for several minutes.  You're trying to make it as smooth as possible and get rid of the chunks of onion.

Once smooth, remove the stick blender and sit down your pot.  Put the heat on low this time.  Add the cheese one handful at a time all of the time stirring the soup.  Don't get too excited about dumping the cheese in.  You don't want it to clump together.  It will take a while to melt as little shreds.  Don't make it worse by having the cheese in clumps.

Keep stirring the soup until all of the cheese is melted.  Also, keep the soup from boiling.  If you need to, turn the heat off for a while.  A boiling soup could separate the cheese into curds and whey, then you'll never have a smooth soup.  This step might take longer than you think. 

After you get used to making this basic soup, start experimenting with it.  Add some hot sauce to give it some zing.  Add broccoli to make broccoli cheese soup.  Crumble crispy bacon on top.  Add some sour cream.

Let your mind go wild!!  It's your soup, make it like you like it!!

The Video

Watch my video to get more tips and tricks for this soup.

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Printable Recipe

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 C (114g) Butter
• 1 med Onion, chopped
• 1/4 C All-Purpose Flour
• 3 C Chicken Broth
• 2 C Milk
• 1 C Heavy Cream
• 1 lb Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Put 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add butter and let melt.  Add onion and cook until tender (3-5 minutes)
2. Sprinkle flour on top of onions.  Whisk flour into onions until well blended.  Let cook until flour is done (about 3 minutes).
3. Add liquids while whisking constantly.  Break up any lumps you see.  Let mixture come to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep milk from burning.
4. Remove from heat and blend until smooth.
5. Return to low heat.  Add cheese one handful at a time stirring constantly. 
6. Stir occasionally while continuing to cook until all the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat if you think it might be getting close to boiling. DO NOT let it boil.
7. Plate, garnish, and serve.

How to Cook Corn - Part 5, Grill Marks for Everyone!!

This blog may contain affiliate links. These links will take you to websites that sell items. If you use these links to buy items from these sellers you are helping to support Professor Kitchen at no extra charge to you. Thank you very much!!

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ICYMI: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4 

You've got your grill fired up and you've prepped all of your meat, but what about veggies??  Can you do corn on the cobb on the grill??  Why, yes.  Yes, you can!!

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Grills can be expensive.  Protect yours with a cover.

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Putting Your Plan into Place

A grill cooks differently than an oven.  They are very similar, but they are different.  Things that are different are not the same!

Think of your grill as primarily a broiler turned upside down.  (Or perhaps, right side up.  Whichever you prefer.)

While the grill can function as an oven, it takes a bit of finagling to get it to work that way.  Plus,

Grill it like you like it!!

controlling the temperature of an enclosed grill is way more complicated than you might think.  We're going to take out some insurance by not trying to get too complicated.  We're going to stick to using the grill just for the things it's good at.  (...at which it's good.  Whatever.)

If your corn is frozen, make sure you get it out of the freezer in time to mostly thaw.  Since we're not eating the cobb, we don't need to cook that bit.  However, if the core is too frozen it will cause the parts we do eat to cook unevenly and get cold much sooner than we want. 

Corn cooks very quickly compared to veggies that need to be cooked through.  Your corn should be one of the last things you put on the grill.  Make sure the thicker things (like potatoes) are done before you attempt to put the corn on.

Meat also cooks quickly on a grill but needs some rest time afterwords so that the juices end up in your mouth and not on your plate.  Your ears of corn should be one of the last things to go on your grill.  You should be able to put your ears on about the time you're removing your meat.  When the corn is done the meat should be rested enough to serve.

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Need Some New Grilling Accessories??  Here's Some to Choose From!

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Prep Your Corn

Now that you've got your grill timing worked out, let's get to preparing!

Both Shucking and Jiving! 

Because the grill and the broiler are so similar, you can use the method I laid out for the broiler for cooking your ears on the grill.  I won't rehash that recipe.  Click here if you missed it.

Instead of that rehash, let's talk about an even more direct way of cooking the ears.

"More direct that putting the corn directly on the grates?" I hear you say.  To which I reply,  "Yes, indeed!!"

...though not by much.  I may have indulged in a bit of hyperbole.

Anyway...  Let's start by removing any extra stem on the end of the cobb, shucking the corn, and removing as much of the silks as we easily can.  No need to get too picky with pulling the silks off.  The heat from the grill is going to help us out by burning many of the errant silks off.

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Oil it up!

Now that we have naked ears (how embarrassing!!) we need to get some oil on them.  The oil will do

Ooooohhh... Pretty!!

two things.  It will help the kernels not to stick to the grill grates and it will help the heat move more evenly into the corn thus cooking each kernel better.

You're going to want to choose a high-smoke point oil for this.  Go for regular olive oil, refined peanut oil, sunflower oil, or avocado oil.

Stay clear of your fancy extra-virgin olive oils or coconut oils.  Their smoke point is way too low.  When oil hits its smoke point it not only takes on a nasty flavor but it also starts being converted to carcinogenic compounds.  Food is supposed to be healthy not cause cancer!!  Keep your lower smoke point oils for salads and pestos or lower cooking temperature applications.

Sprinkle on the Seasoning

Now that your corn looks like it just won a pig wrestling contest, let's season it up.

You can use just regular salt & pepper if you want.  S&P really elevates corn.  

You can also use something a little more interesting if that's your thing.  Try some pre-boxed spice mixes or make your own.  Something a little spicy would accent the sweetness of the corn very nicely!! 

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Need Some Seasonings for Your Corn on the Cobb? Click Here!

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Corn Meets Grill 

Place your corn on the grill over the heat.  No time to try and fineness things.  Get the heat to the ear.

Rotate 1/4 of a turn about every 2 minutes.  You're going to want a few grill markings but not too much.  If the kernels get too black they will be chewy.  After 4 turns, you should be good to go!

Serve with butter and a shaker of whatever seasonings you used in case your guests want to add more.

You can also cut the corn off the cobb to change things up.  Here are my directions on how to cut the kernels off without making a mess.  Try serving the kernels by themselves or in a bean salad.  They make a great addition to regular leaf salad as well.

Is There More?

How do you prefer to cook your corn on the cobb??  Did I miss a favorite method?  Let me know what you think!!

Here's a link to my video on the History of Corn.

Thank you for coming to class today.

God bless.

Class... Dismissed!! 

How To Cook Fresh Corn - Part 4, Oven My Oven

This blog may contain affiliate links. These links will take you to websites that sell items. If you use these links to buy items from these sellers you are helping to support Professor Kitchen at no extra charge to you. Thank you very much!!

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ICYMI - Part 1  Part 2  Part 3


You've made the trek to your local grocer, farmer's market, or neighbor with a garden and picked up some fine ears of corn for your dinner.  Forgoing the large batch of bubbling water, you've chosen to utilize your oven to give your corn some roasty goodness.

How should you proceed?

Your Setup

Not corn, but the theory is the same.

Get your oven up to roasting temperature.  This can be anywhere from 350 F (175 C) on up.

If you choose a lower temp like 350 then you're going to need to cook it longer (about 30 minutes).  The problem with this is that the longer the roasting time then the more likely the corn is to dry out and become rubbery.  

I prefer a faster roast.  Remember, you're not trying to cook the cobb, just the kernels.  So once the top centimeter or so is done, then the corn is done.   So high heat is OK.

My recommendation is to use the broiler.  Your corn will cook super fast and your oven will be generating heat and using energy the least amount of time.  Just make sure you move an oven rack all the way to the top of your oven before putting the corn in.  Broilers also only need a minute or two of warm-up as opposed to the 15 minutes or so for "normal" temperatures.

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Make Sure Your Oven is Working Properly With a Hanging Thermometer

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Prep the Ear

Pull the husks back from the corn.  Pull as many of the silks off of the ear as you can but leave the husks.  You'll be using the husks but there's nothing you can do with the silks.

Here's a little trick: use the burner of your stove to singe off any silks that you can't pull off with your fingers.  Just make sure you keep your fingers out of the way of the heat.  The residual stalks that sometimes come still attached to the ears are great handles for this!  You might want to turn on the

Corn: Well Secured!

vent above your stove to make sure your house doesn't smell like burnt silks for the next hour.

Now that the silks are removed, put a half of a pat of butter on one side of the ear and then pull the husks back over that half.  Now repeat with the other half.  You should now have an ear of corn with the butter built-in!!  You could use some butcher twine or a piece of husk to secure everything down to help keep the butter from falling or leaking out.  My grandfather used to call these "roast-ners."

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Don't Have a Sheet Pan?  No Worries!

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Roasting the Ear

Now that your oven is up to temp and your corn is prepped, let's get these two together!!

Take one of your sheet pans and place it on the rack under where you plan on putting the corn.  This will catch any stray butter drips and help keep your oven clean.

No sheet pan.  This is going to be messy!!

Place the ears of corn directly on the rack of the oven.  If you're using the broiler, then you're going to want to put them on the top rack.  If you're using "normal" oven temperatures, place them in the center of the oven.

The lower the temperature you use, then the longer the cooking time will need to be.  For a 350F (175C) oven you're going to need about 30 minutes.  For a 450F (230C) you will need about 15 minutes.  For a broiler, more like 10 minutes.

You're going to want to turn the ears four times if you're using the broiler.  You only need to flip them once if not.

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Serving Your Ear

When your ears are ready, use tongs to remove them from the oven.  (Yes, Karen, they will be hot.)

Stolen from: justmommies.com

Leave the husks on when serving to keep the butter in as much as possible.  Perhaps put a bowl on the table specifically for folks to put their discarded husks and cobbs in when they are done.  Get yourself enough corn holders to keep your guests from getting too messy. 

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If You Need Corn Cobb Holders Here are a Bunch of Them

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Make sure you have salt and pepper on the table.  Buttered corn is awesome with S&P.  

Even better, create your own Buttered Corn Seasoning Mix to serve with your corn and really impress!!

If you want to cut the kernels off of the cobb, click here to see the trick to it!

Next time: the final chapter in our corn odyssey, Grilling Corn!!

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How to Cook Fresh Corn - Part 3, Getting Your Ears Wet!

This blog may contain affiliate links. These links will take you to websites that sell items. If you use these links to buy items from these sellers you are helping to support Professor Kitchen at no extra charge to you. Thank you very much!!

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ICYMI:  Part 1  Part 2

Now that you've picked out some awesome corn and examined the most used cooking methods of corn, let's say that you've chosen to boil as your method this time.  How do you go about it?

Your Setup

Probably not that big of a pot, though.

The first thing you're going to need is a pot big enough to cook all of the corn in.  If you don't have a stockpot here is a link to a bunch of them for you to choose from.

If your ears have a bit of the stem still on them, you can chop that off.  It's inedible and will just take up space in the pot.

Put your ears in the pot and just cover them with water.  The pot should be large enough to accommodate your ears and the water while leaving 1-2 inches until the rim.  You can use a smaller pot but you'll have much more of a mess!! 

You don't need to salt the water.  The corn won't absorb the salt and a pinch of salt doesn't raise the boiling point significantly. 

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Eating Corn on the Cobb is Tricky without These

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To Shuck or Not to Shuck, That is the Question

It bears saying that you don't NEED to shuck the ears before boiling them.  However, there is a big advantage to it.

Needless to say, you are going to have to shuck the ears eventually.  While they are easier to shuck after boiling, they are also saturated in hot water!  If you pre-shuck the ears then you don't have to fight with hot water running down your arm.

Win-Win!!

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Cooking The Corn

Cover your pot and put it on the stovetop set to high heat.  

Once the corn starts to boil, reduce the heat to where it is still at a boil but it won't boil over.  You should only need it to cook for about 3-5 minutes.  (5-7 Minutes if the shucks are still on.)  You're aiming for the kernels to be soft but still have a bit of a pop when you bite into them.

Remove the ears with tongs and set on a plate or platter to drain and cool down a bit.

Once they are cool enough to handle without burning yourself, carefully wipe away any silks that are still attached.  They will come off much easier after cooking than before.  Using a paper towel for this helps keep you from getting burned and collects the silk easily.

If you didn't pre-shuck your ears, then you're going to need to shuck them (without burning yourself, please!) and then de-silk them.

Serving the Corn

Now that you're ears are cooked, there are endless options to serving!  Here are two great ways.

My favorite way is to simply serve the corn on the cobb.  Put some butter, salt, and pepper on the table and let people slather up their ears to their preference.  So good!!

You can also cut the kernels from the cobb, put the butter, salt, and pepper on yourself before serving.  This can be tricky if you don't know the trick! 

The Trick To Cutting Kernels off the Cobb

Stolen from BHG.com

Grab yourself a bunt pan and set it on a stable surface.  If your surface is slippery, put a pot-holder or non-slip pad underneath it.  Now, stand the ear of corn on its end on the middle "spout" of the bunt pan.  Holding the ear in place with your non-dominate hand, cut straight down the side of the ear to separate the kernels from the cobb.  Now rotate the ear and cut another row.

The bunt pan will catch all of the kernels as they fall to prevent a mess.  The "spout" of the bunt pan keeps the ear in place and your hands away from the knife.

So easy!!

In Part 4 we'll look at Oven Roasting your ears!

How to Cook Fresh Corn - Part 2, Choose Wisely

This blog may contain affiliate links. These links will take you to websites that sell items. If you use these links to buy items from these sellers you are helping to support Professor Kitchen at no extra charge to you. Thank you very much!!

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In Part 1 (here's a link if you haven't seen it) you learned about the types of corn and how to pick out good ears of corn as well as some tips on storing it.

Today we're going to get into the actual cooking of corn!  (About time, right!!)

Getting Your Ears Ready

No, not this kind of ear!

The first thing you need to do with your ears of corn is to get them ready.  This is a stupendously easy task.  If your corn ears are frozen, let them thaw.

There, you're ready.

Seriously, that's it.  

No, you don't need to wash them. (Unless they are covered in mud, then it might be a good idea just to keep your kitchen clean.)  The husks protect the kernels from getting dirt and gunk on them.  You're not going to eat the husks so there is no need to make sure they are sparkly clean. 

While you can shuck them at this point, if you want, there really is no reason to.  Yup, that's right, corn comes with its own cooking blanket!!

If you have some particularly picky people at your table then you might want to shuck and de-silk your ears, but it is not necessary.  In fact, the cooking process will make cleaning the ears easier, so you might want to wait.

Choosing Your Cooking Method

Just about any way you can add heat to food is a good way to cook corn.  The most popular ways are boiling, oven roasting, and grilling.

Boiling

Double, bubble, toil and trouble...

Boiling ears of corn is very popular because it doesn't heat up the kitchen as much as oven roasting does.  Back in the day when air conditioning wasn't a thing, creating as little heat during the hotter months was a very big deal!  

In today's modern kitchen with our better insulation, more efficient ovens, and powerful air conditioners it isn't as much of a problem.

The problem with boiling is that it uses a lot of energy, water, and time.  It takes a lot of energy and time to bring the water to a boil and keep it there while the corn cooks.  While it doesn't take long to cook the corn this way, pots aren't insulated and don't keep the heat in like an oven does.  There's no real use for water that's had corn cooked in it, so it's usually just thrown out.

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Need a stockpot to boil in??  Here are some to choose from.

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Oven Roasting

Hmmm... That oven is much cleaner than mine...

Oven roasting is a great way of cooking ears of corn if you're already going to be using the oven for something anyway.  If you're cooking a roast, for example, then after you pull the roast out you can slide the corn in.  The ears cook so quickly that you're using much less energy to fix them this way.

The downside to using the oven is if you don't already have it heated then you have to get it up to temp.

A way around this is to use the broiler function on your oven!  As Alton Brown says, your broiler is just an upside-down grill.  You just need to make sure that you turn them occasionally to get all the sides evenly heated.

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Despite the picture above, most people use sheet pans.  Click here if you need one.

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Grilling

Stolen from food-fire.com

If you've already got the grill fired up, might as well use that to cook your corn!  Unlike the with the oven, usually, you don't have to wait until you've pulled everything else out (off??) of the grill before putting the corn in.  

We don't normally grill large objects like a ham that would take up all of the room.  So, you can slap the corn down beside the hot dogs and burgers.

Using a grill you can add a lot of flavor to the corn, as well.  Getting little grill marks on your kernels will not only add some awesome color but flavor as well!  We'll get into that when we go more in-depth in the grilling section.

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Keep your grill clean with a grill scrubber.

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Next time, we'll start the actual cooking process by giving you some ideas on boiling corn.

Stay tuned!!

How to Cook Fresh Corn - Part 1, Pick Your Corn Not Your Nose

This blog may contain affiliate links. These links will take you to websites that sell items. If you use these links to buy items from these sellers you are helping to support Professor Kitchen at no extra charge to you. Thank you very much!!

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You have probably watched my video on the history of corn (if not, what are you waiting for????) but you may be wondering exactly how to prepare corn.

I'm talking fresh corn, right off the stalk.  Or, at least as soon after harvest as you can.

Stolen from DailyDot.com

The Types of Corn

Let's step back a second and give you a little corny info.  

There are, basically, four types of corn: Sweet, Field, Pop, and Indian.  All of them are eatable just not in the same way.

Field corn is the "original" corn.  It is very starchy like a potato instead of sweet like, well, sweet corn.  Most of the corn grown today is field corn.  It is largely used for things like cattle feed, deer feed, hog feed, or ethanol.  Normally, it is left on the stalk to dry out, then a combine is used to pick it.  If picked when ripe, it can be eaten by humans.  We just prefer the taste of sweet corn.

Yup, you can pop it on the cobb!

You probably know popcorn.  It is a type of corn that has a thinner outer shell and a hollow bit inside that holds water.  When heated, the water turns to steam and expands causing the corn to pop open.  Most popcorn we eat are types of field corn but there are some sweet corn varieties.

Indian corn is that beautiful colorful corn that you see around Thanksgiving time.  Most Indian corn is a type of field corn.  Some are of the popcorn variety.  There are some sweet corn varieties that are also Indian style.  Indian corn is cultivated for its beauty and is not normally eaten and that's a shame.    We love colorful foods and there are very few foods as colorful as Indian corn!!

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Click To Get Your Beautiful Indian Corn Decorations Here!!

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Sweet corn was purposely cultivated from field corn to give us its sweet taste.  This is the type of corn that you will normally find in your grocery store, farmer's market, or supermarket.  It doesn't matter if it's canned, frozen, or on the cobb; most likely it is the sweet variety.

How You Can Buy Corn

Most folks are used to getting their corn in a bag or can.  While convenient, it's not always the best option for your application. 

Stolen from cheatsheet.com

Canned corn is super easy to use.  It's already cooked and many times already seasoned.  Just open the can, heat it up, and enjoy!  If you're not particular, even the heating-it-up-bit is non-necessary.  Cold canned corn is just as much of a meal as hot canned corn.

Frozen corn is, for most applications, the best way.  You can get frozen corn pre-cooked or non-cooked, seasoned or plain, all by itself or with some other friendly veggies.  As long as you have freezer space and power, you should be good to go!!

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You Can Get Bulk Frozen Corn Delivered!

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Fresh corn is, IMHO, the best corn.  Straight off of the cobb is the way to go!  It is surprisingly easy and quick to cook this way.  It can be frozen while still fresh on the cobb if you have too much for one meal.  

You can buy fresh corn from grocers when it's in season but it, most likely, isn't as good as you'll get from a farmer's market.  Most farmers who sell through a reseller have to pick their crops before they are completely ripened so that they don't go bad on the way to the store.  However, if your market buys from local growers, you might be getting it as fresh as you can.  (Depends on their definition of "local.")  The only real way to know is to try it!

What To Look For When Buying Fresh Corn

Now that you've decided to cook yourself up some fresh corn, how do you know if corn is any good?

First, always buy fresh corn that still has the husks and silks still attached.  Unhusked corn goes bad quickly and the silks are what let you know the quality of your corn.

Sometimes you just need a quick fix.

Like bananas, a little color on your corn silks indicates ripeness.  You want them to have started turning brown (gold is their color when unripened) but not black.  They should feel moist but not spongy.  Dry silks indicate old corn.  Silks that feel and smell moldy mean that the corn has gone bad.

Now, look at the husks.  They should be bright green.  A little browning around the edges is fine.  Husks that look old and wrinkled indicate an older, dryer ear of corn.

Put the ear in your palm and give it a gentle squeeze.  It should feel firm with just a touch of give.  It should feel like the center (the cobb) is hard but that the outside (the kernels) have some flexibility.  A soft cobb shows a bad ear.  If there is no give in the kernels then the corn isn't ripe yet.

NOTE: Never peel back the husk to look at the kernels.  You are destroying someone else's property by doing that.  You can tell just fine through the husk.  If in doubt, move on to another ear.

Keeping Your Corn

Corn can be kept for a few days to a week on the counter.  The only caveat to this is that you

Stolen from Dinner-Mom.com

don't know how long your grocer had it sitting out.  When you bought the corn it was, most likely, not under any refrigeration.  

If you're planning on cooking it that, or the next, night just leave it on the counter.

However, if it's going to be a few days, you might want to put it in the chill chest.  Better safe than sorry!

If you're planning on putting it back for later in the year, you can use your freezer.  Keep the husk on, seal the ears in an airtight bag, remove as much of the air as you can from the bag, and put them in the freezer.  Not removing the husks will help keep the kernels from getting frostbite.  Not having frostbite is always a great thing!!

Next Time... Cooking Your Corn!!