Boiled corn is one of the favorite delicacies of children and even adults. But it is especially appetizing at the stage of milky ripeness. This fragrant and tasty product is not only easy to prepare, but also contains many useful substances necessary for the body. And in order for the cobs to retain all their properties, it is necessary to know how to choose them correctly and how much to cook in a saucepan.
Features and useful properties
By the amount of protein and vitamins, dairy corn is ahead of some types of vegetables and is much faster absorbed than meat. The unique balanced composition of its grains includes phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, glutamic acid and other elements. Since ancient times The product has been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of the following diseases:
- of cardio-vascular system;
- gout;
- jade;
- epilepsy and other problems with the nervous system;
- constipation.
Regular use of cobs helps cleanse the body of harmful substances, toxins, improve memory, build muscle mass, and prevent the development of cancer. But the main feature of the grains is that they retain their properties even after heat treatment.
In addition, dairy corn is widely used in cosmetology, and nutritionists recommend eating the product as often as possible, because it promotes fat burning.
Insofar as the content of vitamin K in the product increases the risk of blood clots and enhances the ability of blood to collapse.
You should not eat the product during the exacerbation of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastrointestinal pathologies.
How to choose?
Knowing how to cook dairy corn on the cob at home, you must initially decide how it differs from young, mature or overripe, otherwise the result might not be a juicy and fragrant delicacy, but something hard and dry (about how and how much to cook ripe and overripe corn, read here). First of all, give preference to cobs with grains of slightly yellowish or milky-white color. They should be soft and elastic at the same time, without dents and other visible damage.
It is important to inspect the leaves on the cob - their dryness and yellowness will indicate that the product is stale. Also It is worth refraining from buying corn if:
- leaves lag behind cobs;
- broken in half head dry inside and not whitish in color;
- corn is sold without leaves.
The latter indicates that the culture was treated with pesticides, and the green mass curtailed as a result of chemical exposure was cut off, because it makes the product unattractive.
To discard all doubts, it is recommended at the time of selecting heads to carry out a simple test - press with a fingernail on one of the grains at the very base. If it is easily crushed and released juice, then you have in your hands a fresh, milky ear. The drier and harder the seed, the worse the quality of the product.
On a note. Over-ripe cobs lose their moisture, starch forms in them and wax wax appears, so they are not very appetizing. Dairy also have a sweet taste and juiciness.
Details on how much to cook the old corn, so that it becomes soft and juicy, we told in this article.
In order not to make a mistake during the selection, pay attention to the shape and length of the heads - a good product will be slightly rounded and will not exceed 15 cm in size.
Cooking preparation
After the cobs have been selected, they should be prepared for the preparation process and here the opinion of many experienced housewives diverges.
Some prefer to boil or bake the product completely cleared of leaves, and some remove only dirty parts or do not do it at all, because the stigmas and green mass give the corn a special flavor (you can find out how tasty it is to cook corn on the cob and how much it needs to be cooked here). However, when cooked, all excess parts are removed very poorly, so it’s best to separate them immediately. Before cooking, it is advisable to adhere to the following tips:
- try to boil cobs of the same size, otherwise they will not cook evenly;
- large cabbages are best cut into several pieces (across);
- before cooking, it is recommended to soak the corn for an hour in cold running water to make it more tender;
- the top rows of rotted grains need to be cut, if any.
What you need to have and where to start?
Currently The traditional method of cooking cobs on the stove is the most popular.because it is considered the easiest and fastest. To do this, you need a fairly wide and deep pan with a thick bottom, an iron pot or a cauldron.
The dishes must be with a tight-fitting lid - this will allow you to cook corn for a shorter period of time. If the product will be prepared in the oven, then the hostess should have in the arsenal of a baking sheet, foil or parchment paper.
- At the very beginning of the process, foliage and stigma are removed from the ears.
- Then everything is thoroughly washed with cold water.
- Then it is recommended to marinate the corn in spices or immediately put it in the dish in which it will be cooked.
How to cook at home on the stove
For this simple cooking method you will need:
- 2-3 cob;
- water (approximately 3 liters);
- salt to taste.
Cooking:
- Fibers and leaves are separated from the heads, then they are washed and placed on the bottom of the pan.
- Place the corn on top, pour water over it, cover with a lid and put on a small fire. Ensure that the product is completely covered with liquid during cooking.
- After boiling the corn boils for about 15-20 minutes. Cooking time will directly depend on the size of the cobs, so periodically check the grains, trying them to taste. As a result, they should be soft, juicy and easy to chew.
- At the very end of the process, the water should be drained and the cobs laid out on a flat plate, sprinkled with coarse salt and smeared with a piece of butter (optional).
Salt is able to accelerate the release of moisture and in the end the finished product is not very juicy. If you want the cobs to be a little tougher, then you should add salt in the cooking process.
Details on how and how much to cook fresh corn, read here, and in this article you can see the recipes for cooking dishes from sugar varieties.
How to cook dairy corn:
Steamed
Some experts believe that steamed food retains its beneficial composition, therefore, it is advised to give preference to just such a method. For three servings you will need:
- cobs - 3 pcs .;
- water.
Cooking:
- A small amount of water is poured into a deep pan, after which a basket is inserted for steaming or a metal sieve. It is important to make sure that the liquid does not touch the basket!
- Water is brought to a boil, then pre-prepared cobs are laid out and the pan is covered with a lid.
- After about 10 minutes, the corn will become soft and can be eaten.
On how to quickly cook the corn in a double boiler, we told in our material.
Roasting
This method of processing is not as popular as cooking, but it makes the corn tastier and more aromatic. Whole cobs or grains can be fried on a brazier, in a deep fryer, on a fire and in a frying pan. It will take:
- cobs - 4 pcs .;
- vegetable oil - 20 ml;
- butter - 30 g;
- salt to taste.
Cooking:
- Heat a frying pan with a thick bottom over medium heat, and then fry the cobs prepared with vegetable oil on it (5 minutes on each side).
- Then pour about 200 ml of water and continue to simmer the product on low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated (without a cap).
- Prepared corn smeared with butter and sprinkled with salt.
On a note. If you fry cob sliced into pieces, the frying process will take 20 minutes.
In the microwave
Preparation of corn in the package:
- Before cooking, uncooked corn should be soaked in cold water for an hour.
- Then the cob should be packed in a plastic bag, adding to it a few tablespoons of water, and tie everything tightly.
- In order to allow steam to leave freely, small holes are made in the package.
- Prepare the product for 10-15 minutes at maximum power microwave.
- Before use, it is cleaned of foliage and smeared with butter.
Learn other recipes for cooking corn in the microwave here.
In the oven
For roasting corn will need:
- water;
- salt;
- vegetable and butter;
- cobs.
Cooking:
- At the very beginning of cooking you need to preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- On a greased baking sheet with a vegetable oil, unpeeled cobs are laid out and half filled with water.
- Then everything should be covered with foil and cook for 40 minutes.
- Before serving, corn is cleaned from leaves, salted and smeared with vegetable oil.
How else can you cook the corn in the oven, as well as see the recipes of the dishes, you can here.
How to store?
The main secret of proper storage of boiled corn is that it loves moisture. therefore the cobs should cool down in the water in which they boiledotherwise, after a while the grains will shrivel and lose their appetizing look. As soon as the broth cools down, it is necessary to put the pot in the fridge, which will allow to keep the product for 2 days.
Dairy corn goes well with many foods and is served as a side dish or dessert. In the latter case, it is rubbed not with salt, but with sugar. And whatever method of cooking you choose, the result will surely please everyone with an incomparable taste, given the basic rules for choosing cobs and adhere to the recommendations of experts.