Sweetcorn

The elongated cob of sweetcorn is densely covered with pale yellow, tender kernels. The cobs are wrapped in reed-green leaves. The juicy kernels taste distinctly sweet and aromatic.

Origin

The home of corn is in southern Mexico, where it was already cultivated 3,000 years before Christ. Sweetcorn probably originated in the middle of the last century as a mutation of fodder corn. The main cultivation area today is the USA. Sweetcorn cultivation is also of greater importance in France, Spain, Israel, England and the Netherlands. Sweetcorn only reached Germany after the Second World War. Domestic production is harvested from July to November.

Tips

Sweetcorn should be refrigerated as soon as possible or even better consumed immediately, because it quickly loses its juiciness, aroma and sweetness.

Preparation

Of course, you can eat sweetcorn kernels raw, but it is more common to boil, steam or grill them. Remove the husks and threads, cut off the tip and end of the cob, wash the cob and continue to use it. It is particularly delicious to boil the corn cob for about 15 minutes in water with a pinch of sugar, spread with butter, salt and then nibble the kernels off the cob. Or the kernels are stripped from the cooked sweetcorn cob and tossed in melted butter, seasoned and served as a vegetable side dish.