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Corn On the Cob Seasoning
There’s nothing like summer - cooking on the grill, watermelon and of course some freshly picked corn on the cob. Now there are plenty of ways to cook your corn - you can boil, grill, roast, bake or even microwave it. No matter how you cook your corn, our Corn on the Cob Seasoning is sure to be a hit at your next backyard bash!In most parts of the world corn is called maize, coming from the Taino word “mahiz”. The Taino tribe was the first group of people that Columbus came across in the New World. At the time, they were the largest group in the Caribbean, inhabiting what is now Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. In the 50 years after Columbus’ visit diseases carried by Spanish explorers wiped out most of the Taino population.
The early European settlers to America called it "Indian corn", as it resembled small grains grown in Europe that they called "corn". Today, most of the world still refers to the crop as maize, while only Americans call it corn.
Corn on the cob is a culinary term used for a cooked ear of freshly picked corn (or maize) from a cultivar of sweet corn. The ear is picked while the endosperm is in the "milk stage" so that the kernels are still tender. Sweet corn is the most common variety of corn eaten directly off the cob.
Corn on the cob is normally eaten while still warm and is typically seasoned with salt and butter before serving. Some diners use specialized skewers, thrust into the ends of the cob, to hold the ear while eating without touching the hot and sticky kernels.
History and Cultivation
Through the study of genetics, scientists have identified corn's wild ancestor as a grass called teosinte. Teosinte doesn't look much like maize, especially when you compare its kernels to those of modern day corn. But at the DNA level, the two are very closely aligned with the same number of chromosomes and a remarkably similar arrangement of genes.The identity of corn's wild ancestor was a mystery for many decades. While other grains, such as rice and wheat, have easier to identify wild relatives, there is no wild plant that looks like corn, with starchy, soft kernels neatly lining a cob. Archaeologists have discovered Maize cobs showing the evolution of modern maize over thousands of years through selective breeding. The oldest findings only bear a slight recognizable resemblance to modern maize.
Food historians believe that corn was first domestically cultivated a little more than 3,000 years ago in ancient Mexico by first the Mayans (1000 BC-AD 1542) and then the Aztecs (1428-1521). Used as a vegetable, dried kernels were ground into flour and used for baking. The use of Maize spread with cultivation ranging from the Andes Mountains in South America up into Southern Canada.
When Columbus landed in the Caribbean, he received corn as a gift from the Taino people and carried it back to Spain, where it was well received and quickly became a staple grain. Before long, maize was grown throughout much of Europe.
Corn became a key vegetable of this country soon after the first settlers landed at Plymouth harbor. The Pilgrims might not have made it through that initial winter had they not been given some corn to eat. The Wampanoag people, who had lived in the area for some 10,000 years before the Europeans arrived, showed them how to prepare the corn into bread, fried corn cakes, pudding and soup. In the spring they taught them how to grow and care for maize.
The Wampanoag would harvest large amounts of maize and dry them in heaps upon mats. Each family would have 2-3 dried piles of maize and the surplus maize would be stored underground in skillfully constructed storage pits lined with grasses that prevented mildew or spoiling. This allowed the maize to be consumed in the harsh northeastern winters.
After the American Revolution settlers moved west into the Ohio River Valley. Those from the North brought with them their Northern Flint corn, while the Southerners preferred their Southern Dent. These two corns bred together produced what was known as Corn Belt Dent, the ancestor of almost all corn commercially grown in the United States today.
By the mid 1800’s technological advances such as combines enabled farmers to plant more acres of corn in less time and helped to increase total production. Beginning in the 1920’s researchers began to develop hybrid corn that allowed for even greater yields from less land.
Today there are four primary varieties of corn grown in the US:
Dent - higher in starch and used primarily as animal food, biodegradable plastics and fuel.
Flint - known for its flavor, it is typically used to make corn meal and polenta.
Popcorn - a type of flint mostly used to make popcorn.
Sweet - this is considered to be the best tasting variety and there are various sweet corn varieties which are all bred to be eaten as a vegetable.
Proper Corn Choosing Etiquette
Experienced farmers tell us that there is a right way and a wrong way to choose your corn. Naturally they’re not big fans of buying your corn at the supermarket. According to long time farmers, you should never peel back the husk to check the kernels as leaving the husk on retains moisture and keeps the kernels plump. You should always get your corn from a source you trust and know that they picked that ear when it was at its plumpest and sweetest point (you’re not likely to find that type of quality at your local corner grocer). Experienced corn pickers know how to feel for plump kernels underneath the husk.How to Use
Once you've cooked your corn on the cob you can lightly drizzle with olive oil or vegetable oil and sprinkle with our Corn On the Cob Seasoning. Or you can also use unsalted butter and top with this seasoning.We always recommend any time you're using a seasoning for the first time use a bit less than you think you need. You can always add more.
Flavor Profile
Salty with a noticeable smoky flavor.What’s In It
Hand blended from smoked hickory salt, sea salt, orange zest, black pepper and paprika.Helpful Hints
If you’re a fan of vegetables you should check out our Roasted Vegetable Seasoning, Moroccan Vegetable Rub and Vegetable Soup Seasoning.Related Blog Posts
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