American corn - too sweet ?

[Gamecube64]

Corn is good for burning in cars, not so much for eating... not very nutritous compared to other vegetables either. But its ok.

[Az]

The minute it is picked, the sugar (glucose?) starts turning to starch.

That's very weird. It spontaneously polymerizes?

are you sure?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Az

The minute it is picked, the sugar (glucose?) starts turning to starch.

That's very weird. It spontaneously polymerizes?

are you sure?

He's got it backwards, IIRC. Generally speaking, after picking fruits, etc., enzymes break starches down, not build them up. Maybe maize is different, but I doubt it.

[Kidlicious]

Corn is pig food.

[Odin]

Sweet corn:

[Odin]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


He's got it backwards.

Nope, sweet corn starts loosing it's sweetness just minutes after picking.

[boann]

The Scoop on Corn

Fresh corn is starting to appear in the grocery stores, and should be plentiful and reasonably priced through the Summer months. The locally grown corn should be plentiful next month. Corn is extremely popular in the U.S., probably due to its mild sweet flavor. Although it is considered a vegetable by most of us, corn is actually a grain from the corn plant, which is a grass. Americans consume approximately twenty-five pounds of corn per person each year. Much of the corn consumed is frozen or canned. The corn grown for human use has been bred so the conversion of sugar to starch is delayed until the corn is harvested. As soon as the corn is harvested, it starts to lose its sweetness as the sugar is changed into starch. To enjoy the best flavor, eat the fresh corn as soon as possible after it is picked.

If you are shopping for fresh corn at a farmer’s market, it might be worth going earlier in the day before the corn becomes hot and loses too much sweetness. Choose corn that is in the shade and kept as cool as possible. Choose fresh corn that the husks look fresh, are tight to the ear, and are not yellowed or dry. Pull back the husk, and check to see that the ear is filled out with tightly packed rows of plump kernels. The kernels may be yellow, white, or a combination. If the corn is not over mature, the kernels at the tip will be smaller. If you pop a kernel with your fingernail, there should be milky white liquid that squirts out. The silks should be soft and a light golden color.

Corn should be left in the husks and stored in the refrigerator if it is not going to be eaten immediately. The Visual Food Encyclopedia by Macmillan, Inc. says "In a single day, corn stored at a temperature of 86° F will lose up to 50% of its sugar, at 68° F, 26% of the corn’s sugar is lost." The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition from the University of California at Berkeley, puts it this way, "At room temperature, sweet corn loses its sugar six times faster than at 32°-up to half its total sugar in one day." So to maintain the sweet taste of corn, keep it cool and use it as soon as possible. If you intend to keep the corn for more than a day or two, the conversion of sugar to starch can be stopped if the corn is parboiled for a minute or two. If it is to be frozen for use later, preserve it as soon as possible. Most commercially canned or frozen corn is processed as soon as it is harvested. The preserved corn is very similar in nutrients, except it is a little lower in vitamin C, and commercially canned corn is higher in salt.

Fresh corn can be prepared in a number of ways. Corn can be grilled, microwaved, or roasted in the husks. You will probably want to pull the husks back and remove the silks before putting the husks back to cook. If the corn in the husks is to be roasted, many people soak it in cold water for around five minutes before roasting. If the husks are removed, the corn is usually wrapped in foil for roasting in the oven, on the grill, or buried in the coals. It will take about 30 minutes in a 375°F oven, about 12 minutes in the coals, and about 15 minutes on the grill. In the microwave the corn should be wrapped in waxed paper if the husks are removed, or cooked in a covered dish with a couple of tablespoons of water for five to seven minutes. There are a variety of opinions on boiled corn, but it should not be cooked in salted water, because the salt will make it tougher. Generally the corn will be done after being in boiling hot water for five to ten minutes. The corn can also be steamed in a small amount of water in a covered heavy pan for six to ten minutes.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Gamecube64
Corn is good for burning in cars, not so much for eating... not very nutritous compared to other vegetables either. But its ok.

That doesn't sound right; at any rate it's no worse than people can have it for 50-80% of their caloric intake with no ill effects.

[snoopy369]

Corn is not a vegetable (as that long post above states). It is a grain. It is basically a sweet, plump version of wheat ...

Not too many people eat 80% of their caloric intake in the form of corn. Rice, Wheat, and Potatoes can do this - due to higher proteins. Corn is not so high in protein.

[Last Conformist]

Since when are grains not vegetables? Stupid English.

Mesoamerican civilization was built on maize. The 50-80% figure is from modern Maya farmers in the Yucatan, but judging from isotope studies probably accurate for many ancient Mesoamerican peoples.

[snoopy369]

Grains are not part of the US FDA's definition of a vegetable, they're their own category.

Grains and Vegetables are dramatically different in composition, use, and nutritional value.

Grains have high starch content, and many have fairly high fiber content. They have relatively low vitamin content, including some pretty important vitamins (like vitamin A,C, and some B vitamins). Grains usually have relatively little 'taste' by themselves (sweet corn being pretty much the strongest tasting grain out there, and that's not a very strong taste). Grains are (iirc) always the seed of the plant (which iirc is always a grass or grasslike plant).

Vegetables are essentially "any plant part that is not a fruit or a grain". They have much lower starch content generally (the Potato being an exception). They generally have much higher vitamin and mineral contents, particularly vitamins A and B-varieties.

These are pretty limited definitions and I'm tired so probably getting some things wrong ... but grains are most definitely not vegetables. I'm not sure I'd use mayan farmers of any period as a definition of nutritionally sound ... if they're eating 80% corn, then they had better be eating 20% of something really high in A,B,C,D,K vitamins ...

Of course, the fact that Americans eat a high proportion of wheat/corn for their vegetable-like accompaniements to meat, is why the above vitamins are generally added to things that most people eat/drink - like milk, bread, cereal, etc ... "Vitamin A&D Milk", "Enriched Flour" Bread (with most of the B vitamins usually, plus sometimes D), Total/Wheaties/etc. cereals (and even sugary cereals have some vitamins usually) ... heck, chocolate milk is now the primary vitamin source of many children (Ovaltine etc.)

[boann]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Corn is not a vegetable (as that long post above states). It is a grain. It is basically a sweet, plump version of wheat ...

Not too many people eat 80% of their caloric intake in the form of corn. Rice, Wheat, and Potatoes can do this - due to higher proteins. Corn is not so high in protein.

ahhh i don't think you read the longggg post...
this is a quote from it..
"Although it is considered a vegetable by most of us, corn is actually a grain from the corn plant, which is a grass."

[snoopy369]

I was agreeing with the long post, simply didn't punctuate well

I meant "As the long post states, Corn is not a vegetable."

[Dis]

all corn is american (as in americas)

[boann]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I was agreeing with the long post, simply didn't punctuate well

I meant "As the long post states, Corn is not a vegetable."

humm well ok then