How to cook corn in a pot?
Corn is a herbaceous annual plant belonging to the cereal family. It grows on the cob.
Despite the fact that the birthplace of corn is distant Mexico (where the plant was bred about 12 thousand years ago), this product is also popular in our country. Most often, corn is eaten in canned and boiled form.
Boiled corn can be purchased from the market in season or cooked at home. This dish is a favorite snack of many of our compatriots.
However, not many people know the secrets of choosing and cooking cobs at home. If you are interested in this topic, continue reading our material.
Cob selection
As you know, the finished dish depends on the source material and on the source product. Thus, the quality and taste of the boiled product will depend on the choice of raw cobs.
In order for the cooked boiled corn to meet your expectations and turn out to be tasty, first of all, you need to choose the right cobs of the plant. To do this, you need to remember a few simple rules.
- First, the fruit must be surrounded by multiple green leaves. (they are also called amniotic leaves). You should not buy cobs where there are no leaves. When they are removed, the grains of the fruit dry out, and dust and dirt get on the fruit. Such a product is harmful to eat (especially if stored in improper conditions), because it is not always possible to wash hard-to-reach places between grains.
- Secondly, the age of the corn is an important factor. It is better to buy young fruits. This feature is very easy to check. To do this, move the leaves away from the fruit and try to put pressure on the corn kernels. If juice begins to splash out of them, and the grains themselves are resilient and elastic to the touch, then such corn is young and can be bought. If, upon examination, you find that the grains have a dense or hard structure and a starchy texture, then it is better to refuse to buy such fruits. Old boiled corn will not turn out tasty, it will be a dry product.
- Must be fresh and healthy corn. This means that there should be no dots or blackening on the fetus. If you notice that in some places the corn has begun to deteriorate, then you should not purchase such a product. Eating it can be hazardous to health. Better look for healthy fruits.
- Corn kernels should be uniform and uniform in color. The palette can vary from light yellow to orange. It all depends on the variety and age. It is important that both the top and bottom of the cob have the same color. If there are striking differences that can be seen with the naked eye, then it is better not to buy such a product.
Another important tip - when buying corn, pay attention to its size. This will help you avoid unnecessary hassle when cooking it.
If you do not have large pots on the farm, then buy small mini-corn. Then the fruit does not have to be cut in order to fit it into the cooking container.
Cooking time
It is believed that you can cook corn using almost any kitchen appliance: microwave, oven, double boiler and other kitchen appliances.Depending on the selected unit, the cooking time of the fruit will also depend.
However, the method of cooking in an ordinary pan on the stove is considered traditional.
In general, the time depends on the selected corn. First of all, on its variety, size and age. So, young or milk cobs of mini-corn (small fruits) will cook the fastest. They will be ready to eat in 7 or 10 minutes. Cook a little older corn properly for about 20 to 30 minutes. Such fruits will have the most intense taste, and it is they that are recommended to be bought by almost all consumers.
Old corn - especially if you come across a fodder variety, will have to be cooked for a long time. This process may take up to 2 hours of your time.
You can check the readiness with an ordinary toothpick. If you manage to easily pierce the corn grain with a toothpick, then this means that it is ready for consumption, and you can stop cooking it.
Important! Many housewives advise not to remove corn from the pan immediately after it is cooked. You just need to turn off the fire and let the corn stand for half an hour in the water in which it was boiled.
Thanks to this, the fruits will acquire greater juiciness and saturation. In addition, during this time it will cool down a bit.
cooking recipes
During the holiday season, boiled corn can be purchased at the market; in summer, this dish (piping hot) is sold on beaches and embankments. But you can cook delicious corn at home. Cooked in a pot of water, corn will decorate your dinner table and bring joy to the whole family.
Traditional corn recipe.
- The first step is to thoroughly wash the purchased cobs, and the fruits must also be cleaned of leaves and foreign fibers. However, do not rush to throw them away.
- The bottom of the pot or another container in which you will cook the cobs, you need to cover them with leaves. The leaves will give the dish an extra flavor.
- Moreover, if you have quite a lot of fruits and you plan to put them in several layers in a container, then each of them should be shifted with such leaves.
Important! A pot should be chosen of such a size that the cobs are completely placed in it, if this is not possible, then the cobs can be cut or broken into pieces.
- After you have laid the leaves and fruits, you need to fill the pan with cold, but purified or filtered water. We boil water quickly - at maximum power and the biggest fire. But remember that as soon as the water boils, the fire must be reduced.
- Next, cook until cooked (for information on cooking time and how to check readiness, see the previous paragraph).
Important! Salt should not be added to the water during cooking. May be dry corn.
According to tradition, a ready-made dish should be served with salt. Enjoy your meal.
For information on how to choose and cook corn in a saucepan, see the video.