(RUSHVILLE) – You would be hard-pressed to find one person living in Indiana who hasn’t enjoyed at least one hot, buttered ear of sweet corn in their lifetime. For some of us, this is peak summer eating. We all have our favorite sweet corn farms we buy from, which are easy to find when Indiana plants over 4,000 acres of sweet corn each year.
Whether we are buying sweet corn for our family dinners or processing it to store in the freezer, Hoosiers love sweet corn and have a variety of ways they prepare it. At this point in the summer, sweet corn is a bit like zucchini and it’s starting to come out of our ears!Recently, Indiana Grown staff had the opportunity to visit a farm in Rushville that specializes in sweet corn and grows varieties like Temptress, Ambrosia and Incredible – SOUDER FARMS SWEET CORN. Not only do they sell corn by the ear and dozen, you can also buy it ready for the freezer to enjoy all year long.
Steve Souder began growing sweet corn in 1986 on his family farm. What was once about 25 acres, now covers more than 70 acres of land. Their corn is highly sought after and while we were there, we met a few shoppers who drove over an hour to stock up.
Sweet corn typically only produces 1-2 ears per stalk and thrives in home gardens when planted in large blocks for good germination. There is one strand of silk for each kernel of corn – a fact that I always find surprising. Next time you pull back the husk, check out the rows of kernels – there is always an even amount.
“A few years ago, a friend of mine shared with me her family treasured recipe for processing corn for the freezer that doesn’t involve heating up the kitchen, burning yourself on hot corn, or inviting the whole family over to lend a hand,” Suder said. “This recipe is very simple and makes perfectly portioned packs you can enjoy year-round alone or thrown in your favorite recipes. The corn is bagged with a light brine that you drain before adding to a recipe or leave in if cooking alone.”
Try your hand at saving a bit of this golden summer bounty at the height of its season. There is nothing like fresh Indiana sweet corn.
One of our most popular culinary stage recipes that we make during the INDIANA STATE FAIR is BARBECUED SALMON WITH SWEET CORN SALSA. This savory, sweet combination is a winner and very easy to make utilizing fresh summer corn that is steamed, boiled or grilled. And here is a bonus recipe to use up your favorite summer sweet corn:
TRY THIS RECIPE FOR SWEET CORN SALSA FROM MOUZIN BROTHERS FARMS
Learn more about SWEET CORN from our INDIANA GROWN PRODUCE POINTERS.
Please visit INDIANAGROWN.ORG for more recipes or to find a farmer or producer in your area.
