By now, fall, you've probably had so much corn on the cob that, for the moment, you don't figure you'll ever want to see another one of those yellow delights all steaming hot and fresh out of the pot and dripping with thick homemade butter. But, come spring again, you'll be just as hankering for an ear or two as you always are after a long cold winter. But in the meantime, if you are smart, you've gone to the trouble to cut some of those golden jewels off the cob and canned them. They are going to taste might good come about January, or so. Besides, they taste pretty fine cold right out of the jar. Another thing those little yellow kernels are good for, come summer, is fish bait. Trout and bass especially go for them. Bluegill and perch might give them a look over and a nibble as well.
Another corn you may have planted is popcorn. You see, not all corn can be popped, just popping corn. What you do to store it is, after it's picked--don't cut it off of the cob. If you do, you might just as well go ahead and dry it, then grind it into cornmeal-a job you are going to do anyway if you plan on eating cornbread and fried mush this winter. Instead, pull the shucks straight back away from the ear but don't remove them. You can remove the silks now or later. You might want to remove the silks and dry them separate. Come Christmas time and you are sewing up rag dolls for the girls, dried corn silks make fine wigs. Anyway, tie a few of the ears together by the shucks and hang them up to dry. The beams that are holding the roof of your sody up are the best place to hang them since heat rises. The nearer to over the fireplace or wood stove you hang them the better. When the kernels are dried hard and dented they are done.
After the corn is dried you can either store it on the cob or shell it. Shelling it now makes it easier on a cold night when you suddenly get the urge to snuggle up to a bowl of popcorn. Besides, shelled popping corn is easier to store. Which ever you decide to do, you still have to shell the corn before you can pop it. And if you don't have calluses on your thumbs by now-you will when you get this job done.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Go To Page: 1 2
