PAGE 18, WH1TBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST là ' 1989 The sweet saga of corn on the cob *Centuries before corn was cultivated, the Aztec and Maya Indian tribes of Mexiceo worshiped this sacred crop. A good or poor crop indicated wbether the corn goddess was pleased or angry with the tribe. To please the goddess, living animais and occasionally human beings were sacrificed at the altar. The importance. of escorting corn from the field to the cooking * pot bas been knownA for centuries. Pound on ancient stone ruins: the Indian god of* light and air, Quetzalcoatl, was depicted with a cooking pot in bis right hand and a stalk of corn inhis left! Corn's ancestry is traced to a wild grass called "teosinte" that grew some 60,000 years ago and stili grows in Mexico and Central America today. The Indians crossed teosinte with an unknown grass to produce niaize. The original corn was only a couple of inches lon g, not like the 15-inch ears grown today. Afier returning from the western world in 1492, Columbus presented King Ferdinard and Queen Isabella of Spain with gifts of gold. However, the ing and queen were not impressed with bis gift of yellow corn. If only they had known how the "gold" grown on corn stalks bas amounted to such great riches for ail of mankind! In 1753, "Fzeaniays" was the termn coined by a Swedish scientist, iÀnneus, for Indian corn.- It is tbought te bave originated froni the Greek word for grain and sounds like tbe word meaning "tbat wbich sustains life" in most Indian tribe languages. Corn is a cultigen. This means it can't reproduce itself and without human intervention it is estimated that corn would vanish witbin two or three years. Imagine -- tbe ancient Aztecs knew this back in 3,500 B.C. Combine bite-size pieces of fresh Ontario corn on the cob with other seasonal vegetables for a delicious salad Ont ario sweet corn industry update e In 1987, Ontario, Canada's largest corni producing province, harvested over 13 million dozen- fresh market corn. This was valued at approimately $i7.3-million. Production increased over 1986 by 8 per cent due te good weatber conditions and an extended season. * Ontario corni is harvested froni xid-July te mid-September. Availability varies according to weather conditions and area of the province.. Corn is mostly grown in soutbwestern Ontario, with the first crop barvested in the Leamington area tbree weeks before other corn growing areas. 0 Fresh market corn is harvested froni approximately i4,q00 acres annually witb an additional 32,000 acres of sweet corn being produced for processing. Approimrately 1.8 million acres are planted every year as field corn, which goes inte the production of animal feed, cornstarcb, corn syrup and margarine. A further 400,000 acres are devoted te silage corn which is used solely as animal feed. eThere are about 64 sweet corn varieties grown in Ontario. The three major classifications are regular sweet corn wbicb accounts for about 80 per cent of production, sugar enhanced corni which amounts to about 19 per cent with the remaining one per cent being the supersweet corn. * Supersweet corn varieties bave entered the market! According to Bob Cobbledlick, marketing specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, these varieties "are very bigh in sugar and don't convert sugar into starch. The corn stays very sweet and bas a longer shelf life." 9 Regular sweet corn is a hardy variety tbat cari sprout in soul temperatures as cool as 50 degress F (10 degrees C). Supersweet corn takes longer te sprout and needs a warm soil temperature of 65 degrees F (18 degrees C). According te Cobbledick, "the soul temperature- affects the sweetness of corn. Researchers are trying te crossbreed the supersweet kernel with regular sweet corn te get a sweeter, bardier kernel that will, sprout in colder soil." Sugar. enhanced corni and regular sweet corni tend te lSe 50 per cent of their sweetness witbin 24 bours after picking. Because sugar enbanced corn contains more sugar it tastes sweeter longer. The sugar enhanced kernel is very tender and it can't be barvested manually. Corni technology bas skyrocketed over tbe last tbree years. 've neyer seen another crop undergo such remarkable changes in such a short period of time, witb respect to extending corn's sheif life, improving1 its sweetness and flavor' .and' increasing its production," states Cobbledick. Corn n thecob, nios sweet taste sensatiton Ontarians know the best way to, enjoy corn on the cob is te pick it fresh froni the * garden then plunk it inte the cooking pot. If you're not lucky enough te, have corn in the garden, plan te purchase and use cobs of corn tbe sanie day. Remember, the sugar in corn starts te turn te, starch the second it's picked! To erjoy the freshest and sweetest Ontario corn on the cob this barvest season, follow this advise from Foodland Ontario. AVAILAI3LITY Freoh 0ntrio corn on the cob is, awdilah)Q Srorn rnid-July te mid-September. BUYING *Check for cobs witb bright green busks and moist, golden silk. As a general rule of thurnb, the dryer the silk, the older the corn. e You don't need to pull down the husk to test for the best cobs. Without peeking, hold the cob tightly at the silk end -- the lest part of the ear te mature. If the corn is ready, youl l e able te feel the kernels through the busk. * irm, round kernels indicate sweetness. PICKING The best possible corn on the corn is picked fresh from a farmer's field. For a complete guide te picking corni on the cob throughout the province, order a copy of the 1989 Pick-Your-Own list. Calil toli free 1-800-268-3735 if you live outside Toronte, or (416) 965-4008 within the Toronto area. Or visit your local Ministry of Agriculture and Food office or Ontario Travel Information Centre. STORING *For the sweete-st.-corn, - plan ,to eat it right away. If you can't. refigerate the unbusked cobs in a plastic bag. TIhen cook tbem as soon as possible. Remember -- the longer'you wait, the more sweet flavor you lose. 0When buying corni at a pick-your own farm or market road side stand, bring along a well-insulated-cooler. Packed in the cooler, corn will stay fresb and flavorful during the journey home. PREPARING *Boiling. The most popular metbod of cooking corn on the cob is. boiling.. Place corn in enough boDilingý water'te cover, ýreturn te, boil and cook, covered, 5 ýte 7 minutes until tender. * Steaming.- To -steai, 'Place comn-on-the-cob on a rack over 2 inches (5 cm) of boiling water, cover and steam for 5 te 7 minutes until corn is tender. *Microwaving- To microwave, place 4 cobe of corni in microwave-safe baking dish covered with plastic wrap and cook at i-gh for 5 minutes. Corn also may lie individually wrapped in plastic wrap. me SPAGE 20 Corn salad with basil vinaigrette Here's a delicious corn salad that combines a melange of summer's fresh vegetables -- broccoli, caulifiower, carrots, tomatoes and green onions. For added flavor, marinate the vegetables in a simple vinaigrette. 4 cobs Ontario corn, cooked 4 1 cup broccoli florets 250 mL i cup cauiifiower florets 250 mL 2 carrots, sliced 2 2 tomatoes, diced 2 4 green onions, chopped 4 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 50 mL i tsp Dijon mustard 5 mL i tsp honey 5 mL 1 clove garlie, chopped 1 1/2 tsp sait 2 mL 1/8 tsp pepper 0.5 mL 1/3 cup vegetable oul 75 mL 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 25 mL (or 1 tsp/5 mL died basil) Using serrated knife, cut each cob of corn into i-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. In large bowl, combine corn, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes and green onons. In small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, honey, gariic, sait and pepper. SIowly whisk in oil. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss. Sprinle with basil. Cover and marinate 2 hours at room temperature before serving. Makes 8 servings. Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes