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" + "Fri, Aug 13 2010 - 6:27 AM" + "

" + "Corn on the Cob: The Perfect Summer Food!" + "

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What says “summertime” better than fresh picked corn on the cob? Yum! And the good news is not only is it delicious, it’s a good source of fiber,thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. This translates into better cardiac, lung, and brain health.

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Since the sugar in corn turns to starch very quickly, eat corn as soon after harvesting as possible. If you have to store it in the fridge, keep it in the husk in a plastic bag (but it’s best eaten within a day or two).

Corn comes in a rainbow of colors, including yellow, white, bicolor, violet, blue, and black. The darker varieties contain more antioxidant pigments called anthocyanins. So although white corn has become very popular because of its sweetness, the yellow and bicolor cobs contain more antioxidants. And here’s another bonus: blue corn tortillas and chips contain about 20% more protein and 8% less starch than white corn versions.

Cooking and freezing tips:

For perfect corn on the cob, drop husked ears into a pot of boiling water. Boil for exactly 7 minutes!

For freezing to enjoy later, blanch the husked ears in boiling water (7 minutes for small ears and 11 minutes for large ones). Let cool and place in heavy duty plastic bags. To freeze just the kernels, blanch the ears for five minutes and then cut the kernels off the cob. Store in a freezer-safe container. Whole ears will keep for up to one year, but use the kernels within two to three months.

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