What's in Season in New Jersey in Summer - Corn

This summertime darling has affinities with lots of ingredients—think beans, chilies, and tomatoes, for starters—making it a welcome addition to any meal. But it’s also delicious on its own, simply boiled and lavishly slathered with sweet butter and salt. No matter how you enjoy fresh corn, above all remember that winter is long. Don’t let the season slip by without eating your fill.

 season: 

Available fresh from NJ growers from mid-summer through early fall.

 at the market:

 Select deeply green, firm ears with slightly damp pale silk (also called tassel). Avoid ears that appear faded or feel dry.

 store: 

For the best flavor, keep unhusked ears in the crisper of your refrigerator and enjoy within a day or two.

 wash: 

Washing shucked ears under the tap isn’t necessary, but it can help eliminate excess silk and stray dirt.

 cook: 

Bring a big pot of filtered water to a rolling boil and submerge husked ears for up to 5 minutes, depending on your taste. Remove ears from water and serve immediately.

 history: 

Corn (maize) is a member of the grass family and has been cultivated for at least 9,000 years, originating in Mexico. It needs full sun and human help to grow. North American indigenous peoples introduced corn to the English colonists, who came to rely on it as their chief grain.

As corn ages—over time or once stripped of its husk—its sugars quickly transform into starch, making it far less flavorful. While it has become common for customers to strip ears right at the store or farm stand, resist the urge: It’s best to wait to remove the husks until just before cooking.

DO YOU KNOW:

Corn is fully edible and digestible raw, though cooking intensifies its flavor and makes the kernels more tender.

Yellow corn, prized for its true, old-fashioned flavor, as well as white, super-sweet white, and bicolor varieties are all popular in NJ.

We’ve heard rumors of ultimate-fresh-corn enthusiasts who boil water on a butane stove right in the field, shuck a few ears but leave them attached to the stalks, and bend them into the water to boil. While this method might be strictly anecdotal, we can endorse that, when it comes to the best eating, the fresher the corn, the better!