SWEETCORN

It’s hard to beat the juicy burst of sweet corn kernels straight from the cob. Peel back the husk of a fresh ear of corn and we are munching through the neat kernel rows of a very big grass seed head that was cultivated in the Americas for thousands of years before Christopher Columbus arrived on the scene. Although ‘officially’ a grain, the particular variety of corn we tuck into is very much eaten immature, as a vegetable. Boil, steam, microwave, bake or barbecue and serve them piping hot with just a dot of butter and sprinkle of salt. Alternatively, add the kernels to soups, stews and stir-fries; fritters and frittatas; chowders and crepes; salsas and salads; muffins, breads and corn cakes, or toss whole baby corn into stir-fries.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Buy cobs with green husks and dry silk or tassels intact for the sweetest flavour and if you can get a peek at the kernels, they should be plump, not shrivelled. As the natural sugars in the kernels start converting to starch once the husk is removed, resist buying pre-packed shucked ears. Frozen cobs and kernels make a handy year-round substitute.

HOW TO STORE THEM

If you want it sweet and tender, then eat fresh corn the day you buy it. However, it does keep well in the fridge in a plastic bag for a few days. Don’t peel away the husk until you are ready to cook.

WHAT’S IN THEM?

A medium cob of raw sweetcorn (100 g/3½ oz), which is equivalent to ½ cup (90 g/3¼ oz) sweetcorn kernels, has about 430 kilojoules (103 calories), 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 16 g carbs (1 g sugars, 15 g starches), 4.5 g fibre, 530 mg potassium, 3 mg sodium and a low GI (48) when cooked; the GL is low (8).

WHAT ELSE?

Corn is also used to make numerous gluten-free wholegrain products with an absolutely distinctive flavour that’s like no other grain.

Polenta is essentially a dish, not an ingredient. It is made mostly from medium-ground dried corn. Grits are coarsely ground cornmeal. Instant polenta has been par-cooked to speed up the cooking time and lacks the rich corn flavour.

Corn grits, which you will mostly come across in the US, are chopped up dried kernels you can use in soups or stews or serve as a side dish.

Hominy grits are corn grits that have been treated with an alkaline solution (nixtamalised).

HERO RECIPES

Chopped salad of sweetcorn, soya beans and quinoa with lemon-basil dressing (here )

Chicken and corn soup with toasted tortilla and avocado (here )

Roasted corn with chilli and lime peanut butter (here )