Stripping sweetcorn from the cob

[scarey55]

Evening everyone,
Not sure if this is the right place for this but do any of you grapes have an easy way of getting the corn from the cob. I've just spent ages with 2 cobs and a knife and my fingers are sore already - Thinking about opening a tin of "ho-ho-ho Green Giant"
Thanks folks,
Clare

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hadn't thought of stripping the cobs, Clare, just scoffing the lot with buttering dribbling down my chin.....will have to wait a week or two yet for mine - although the tassels are starting to turn colour.

How many plants have you, and how many cobs have you from each plant?

Half remembered thought of standing the cobs up on a chopping board and slicing downwards .... but now I think about it, didn't Wellie have a piccy of cob kernels posted up somewhere? She must have stripped the corn, then?

[scared55]

With your teeth?

[shirlthegirl43]

Not worth the bother I would have thought. As Hazel says the fun is enjoying the butter dripping down your chin Got to wait for mine too - got 5 cobs developing on some stalks.

[seasprout]

Do tell...

got 5 cobs developing on some stalks.

Crikey.... what variety is that..?!!?

[shirlthegirl43]

Crikey.... what variety is that..?!!?

Don't know the proper name for it - got some seeds from a grape - they are blue sweetcorn

[JennieAtkinson]

Like Hazel says Clare - just boil with butter - mmmmmmmm. Should be harvesting my first ones in the next couple of days. Got one I'm checking on a daily basis - can't wait. I've got 18 cobs altogether - my best year.

[scarey55]

How many plants have you, and how many cobs have you from each plant?

Oh Hazel, what a darling you are - how lovely of you to give me a chance to show off
I put in 8 plants and I have 3 to 4 cobs on each plant. I don't think that all of them are pollenated - some gaps on the cobs but I'll remember all the great tips from other grapes and plant them in blocks and beat them every time I go past next year
To everyone else, I guess I'll just have to eat them straight off the cob with lashings of butter then

[Hazel at the Hill]

Oh Hazel, what a darling you are - how lovely of you to give me a chance to show off

...and why not!

I had a dozen germinate - but only had 8 to plant out (one of which died the death) which I did once that I had ascertained that the 'unidentified pests' which were nibbling the tops of the plants in the pots at home were, in fact, my cats who thought I'd introduced some grass in the courtyard for them to have a graze on....

I think that I've got 1 or 2 cobs on each plant (note to self to count when next at the Hill) - but how do you know if they have pollinated properly - do you have to strip off the outer bit?

BTW - are the cobs worth freezing, and if so would you strip the corn off first? Do you blanch? I only ask as I will NOT be being as altruistic with the corn as I have been with the runner beans, but suspect I will be eating a couple of cobs a day for a week, and that'll be it!

[scared55]

suspect I will be eating a couple of cobs a day for a week, and that'll be it!

And the very very very best way to enjoy home grown sweetcorn on the cob is straight from the plant - never mind all this boiling water stuff, just eat 'em raw. Excellent!

We didn't find a way yet to discriminate between full and 'gappy' cobs, other than opening the leaves and silks very carefully and putting them back surrepticiously (so the plant won't notice) afterwards. The last one I pulled off was 100% perfect and sooooooooo creamy tasting.

[Two_Sheds]

I've just scoffed three cobs of Tuxedo all to myself...boiled for 6 mins. They are so gorge, taste of butter, even though I didn't add any at all.
I'll repeat that ... TUXEDO F1. Best corn I've grown/eaten/not shared

[Snadger]

And the very very very best way to enjoy home grown sweetcorn on the cob is straight from the plant - never mind all this boiling water stuff, just eat 'em raw. Excellent!

We didn't find a way yet to discriminate between full and 'gappy' cobs, other than opening the leaves and silks very carefully and putting them back surrepticiously (so the plant won't notice) afterwards. The last one I pulled off was 100% perfect and sooooooooo creamy tasting.

Totally agree.....didn't find this out until I tried last years harvest. Now
I wouldn't thank you for a cooked sweetcorn!
I tend to eat one every time I visit the allotment and chuck the gnawed cob over for next doors hens and ducks........cor, you should see them fight over it!

[rustylady]

The only way to eat sweetcorn is to hold either end of the cob and use your teeth!! Whether you prefer it cooked or raw is entirely up to you. I like mine boiled for around 5 minutes, water drained off and a knob of butter lobbed into the pan. Shake until the cob is well coated and then enjoy. If you must remove the kernels, then stand upright on a wooden chopping board and use a sharp knife to slice downwards towards the board.

[The Doctor]

I had over 40 cobs on 20 plants, ate none, and this thread is making me feel very jealous!

[T-lady]

...and why not!



BTW - are the cobs worth freezing, and if so would you strip the corn off first? Do you blanch? I only ask as I will NOT be being as altruistic with the corn as I have been with the runner beans, but suspect I will be eating a couple of cobs a day for a week, and that'll be it!

Hazel

Definately worth freezing them as they taste pretty good when you're in the middle of winter and want to remember warm summer days (!). I blanch them for 3 minutes, plunge them into cold water, dry, wrap in tin foil and freeze as quick as you can.

We started picking our sweetcorn on 24th August and it was gorgeous. But the cobs we had last night are definately starting to go over so I'm glad I froze some of them when they were in the prime.


I planted about 18 plants in a block and have had 2-3 cobs per plant. I didn't so much shake them as I wandered past them each day as physically move the pollen from the male to the female flowers (I felt like a prostitute doing it but hey! what ever it takes on this one). Last year I barely got any germination. This year, using the 'prossie' method, I've had 100% success.


T-lady