Boiled corn is a favorite summer delicacy for both adults and children. It would seem that what could be simpler than boiling a few golden cobs to enjoy their delicate taste? But it turns out that you need to put in some effort, and even know a few secrets, to make the corn truly juicy. It is very important to be able to choose a product and take into account the cooking time.

Choosing the right one: what to consider

Corn is not just tasty, but also a very healthy product. It is rich in vitamins and microelements necessary for our body:

vitamin A is responsible for metabolism;
vitamin C strengthens the immune system;
vitamin E protects the body at the cellular level;
vitamin B (thiamine) strengthens the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems;
fiber cleanses the body of toxins;
Potassium helps provide fluid to the body.

In addition, corn contains substances that regulate the functioning of the thyroid gland and are responsible for the health of hair, nails and skin.

Its taste after cooking depends on how correctly you choose the ears of corn. Young corn has light yellow kernels, small cobs and not long. The rows of grains must be perfectly even, dense and of the same color. To make sure you have young corn, cut the kernel. If white juice similar to milk comes out, the corn is not overripe. You can also cut the stalk: in young corn it is whitish and light.

Young milk corn is best suited for cooking.

Sweet corn has whitish, tender tendrils at the end of the cob, which are denser and darker brown in fodder or overripe corn. Pale yellow color indicates medium ripeness of the cob. This type of corn will take longer to cook than young or milk corn.

Overripe corn has bright yellow kernels. These cobs will cook for about 2 hours. In addition, you need to take into account the area in which the corn grew: southern varieties are much softer than northern ones.

Cook the delicacy in a saucepan

This traditional method is familiar to each of us since childhood. At first glance, it is very simple, but you need to take into account some secrets and features.

Cook your corn the same day you buy it or pick it. Under this condition, it will retain its beneficial properties and become soft and tender.
Wash the cobs before cooking and remove any dirty leaves. Clean, young leaves do not need to be torn off. During the cooking process, they will give the corn an appetizing aroma.
Take a large saucepan with thick walls. Place the cobs in several rows and pour in cold water so that it covers the corn by a few centimeters. Close the lid tightly and do not remove it until the cobs are cooked. If the corn is young and soft, it is enough to cook it for 15-25 minutes after boiling.
You can tell if the corn is ready by tasting it or by piercing the kernels with a fork. After the cooking process is finished, do not remove the corn from the pan immediately, let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Please note: there is no need to add salt to the water during cooking, otherwise the corn will become hard. Ready-made cobs are salted, or rather, they are rubbed with salt and oil, spices or sauces are added if desired.

If the corn cobs are too large for the pan, you can cut them before cooking. Ready corn is served hot.

More options?

A modern kitchen is equipped with various devices that greatly facilitate the process of preparing dishes for housewives. The same applies to corn, which can be cooked in a steamer, pressure cooker, oven and microwave.

To boil corn in a steamer, rinse it without removing the bottom layer of leaves and place the cobs in the pan. pour 1 glass of water - this will be enough to create steam. For young corn to be completely ready, 5-10 minutes are enough. Old or feed corn will be steamed in a steamer for 40 minutes.
To cook cobs in a pressure cooker, rinse them, place them in a container and fill with water. Close the lid and put on fire. For young corn, 10-15 minutes after boiling is enough, for overripe corn it will take 40 minutes.
To cook corn in the oven, take a deep baking dish, grease it with butter and tightly place the washed, peeled cobs. Pour enough boiling water to cover the corn. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees, place the pan with corn there and bake for 40 minutes.
There are two ways to cook corn in the microwave: fast without water and slow with water. It is important to know that only young corn can be cooked in the microwave. For the first option, place the cobs in plastic bags and tie them tightly. Set the device to 800 W and cook for 10 minutes.
You can also quickly cook corn like this: cut the cob into pieces without peeling the leaves, and cook in its own juice for 5 minutes at 800 W.
To cook corn in the microwave slowly, with water, rinse the cobs, place them in a special container, cover with cold water and cover with a lid. Set the power on the device to 700-800 W and set the timer for 45 minutes. Make sure that the water does not boil away and add it to the container if necessary.

Frozen and vacuum-packed corn: cooking secrets

Modern food storage methods allow us to enjoy corn not only in the summer, but throughout the year. For example, you can buy frozen corn on the cob at the store. It is treated with steam and instantly frozen, which allows you to preserve all the healing properties of the product. Preparing this corn is very simple: put it in boiling water and cook until tender. After the water boils a second time, 20-25 minutes are enough until it is completely cooked.

Vacuum packaging is usually used not for cooking corn, but for storing it in finished form. You can buy such cobs and, if necessary, heat them in the microwave, saucepan, slow cooker or frying pan. Before this, the vacuum packaging must be removed.

Several interesting recipes

Corn can be a rather unusual dish that will decorate any festive table. To do this you need to put in a little more effort and use your imagination.

Try cooking corn in milk and cream. For this you will need:

4 ears of corn;
0.5 glasses of milk;
1 glass of cream with a fat content of 30%;
30 grams of butter;
0.5 glasses of white wine
1 tablespoon flour;
2 eggs
salt and spices.

Boil 4 ears of corn and remove the kernels from the cob into a bowl. Heat the milk and a quarter glass of cream in a saucepan, add the grains and cook for 10 minutes.

Melt the butter, mix it with 1 tablespoon of flour, add the mixture to the corn and cook for another 10 minutes. Pour in dry white wine and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. then add salt and spices to taste. Grind the remaining cream with the eggs, add to the corn and cook for another 10 minutes.

In this recipe, you can use whatever spices you like: pepper, bay leaf, basil, cinnamon, tarragon and much more.

Corn can be cooked in the oven

Corn baked in sour cream is a very spicy and tasty dish that your family and friends will surely enjoy. Take the following products:

5 ears of corn;
0.5 cups sour cream;
100 grams of cheese;
50 grams of butter;
2 handfuls of dill, parsley and onions.

Cut the grains from the boiled cobs, pour sour cream and melted butter over them, and stir. Place on a baking sheet or baking dish, sprinkle with grated cheese.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees, place a baking sheet with corn and bake for 15 minutes. After cooking, sprinkle the corn with finely chopped herbs and serve hot.

Video about cooking corn on the cob

While summer delights us with hot sunny days, do not deny yourself the pleasure of eating delicious, juicy and healthy corn! Share your corn recipes with our readers. Bon appetit and a bright summer!

What is the current situation with GM products on the Russian market? To answer this question, we conducted our own research. It is known that currently 90% of transgenic food products are corn and soybeans, so in large chain stores in Moscow we bought 7 cans of canned corn from popular brands: “ 6 acres», « EKO», « ARO», « Bonduelle», « Good Luck», « Red price" And " Frau Martha».

GMO products: to eat or not to eat?

Against the backdrop of recent global cataclysms, the news that since 2014 it has been officially allowed to grow genetically modified crops in Russia has gone almost unnoticed. Meanwhile, this decision may entail even more serious consequences than political and economic crises, because the GMO revolution, according to numerous experts, will inevitably affect the health of future generations and the entire ecosystem of the planet as a whole.

Laboratory experiments prove that after regular consumption of GMOs, animals died from tumors. Scientists are confident that a diet consisting of GM products will also affect people’s sensitivity to antibiotics, can cause a decrease in immunity, increase the risk of allergic reactions, and lead to infertility.

It is already clear that genetically modified crops are displacing their less resistant counterparts from the fields: pollen from transgenic plants pollinates natural plantings, and they mutate. In addition, the seeds of GM crops also become infertile - nothing will grow from them the next year, which means that they will have to be purchased again. All this, of course, plays into the hands of producers of GM plants, but in pursuit of profit, they hardly think about how this approach will turn out in the future.

TEST PARTICIPANTS
6 acres Bonduelle Good Luck Red price Frau Martha

What were they checking for?. The samples were anonymized and submitted for testing to an accredited laboratory to determine whether the corn contained GMOs. In addition, we were interested in its appearance, taste, smell, color, number of damaged grains, as well as the consistency and quality of the filling fluid. At the same time, RIPI specialists tasted the contents of the cans and assessed the information content of the packaging and labeling.

GMO test result. We would like to say right away: among the tested samples, no genetically modified organisms were found in any of them. However, the problem is that existing methods for identifying GMI (chemical, immunological, and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, which was used in this study) have their own disadvantages and errors ().

The laboratory where the research was carried out used the PCR method, which is officially accepted in many countries around the world. Of course, we have no reason not to trust the results of laboratory tests, but the EKO sample produced in Thailand raised great doubts among tasters.

The fact is that the corn grains in this jar turned out to be just right - appetizing, beautiful, perfectly even, without the slightest flaw. But the taste left much to be desired: it seemed somehow unnatural, “chemical”. Eating this corn was unpleasant. To understand the problem, we turned for comment to Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Director of the Federal Budgetary Institution "Krasnoyarsk Center for Medical Sciences" Vasily Nikolaevich MORGUN(pictured left). He confirmed that the PCR method has its drawbacks.

Research result


The samples withstood both laboratory tests and tasting: “ 6 acres», « Bonduelle" And " Good Luck" They are produced in vacuum packaging by one manufacturer, Bonduelle-Kuban LLC.

You will learn how the test was carried out, what you need to know to buy tasty corn, as well as detailed information about the results of laboratory tests and the taste qualities of the samples if you read the material to the end.

Three stages of corn maturity

Distinguish three stages of maturity corn. At the first stage, the nutritional value of the grain is formed, its contents become similar to milk, hence the name - milk stage of maturity. This is the best type of corn to use for canning. Second stage – filling phase, or wax. At this time, the formation of grain size is completed, it becomes viscous and waxy. The third stage is called maturity stage. The supply of nutrients stops there. If you take fully ripened corn for canning, the grains will be tough, hard, and will taste like starch or flour.

Subtleties of technology

The process of canning corn is simple. First, it is washed and blanched - briefly immersed in hot water. Then the cobs are cooled with water and the grains are cut off: evenly, beautifully and neatly. At this stage, it is important to discard speckled and dark grains. After that, they are washed again, scattered into jars and filled with filling. By the way, its composition is very simple: water, sugar and salt. But this is quite enough to get a tasty product. It is only important to maintain the proportion of salt and sugar, otherwise the corn will either be completely unsweetened or will float in sugar syrup. The jars filled with grains and filling are rolled up and sterilized.

Corn can be “regular” and vacuum

In our country there is a standard for canned corn - GOST R 53958-2010 “Natural canned food. Sweet corn. Technical conditions". It says that according to the method of production, canned corn comes in three types:

Our test involved the canned food “Sugar corn in beans” and “Sugar corn in beans in vacuum packaging” (for simplicity, we will call them regular and vacuum corn). The vacuum-packed samples differed significantly from the rest in appearance: golden-yellow grains, homogeneous in composition and taste. Photo 1 clearly shows the difference: jars with delicious corn kernels in which no liquid is visible (No. 1, 3, 4, 5) - this is vacuum corn. And jars with liquid, under which smaller grains are visible (No. 2, 7) or not visible at all (No. 6), are ordinary. Therefore, the next time you want to buy corn, pay attention to the phrase “vacuum-packed.”

How much grain should there be in a jar?

GOST also determines the amount of corn in a can (based on the net weight of canned food):

for regular corn: at least 60%
for vacuum: no less than 80%

To determine this parameter, the liquid from the cans was drained (see photo 2) and the remaining corn was weighed. For five samples, the ratio of grain mass to net weight corresponded to the norm: at least 80% for samples “ 6 acres», « Bonduelle», « Good Luck», « EKO", and at least 60% for " ARO" And " Frau Martha" But in the bank " Red price“There was clearly not enough corn: there were almost as many grains as the filling (in photo 2 there is a full glass, No. 6).

Which corn tastes better?

The tasting drew a sharp line between the dough samples, dividing corn into edible and inedible. The tasters liked only three samples: “ 6 acres" And " Bonduelle"(rating "excellent"), " Good Luck" ("Fine"). The rest received a “not recommended” rating. Interestingly, corn " EKO"was simply magnificent in appearance - grain by grain, golden color and large size, but, alas, completely inedible. Its taste is unnatural, “chemical”, not like corn. Eating is unpleasant. The consistency of the grains is unnatural, crunchy, like a pickled cucumber, it gives the impression that the grains are raw and undercooked.

Laboratory assessment of the organoleptic properties of the samples revealed non-compliance with GOST in 3 samples (“ ARO», « EKO», « Frau Martha"). RIPI expert assessment added a sample to this list “ Red price", which none of the tasters liked.

The question arises: since the cost of a can of corn is two times different (from 26 to 53 rubles), then perhaps the expensive one is good, and the cheaper one is of lower quality? To test this assumption, we calculated the price per 1 gram of product (see Table 1). Note that we are talking only about the corn itself, and not about the filling fluid. It became clear that there is no relationship between price and quality. Cost of inedible corn " Frau Martha"exactly the same as delicious" 6 acres" or " Bonduelle" 1 gram of corn " ARO"is sold at the same price as " Good Luck"(10 kopecks), but our test showed that they cannot even be placed next to each other. In general, if we talk about the price-quality ratio, the leader of the test is undoubtedly corn." Good Luck", and the outsider " Frau Martha».

Table 1. Results of a study of canned corn and its cost per 1 g of product.

Trademark	6 acres	ARO	Bonduelle	Good Luck	EKO	Red price	Frau Martha
Laboratory research
Availability of GMOs	not detected	not detected	not detected	not detected	not detected	not detected	not detected
Assessment of organoleptic properties 1	Complies with GOST	Does not comply with GOST	Complies with GOST	Complies with GOST	Does not comply with GOST	Complies with GOST	Does not comply with GOST
Tasting results 2	Complies with GOST	Does not comply with GOST	Complies with GOST	Complies with GOST	Does not comply with GOST	Does not comply with GOST	Does not comply with GOST
Price for 1 g of product, kopecks.	18	10	18	10	15	12	18

Notes:

1 - for compliance with GOST R 53958-2010 "Natural canned food. Sugar corn. Technical conditions."

2 – if the organoleptic properties do not meet the standards, the rating cannot be higher than “not recommended”.

OUR ADVICE

When choosing canned corn, first of all, pay attention to the date of its manufacture. If it was sealed in jars during the winter, it means the corn cobs or kernels have been “restored.” Simply put, they were first dried to preserve them, and then soaked and boiled. There is another technology: first freeze and then preserve. It is clear that the taste will not be the best. Another thing is that canned corn made in the summer or early autumn is not a reconstituted product, but a natural one.

Please note: the date of manufacture must be permanently marked on the tin or glass jar lid. If the numbers are extruded, it means that the manufacturer used old Soviet equipment - today this technology is no longer used, since corrosion appears in the recesses. If the date is printed on a paper label, serious doubts arise about its veracity. In GOST R 53959-2010 “Processing products of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. Packaging, labeling, transportation and storage" states: "Marks are applied to metal cans and lids of glass jars by printing with heat-resistant marking paint."

Canned food « Sweet corn beans in vacuum packaging» refer to natural canned food. They contain: fresh corn kernels, water, sugar and salt. Canned food is packaged in metal cans, hermetically sealed using vacuum sealing machines and sterilized.

Incoming raw materials and supplies must be accompanied by quality certificates and declarations of conformity from suppliers.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Delivery, acceptance, storage.

Acceptance of corn on the cob is carried out based on quality and quantity. Upon acceptance, corn is divided into grades (highest, first) depending on the degree of maturity. The degree of maturity is determined by the moisture content of corn grains using the drying method:

Corn with a moisture content of less than 66% is not suitable for production.

Corn is unloaded into the receiving hopper by variety.

It is not allowed to: mix corn varieties in the receiving hopper when unloading.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Cleaning and washing.

Sweet corn cobs are cleared of outer leaves, inspected, and underdeveloped, pest-damaged and unpeeled cobs are rejected.

Corn kernels should be cut as close to the surface of the cob as possible, but care must be taken not to cut the kernels with the cob tissue, since the presence of such kernels is not allowed in canned food.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Inspection.

Corn grain is fed into an inspection conveyor in a uniform thin layer, where damaged grains, vegetable and foreign impurities are manually selected. The speed of the inspection conveyor should be no more than 6 m/min.

If you have an optical sorter installed in your production, then it is necessary to establish the frequency of monitoring and quantitative characteristics, based on which you can make a conclusion about the quality of the optical sorter. This is necessary for making timely adjustments in the settings of the optical sorter.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Preparing the bays.

Water is poured into the container for preparing the bays in accordance with the recipe, it is heated, salt and sugar weighed according to the recipe are loaded, brought to a temperature of no more than 60 0 C. Then the bay pump is pumped into the containers for packaging through a filter. Recipe for making bays:

The mass fraction of dry substances in the bay according to the refractometer is 16.0%,

The use of recycled filling fluid is permitted.

The results of monitoring the preparation of bays are recorded in the journal "". The frequency of control is every cooking.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Packing, capping.

Corn is packed on fillers in pre-prepared metal cans.

The filling temperature during packaging should not exceed 60 o C.

To maintain a ratio of 80% for the finished product, the net weight of corn grains before sterilization is selected experimentally. So, for example, the weight of corn grains and the weight of the bay when packaged in reinforced concrete with a net weight of 340 g, depending on the variety:

Control of the net weight and weight of corn grains in jars before sterilization is determined by weighing at least 6 jars, the frequency of control is once an hour.

The results of monitoring the net mass, mass of the main product, and temperature of the bays are recorded in the log “”.

The permissible deviation of net weight for individual cans is ±3%.

Filled jars are sealed with lids using vacuum sealing machines. After capping, a visual inspection of the cans is carried out, and cans with sealing seam defects and other defects are rejected.

After capping, the vacuum in the jar should be (600 - 700) millibars.

The results of the inspection of the disassembled seam of a tin can are recorded in the journal "". The frequency of control is once per shift.

The results of the tin can are recorded in the journal "". The frequency of control is once per hour.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Sterilization.

Canned products are carried out in rotary autoclaves at a temperature of (120 - 130) 0 C.

Storing filled jars for more than 30 minutes before sterilization is not allowed.

Control of the sterilization regime is carried out according to the K-8 magazine “Control of sterilization of canned food” and according to cartograms.

The temperature of canned food at the end of the sterilization process should not exceed 35 o C.

The vacuum in the jar after sterilization must be at least 500 millibars.

Canned sugar corn beans in vacuum packaging. Control of the finished product.

The results of monitoring the net weight, net weight of the main product, and temperature after sterilization are recorded in the “” log. The frequency of control is one can per hour.

The results of control of organoleptic and physico-chemical indicators are entered into the journal "" in accordance with the regulatory document for this type of product. Sampling frequency: 2 jars every 2 hours.