Eating Healthier in Today's World

GETTING CORNY WITH CORN

I thought today, we would take a look at one of the other grains that are not used as much as wheat so I picked corn. 

History:  In early history, the term corn was the name given to all grains and was used to indicate the principle cereal crop of a locality.  Several different grains used in Biblical accounts are called corn.  In England, corn means wheat.  In Scotland, corn means oats.

Corn, as we know it today, is a native cereal grain of the Americas.  No evidence exists of its existence in the " civilized" or European world until Columbus discovered it in America.  At that time, the native Americans were cultivating several different types of corn.   Through trading, these early Americans developed and hybridized almost all the strains of corn in use today.

Evidence of corn use is found among many artifiacts of the leading Indian tribes of North and South America.  The oldest evidence actually found in South America goes back to about 1000 B.C.   Corn was even found in an excavation 200 feet below the present Mexico City.

Corn was grown by nomadic tribes as well as the hight civilized Mayas of Central America, the fierce Aztecs, and the Incas of Peru.  Columbus carried seeds of corn to the Old World, and in two generations it spread over Europe, Africa, India, China and Tibet.  The rapid spread of corn outdistanced the spread of tobacco.  Nevertheless, in certain areas of the world, corn was and still is considered food only for animals.

When the Pilgrims arrived on the American continent, their chances for survival appeared bleak.  Their store of foodstuffs were running low, and starvation was imminent.  The Indians took pity on them and shared their supplies of corn.  The new settlers were taught by the Indians how to plant, cultivate, and enjoy this wonderful food.  Without this aid, the Pilgrims' survival would have been questionable. 

Description:  Corn grows in climates ranging from the cold of northern Russia to the heat of South America.  It grows at below sea level and at 12,000 ft. heights in Peru.  A crop of corn matures somewhere in the world every month of the year.  In North America, corn ranks second in production to wheat.  In Wrold production, it is supassed only by wheat and rice.  With the rising use of bio fuels, many farmers have switched their production of wheat, here in North America, to the more lucrative corn crop driving the prices of both grains much higher than ever before in recent history. 

Nutritional Info:  Corn is extremely high in magnesium.  It also contains thamin, naicin, riboflavin, fat, calcium, sodium, protein, carbohydrates, potassium, iron, vitamin A, and phosphorus.   Corn contains over 1600 calories per dry pound weight.  The nutritional values of the different corns may vary.

Dent Corn:  Also know as field corn, is grown principally for livestock feed.  The stalk and orn ar often made into silage.  It is not a tasty corn for the table, although white dent corn is made into hominy.   When it dries, a dent develops in the top of each kernel, hence it's name.

Sweet Corn:  This corn has the best flavour of any type of corn as it contains twice as much sugar as dent corn.  It is grown entirely for human consumption.  The flavour of sweet corn it best the day it is picked.  It can be steamed over water, boiled, baked in its husks in hot coals, or eaten raw.  The finest nutrition that corn has to offer can be obtained by enjoying corn raw on the cob.

Flour Corn:  This type of corn is principally grown by the natives of America from the southwestern US to South America.  It is not grown commercially.  In Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, a large seed variety has bee developed, with seeds ranging up to one inch in length and nearly only inch wide.  These soft kernels are easily ground by hand. 

Flint Corn:  Flint corn, also known as "colourful corn", has coloured kernels ranging from white to deep red.  The kernel is very hard, hence the name,  Flint corn is found in New England and Wisconsin, but it is principally grown in South America.  It has a short growing season and transports easily.  Argentina exports much of this type of corn.  Ground into cornmeal, flint corn is particularly delicious.

Popcorn:  With it's hard rather pointed kernel, popcorn is a favourite snack food.  It is often the only whole grain available in today's supermarkets.  Because it is a whole grain, it's nutrients remain intack.  It provides minerals, proteins, and vitamins, including Vitamin E and B complex.

Cornmeal:  This had been commercially prepared and has been degerminated; the germ, the corn oil, and the protein casing hold them in the centre of th kernel have been removed.  Corn is degerminated because when it is ground with it's oil, it becomes rancid and does not store well.  Thus, commercial cornmeal is a product with the life forces missing.  It is better to grind popcorn, home dehydrated corn, or dent corn to receive all the food value corn offers at the most inexpensive price.

Corn Flour:  This is made by grinding cornmeal to a finer consistency.  It is often used when a recipe calls for cornmeal.

Uses:  Corn takes on many forms--from the corn tortillas of Mexico to good old movie watching popcorn.  Soups, breads, breakfast foods, corn flakes, hominy, corn oil, corn whiskey, tamales, grits, and corn flour are all made with this wholesome grain.  Other products made from corn range from starches, dextrins, syrups, and dextrose to adhesives, chemicals and bio fuels.  For much of the beer and whiskey market, corn is the foundation. 

The entire stalk of the corn plant has many industrial uses,  The stalk can become silage, paper, and wallboard.  The husk becomes filling material.  Cobs are used to make fuel, charcoal, industrial solvents and corn cob pipes.

Home Grinding Corn:  If using a stone mill, grind corn coarsely as ti has a tendency to ruin stone mills by glazing the stones which are impossilbe to clean.  Our Nutrimill grain mills will mill corn on the coarser settings for a slightly coarser flour or on the low speed and coarse setting for a fine corn meal.  Any type of dried corn may be used when milling corn but some of the larger varieties may need to be brushed or wiggled to go into top hole of the mill.  The Family Grain Mill will also grind corn (although not as fast as the Nutrimill) and can be set to do a coarser grind cornmeal as well as flour. 

Try out our Double Corn Bread recipe from "Sensible Cooking" Cookbook