Smiling, he smuggled me an extra-tender ear of buttery sweet corn, which I gnawed to cob in three seconds. Aware I no longer ate human. Rather like a homeless dog. ~ Cowboy Ghost
I can relate. I do love corn on the cob, slathered in butter, lightly salted, heavily peppered. Makes my mouth water just conjuring the image. Then there’s the possibility of adding cornsticks, cornbread dressing, fried corn, and even the masa that provides structure for a tamale. However you eat it, corn has been around a long time. As to what you call it (fruit/grain/vegetable), take a look at an earlier post. For now, it’s a history project.
How long have we had this corny addiction?
The short answer is: over 4500 years, but it didn’t start with what we grow now, according to Pioneer (the agribusiness). There’s a wild grass in southern Mexico called teosinte that is the antecedent to what is now produced commercially and in our gardens. After seeing this plant’s image, I am in awe of the imagination of those ancient civilizations that saw the sustenance potential in what looks like weeds. But they did.
The farmers of that time used some of the same techniques used today. They saved the seeds from the plants with the qualities they wanted and used those to sow the next season’s crops, repeatedly. The more I learn, the more I realize we aren’t that smart. This practice spread, just like it would now. By the time Christopher Columbus reached this continent’s shores, corn was being cultivated in both North and South America. At that time, though, the total acreage in cultivation was significantly less. By applying relative (estimated) populations from then to now, I calculate that we currently have more than 55 times per capita the amount of corn under cultivation compared to 1492. Guess I’m not the only one who loves it. Of course, we don’t just eat it, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
Processing methods through the centuries, in brief
A University of Kansas site tells us that long before the Europeans arrived, Native Americans depended on corn. They ate it raw, roasted in the fire, or added to soup. If dried, they used it to make what we’d call tortillas now, or they may have eaten it as mush. That wasn’t just a preference issue. Corn could be stored over the winter months when other food sources were scarce; sticking with a reliable option was smart. Studies indicate that Natives who regularly cultivated and ingested corn had lower infant mortality rates than their non-farming peers.
Fast forward to the 19th century and the featured image, a structure that houses a 150-year-old grist mill. It is still in operation, though for demonstration only. In its day, it was a community hub since every family grew corn and ate corn almost every time they stopped to eat. This commercial mill could produce over 150 pounds of corn meal per hour, so the 1/8-of-the-weight toll was a good trade-off against spending hours grinding corn at home. A hand-cranked mill might require an hour to produce 1 (one) pound of meal. Homemakers would have prepared corn in much the same way as the Natives had, but with added dishes: grits, hoecakes, and corn pone, fried in animal fat.
- An ear of corn has one silk strand for every kernel.
- More than 90 million acres on earth are dedicated to producing corn.
- Corn is used in non-food items like fireworks, glue, fabric, crayons, fuel, paint, laundry detergent, cosmetics, and plastics.
- Corn is grown on every continent with the exception of Antarctica.
- A bushel of corn can sweeten 400 cans of soda.
- 91 gallons of water is needed to produce one pound of corn.
- The United States produces about 1/3 of the world’s corn.
Corn's place at the table. Or trough.
Or gas tank. Yes, ethanol is most often made of corn. The process begins with milling, but concludes with fermentation.* The Nebraska Corn Board, which should be a good source, also tells us that ethanol is added to gasoline to make engines run better. Up to 98% of all gasoline in the U.S. includes 10% ethanol. Cars designated as FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) can run on ethanol alone, as well a variety of small engines, such as lawn mowers. *Any protein or fiber solids that remain are used as livestock feed. But back to human consumption.
This won’t be news to most of you, but here’s a partial list of corn products beyond what’s already been mentioned, courtesy Britannica: Hominy, polenta, popcorn, breakfast cereal, corn oil, corn starch, and corn syrup. Did you know that the difference in the color of light corn syrup and dark is just the addition of molasses? Why didn’t I already know that? One thing I did know without checking is that cornbread is gluten-free as long there’s no cross-contamination in the manufacturing process.
Let’s see. Did I miss anything? Oh, yes. Beverages. Whiskey and corn vodka, to name a few. Yes, I occasionally drink a Jack Daniel’s product. However, now that I know that ethanol is produced the same way whiskey is, and that cars run on it … I confess I’m a little concerned. I may have to have a little cup of something and think on that
Timing for this piece was perfect. Just yesterday I brought home a couple ears of fresh corn, shucked it and boiled it as soon as I got home…..and yes dove into it. So sweet! Did not know there was one silk strand for every kernel…..Still don’t know until I buy an ear and count it for myself!
SO good when it’s fresh. Let me know if you actually count the silks. 😉
How did the early Americans get it in the cans?
I didn’t have canned corn until I was well into adulthood. It’s much better fresh or frozen.
The fact that one bushel of corn can result in 400 cans of “coke” is more than enough to leave off the corn. The nutritional value of corn has been sacrificed to increase yields. Grow corn to keep gasoline cleaner not make Americans fatter. Rant over
I appreciate what you’re saying, but it won’t convince me to abandon fresh corn. 😉
Definitely making me hungry! I had a cat that loved corn on the cob…(apparently that’s a thing and many cats go wild over it.😻)
I had no idea cats went crazy about corn on the cob til I saw that video. Go figure.
Sure did enjoy. Didn’t mention maize. Indians helped us to know about corn. Thanks for your reseaech.
Based on what I read, corn is called maize in most of the rest of the world.