A-maize-ing Popping Corn
A-maize-ing Popping Corn
Popping corn is a special variety of corn named Zea belonging to the corn family. Other types of corn are Dent, Sweet and Flint Corn. Dent corn, aka field corn, is primarily used as grain corn for animals. Sweet Corn is the delicious corn on your table or seen at farmers’ markets during the summertime.… Read More »
Popping corn is a special variety of corn named Zea belonging to the corn family. Other types of corn are Dent, Sweet and Flint Corn. Dent corn, aka field corn, is primarily used as grain corn for animals. Sweet Corn is the delicious corn on your table or seen at farmers’ markets during the summertime. Flint corn is also known as Indian or Calico corn and is typically dried and used for decoration or for flours, meals, polenta, or grits. We grow popping corn and sweet corn on our farm and sweet corn is one of the larger crops for us due to its demand. Popping corn is a smaller crop, yet, important nonetheless.
Popping corn is planted directly in the ground in the spring and then harvested in the fall on our farm, taking between 90 and 120 days to reach full maturity. Corn is wind pollinated so our popping corn will be planted in rows in a different location, away from our sweet corn, to prevent cross-pollination and to keep crops viable. We grow two different varieties of popping corn on our farm mushroom and butterfly. Mushroom popcorn yields a rounder, pearl-shaped popcorn while the butterfly variety is more elongated and rice shaped. Both are equally delicious and grown and consumed in the same way.
We allow the popping corn to dry on the stalks until they turn brown, and once harvested we hang the corn cobs, still in their corn husks, to
dry in a well ventilated greenhouse for a couple of weeks for further drying. We test the cobs by popping the kernels, checking the moisture content, before deeming it ready to go out to our market. Popping corn is sold by the dried cob keeping it natural and true to its original form with the kernels left on the cob for long term storage.
There are several ways you can choose to pop it and store it. You may decide to remove the kernels, which is easy to do so, and collect kernels in a jar for immediate use or storage. The kernels can be added to a heated pan with oil and popped until ready or the kernels can be added to an air popper for popping. You can also easily add the cob to a small paper bag and pop in your microwave for a super fast and convenient way to make popcorn. Either way you choose to use it will be delicious and a healthy snack. Did you know? Popping corn is totally natural and is full of fiber and plant antioxidants called polyphenols and is in season on our farm right now. Perfect for the holidays to snack on or to string and hang inside or outside to feed the birds.
Best wishes from our farm kitchen to yours! XO
