Food of the Month: Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is a scrumptious summertime vegetable and a must-have at every weekend barbeque. Often times, sweet corn's reputation gets mixed up with field corn, but sweet corn and field corn are used very differently. Learn more about their different uses and the unique benefits of sweet corn.

SWEET CORN VS. FIELD CORN

When you eat corn on the cob, you're eating sweet corn. In contrast, field corn doesn’t have the same sweet flavor and has other uses instead. Field corn is used in livestock feed and is what’s used to make ethanol fuel and used in food products like breakfast cereal, corn chips or corn meal.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CORN ON THE COB

Sweet corn is packed with fiber and carotenoids. The fiber in corn makes it fun to chew and supports healthy bacteria in your digestive system. Carotenoids, the pigments that give corn its unique color, make corn great for your eyes and provide benefits for healthy vision.

HOW TO ENJOY CORN ALL YEAR

Corn freezes well, which means you can enjoy corn throughout the year, but first you’ll want to remove it from the ears. But don’t wait to enjoy it – throw a few ears on the grill to enjoy this summer classic as soon as you can! To mix it up, we've shared a few other recipes for you to try corn both fresh and frozen.

Nutrition Information
Sweet corn, 1 ear, medium (90 g)

Calories: 77

Fat: 1.1 g (1%)

Cholesterol: 0 mg (0%)

Sodium: 14 mg (0%)

Potassium: 243 mg (6%)

Total Carbohydrates: 17 g (5%)

Protein: 2.9 g (5%)

Vitamin A: 0%

Vitamin C: 10%

Calcium: 0%

Magnesium: 8%

Iron: 2%

RECIPES

Black Bean and Corn Salad II
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-and-corn-salad-ii

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 avocado – peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.
2. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 small white onion, finely diced
• 3 small zucchinis, diced
• 3 ears corn, husks and silk removed
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook and stir onion in the melted butter until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Cut kernels from the ears of corn. Add zucchini and corn; cook and stir until zucchini is tender, about 8 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper.