The appearance of warm weather days signals the beginning of grilling season, and what’s a backyard barbecue — especially in Indiana — without sweet corn?

We Americans love our corn. We consume about 25 pounds of corn per person annually, most of which is frozen or canned. A good thing about corn is that frozen and canned corn has about the same nutritional value as fresh corn. So, for the many Americans who are not able to get fresh corn, they can still enjoy frozen or canned for nearly the same nutritional value as fresh corn.

When selecting corn, pick husks that are green, tight and fresh looking. Pull the husk open to make sure that the ear contains tightly packed rows of plump kernels. If you don’t plan on using the corn within 4-5 days after purchase, then store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Refrigeration helps the corn retain its sugar and Vitamin C content. If you buy unhusked corn, keep it in its husk until you are ready to cook it. This will help the corn retain its moisture content. To fully enjoy the great taste of sweet corn, cook it as soon as possible. “The sooner, the better” is a good rule of thumb.

Even though sweet corn tastes great with plain butter or margarine and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, you might want to try these flavored spreads for something a little different.

Mix ingredients together and spread mixture on corn.

Parmesan Butter

• ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 T grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Caesar Butter

• ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 T Caesar dressing

Tomato and Herb Butter

• ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 T sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing

Tagged as: food, Mary Snell, recipes, tips