Everybody has heard that when you butcher a pig you use every part except the squeal. Well that little saying is absolutely true. It may seem as though corn is nothing like a pig at all BUT IT IS because every part of the corn plant can also be used. If you are planning to grow corn or buy a bushel from somebody else then this post may help you get the most out of your crop.
First, its important to choose a heritage corn rather then one that is a hybrid or a GMO. There are still some heritage corns available but they are getting harder to find and keep pure. You also need to decide what kind of corn to grow but I will be talking mostly about dent or feed corn and popcorn. The different colors do make a difference in protein. Blue has the most protein followed by red and multicolored then yellow. You can do most of the following things with sweet corn as well but you won't dry the kernels and store them on the cob.
Dent and feed corn can be harvested and eaten like fresh corn while it is in the milk stage. Milk stage happens around three weeks after the silk emerges and the kernels are fertilized. If you want fresh corn from a dent corn variety it has to picked at that time because the kernels are plump and moist. The corn will soon begin drying out and denting as it finishes its cycle. Go ahead and harvest some and enjoy them. They are perfect roasted on the cob or removed from the cob and pan fried.
As you are harvesting that corn, be sure not to waste anything. The silks are used as an herb. They can be dried and saved for later use or used fresh. For an herbal tea, simmer the silks in water then strain before use. Use one tablespoonful of silks to one cup of water. You can drink 4-5 cups of warm tea a day. The tea is used at the first sign of a urinary tract infection to aid and soothe irritation. It doesn't usually act as a complete cure but when combined with other remedies helps hasten the healing process. It is also used as a prevention for those people who are prone to kidney problems (including stones) and cystitis. It helps to strengthen the kidney and urinary tract rather then cure it. For those people with poor urinary flow it can help to ease the problems such as enlarged prostrate. Also, it is mild antiseptic and helps to heal minor wounds when applied to the skin.
The husks of the fresh corn are also useful. They can be washed and then dried for many uses. The most popular use is for a wrapper when steaming tamales. They are also used for grilling or cooking food over a fire. They are soaked in water then wrapped around the food before cooking. Since they are free, its a great use and prevents the use of aluminum foil in preparing food. They can be used for wrapping and transporting food also instead of using plastic or aluminum.
Dried husks can be used for more then food though. Use them as the covering for a medicinal poultice. They have been used for filling mattresses and pillows as well as packing material. They make a crude writing paper if no other paper is available and some people use them for cigarette papers. They can also be braided into sleeping mats, throw rugs, window coverings and baskets. When the corn is allowed to dry in the field then the husks get brittle and brown and are no longer suitable for some purposes but they still can be used for fire kindling. They can be used for bedding or fed to livestock in small amounts if they aren't moldy.
When the corn is removed from the cobs then those cobs should be saved. They make wonderful corn cob stock. Just add an onion, herbs, carrots and celery if you have it and simmer them on the stove to make a stock for soups and other dishes.
Boiling the cobs from dried corn cobs also produces a great juice for making corn syrup, corn sauce or corn cob jelly. Depending on the cob the juice is either light golden or a deep amber which can be simmered down. Add brown sugar for a sweet sauce or pectin and sugar for jelly.
The dried cobs can be used for burning in place of or in addition to wood. They can be ground for animal bedding especially the chicken coop. Run them through a wood chipper if you have one to grind them up. Its often been joked about but the cobs have and can be used when there is no toilet paper. If the dried cobs are soaked in water then redried they supposedly fluff up and are softer then leaves although I have never tried it:)
Don't forget the whole purpose of growing corn is the corn itself. Dent corn is left in the field to dry on the stalk before harvesting. It takes the whole season to get them to that stage. They can be harvested and spread out to make sure they are completely dry then stored on the cob. Or they can be shelled off of the cob and stored that way. (Either way, save those cobs). Shelling can be done by hand or with a corn sheller. The corn should then be stored whole until needed.
To grind for animal feed, a wood chipper works perfect and it is what we use. To leave whole and feed to the livestock when you don't have a way to easily grind large amounts, it is easier for some livestock like pigs and cows to process if it is first soaked in water which breaks it down enough so the animal gets more out of the kernels.
The dried corn is also used for the kitchen. If soaked in lye it becomes hominy. Its used for making moonshine. If ground it is used for both grits and cornmeal. A grinder is important for your preps because it makes processing and eating grains easier but It is possible to grind by using two stones if you absolutely have to. It would be labor intensive to do it that way but if you don't have a grinder then its possible. I can't stress the importance of obtaining a grinder/mill of some type if possible to make grains easier to process.
If you grew popcorn then it can also be ground for cornmeal or grits. Obviously it can also be just shelled off the cob and popped in a covered pan with a little oil too.
Finally, there are the stalks still standing in the field after harvest. Some people bundle them and use them for livestock feed. If they were the only source of feed then perhaps that WOULD be necessary but keep in mind that they don't offer much nutrition at that stage and it is mostly just a filler. The green stalks are higher in nutrition but still should only be fed sparingly. Honestly, the best use of the stalks are to turn them under or cut them and leave them to break down in the form of compost for the soil. When they are removed they leave the bare and depleted soil behind but when they are left to rot they feed the soil as they break down. Good soil is important to a healthy harvest and rather then stripping it of everything and then running out to BUY fertilizer to replace it, it just makes things easier and more natural to leave something to replenish and feed the soil rather then leave it bare. And with that final fertility which is given back to the soil that feeds us, you used everything but the squeal.
Southern Wood Elf